England outlast Sri Lanka despite Rathnayake's hundred in dead rubber

Lahore, Pakistan: England halted Sri Lanka's chase of a substantial 387 target, defeating them by 55 runs in a dead rubber match on Thursday in Lahore. Previously, Rathnayake had made an impressive 130 runs while chasing 430 for Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. This time, Rathnayake scored 77 off 118 balls, but it wasn't sufficient as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 331 in 45.1 overs.

England opener Ben Duckett had earlier scored his highest ODI score of 167 to push England to 386-5. With just 87 runs needed in the last ten overs, Sri Lanka's chances of victory disappeared when spinner Liam Dawson bowled Rathnayake off a mistimed sweep in the 45th over. Dawson finished with career-best figures of 4-49, and Sonny Baker took 2-75.

Despite the loss, Sri Lanka remains hopeful for their upcoming final against Pakistan in Lahore on Saturday, with Kusal Mendis contributing 89 runs off just 71 balls, including five sixes and eight boundaries. England captain Harry Broo expressed satisfaction with their performance, stating they've learned from previous matches where Sri Lanka chased 430.

Mendis also expressed confidence in the team's abilities for the final. Duckett's 132-ball innings, featuring 24 boundaries, provided stability to the innings along with Tom Banton's 74 runs. England's last ten overs saw Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, and Sam Curran contributing significantly to the score.