The third ODI between England and Sri Lanka at Bristol has ended in a no result after heavy rain forced the game to abandoned four overs into England's run chase.

Play began at Bristol with the sun shining and Sri Lanka were inserted into bat first after England won the toss and chose to field first. Sri Lanka never really got going in their innings despite Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Matthews all making a half century but they could only limp along to 248-9 from their 50 overs.

England then came out to bat and lost the early wicket of Alex Hales for a duck but four overs in the heavy rain came and the game was abandoned.

England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and chose to bowl first with the good bowling conditions that were on offer for his bowlers.

Sri Lanka get off to a stuttering start 

It showed straight away as David Willey bowling the opening over of the innings, got the wicket of Danushka Gunathilaka for one with a beautiful piece of bowling that got through the defences of the batsmen.

England kept the squeeze on the Sri Lankan batsmen after the early wicket, and because of this, it brought the second wicket, when Liam Plunkett got the wicket of Kusal Perera for nine, to leave the score on 32 for two in the ninth over.

Mendis, Chandimal and Matthews lead rebuild with half centuries

The wicket of Perera brought Chandimal to the crease. Chandimal and Mendis started to rebuild the innings as their partnership got to 58 before Plunkett got his second wicket of the innings. Mendis was the wicket to fall for a well made 53 as he tried one too many big shots and was caught on the boundary. 

Chandimal then was joined at the crease by Sri Lanka captain Matthews with both knowing that they had to put on a substantial partnership for their team.

The pair once again frustrated England and took their partnership past fifty as Chandimal also got his half century. The partnership was finally broken on 80 though when Chris Woakes got Chandimal caught down at third man for 62 to get a crucial breakthrough for his team.

Chandimal holds up his bat during his innings of 62 | Photo: AFP
Chandimal raises his bat during his innings of 62 | Photo: AFP

Prasanna Sekkuge came in at number six but didn't last very long as he fell for two of the bowling of Plunkett who took his third wicket of the innings. Matthews though was standing firm as he passed his fifty as he and Upul Tharanga tried up the scoring rate.

In doing that though Matthews fell to Chris Jordan for 56 when he tried to hit him out of the ground. Dasun Shanaka came in next but he didn't last very long as he was run out for two, leaving Sri Lanka on 215 for seven needing a lot more runs before the end of the innings.

Late hitting gets Sri Lanka up to 248

Late hitting from Tharanga who made 40 and Farveez Maharoof who made 9 got Sri Lanka up to 242 before Woakes removed both of them from consecutive balls to give himself three wickets in the innings.

Woakes impressed once again taking three wickets | Photo: AFP
Woakes impressed once again taking three wickets | Photo: AFP

Sri Lanka finished their 50 overs on 248-9, which gave their bowlers something to bowl at in the second innings. 

England lose Hales in reply but heavy rain means the game is abandoned

In reply, England lost a wicket in the first over of their run chase as Hales, who made a brilliant hundred in the second ODI, was out for a first-ball duck of the bowling of Suranga Lakmal.

Joe Root joined Jason Roy at the crease and the pair got the score to 16 for one from four overs before heavy rain meant that there would be no more play at Bristol as the game was abandoned.

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