Alex Hales and Jason Roy hit sparkling centuries as England cruised to a 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second Royal London ODI at Edgbaston.
The opening duo produced an unbeaten opening stand of 256 – England’s highest in ODI history – and personal best scores to chase down the target of 255 with 95 balls to spare.
Hales, 133 from 110 balls, hit three successive sixes into the raucous Hollies Stand the same over as completing his 100 while Roy, 112 from 95 deliveries, slapped a flat six in classic style to bring up his century.
Both made their maiden ODI tons on home soil and embraced as Roy drilled the winning boundary through the covers knowing a place in the record books was secured.
Their stunning display with the bat was built on excellence with the ball as Sri Lanka were restricted to a modest total of 254 on a decent deck. Adil Rashid was tight and potent with 2-34, Liam Plunkett threatening for 2-49 and Roy executed two excellent run-outs.
New-ball duo Chris Woakes and David Willey bowled without success, with Willey dispatched for two maximums by Danushka Gunathilaka, until Plunkett arrived to make the breakthrough in his first over.
The big fast bowler, final-ball hero with the bat from the first match on Tuesday, had Gunathilaka caught behind by Buttler for 22 before Kusal Mendis was trapped LBW for a nine-ball duck.
England kept it tight and Roy produced a classy run out to dismiss Kusal Perera for 37 after collecting on the turn and expertly throwing down the stumps. Such was the quality of the fielding umpire Michael Gough, unusually in the modern game, the raised the finger without needing a replay.
The score was 77 for three in the 17th over but experienced duo Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, despite being hampered by a hamstring injury, put on 82 runs. But miserly Rashid was bowling well and took two wickets for no runs in the space of three balls.
First captain Mathews top edged to Plunkett for 44 and then aggressive Seekkuge Prasanna was brilliantly caught by full-length Willey sprinting round from mid-on.
Chandimal continued to reach a half century from 80 balls, with many singles and a dearth of boundaries. The next two wicket fell in the space of five balls as wicketkeeper-batsman Chandimal was run out by busy Roy for 52 and Willey clean bowled Farveez Maharoof for just two.
The visitors were 191-7 but accelerated through the final overs to post 254-7 from their 50. Upul Tharanga played fluently and aggressively for 50 from 48 balls as Sri Lanka raced from from 200 to 250 in 34 deliveries.
Roy and Hales failed at Trent Bridge as the top order crumbled to 30-4 but started with real intent. With the bowlers providing little threat on a one-paced surface, the duo played themselves in before ticking off various milestones and carrying England to victory.
Hales heaved a big six in the Hollies Stand and moved past 1,000 ODI runs soon after bringing up his seventh half century in 55 balls. Roy had less of the strike but also hit 50 at exactly the same rate, before slapping power flat six and brutal reverse sweep for four.
The big shots kept coming and emotional centuries followed as the Hollies Stand got louder and louder in the evening sunshine before Roy completed the victory that puts England one-nil up in the five-match-series. Hales smashed six sixes and 10 fours while Roy thumped four sixes and seven fours, with the latter named man of the match after his two run outs.
England move on to Bristol for the third match on Sunday.