Jason Roy special sinks Sri Lanka

Jason Roy fell five runs short of setting a new batting record but his superb 162 still helped England win the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka and take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Surrey’s South African-born opener took centre stage on his home county ground and hammered the second highest individual one-day score by an England batsman yesterday.

His fireworks lit up the gloomy, rain-filled South London skies to ensure England captured the series at The Oval.

His second hundred in three ODI games, 162 runs off 118 including 13 fours and three sixes, helped England clinch a six wicket win with overs to spare as they chased down their revised victory target of 308 with ease.

And they clinched the series 2-0 with just one game left in Cardiff on Saturday.

It was England’s second highest successful one-day run chase - and they did it in 42 overs. Sadly for Roy he fell just five runs short of overtaking the highest score by an England batsman with another Robin Smith’s 167 not out against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993 still holding firm. He was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep with England in sight of the finishing line.

Scoreboard Sri Lanka: K. Perera (run out) 1, D. Gunathilaka c Ali b Rashid 62, K. Mendis c Plunkett b Rashid 77, D. Chandimal b Willey 63, A. Mathews (not out) 67, S. Prasanna b Willey 9, D. Shanaka (not out) 19. Extras (lb2, w5) 7. Total: (for 5 wkts, in 42 overs) 305. FoW: 1-8, 2-136, 3-158, 4-245, 5-259. Bowling: Willey 8-0-58-2, Woakes 9-0-65-0, Plunkett 8-0-65-0, Rashid 9-0-57-2, Ali 8-0-58-0.

England: J. Roy b Pradeep 162, M. Ali c Chandimal b Pradeep 2, J. Root c Pradeep b Gunathilaka 65, E. Morgan c Gunathilaka b Lakmal 22, J. Bairstow (not out) 29, J. Buttler (not out) 17. Extras (lb5, w7) 12. Total (for 4 wkts, in 40.1 overs) 309 FoW: 1-18, 2-167, 3-221, 4-281. Bowling: Lakmal 7-0-48-1, Pradeep 9-0-78-2, Mathews 3-0-17-0, Maharoof 8-0-58-0, Shanaka 1-0-12-0, Prasanna 7.1-0-61-0, Gunathilaka 5-0-30-1