Will Jacks bowling figures of 5/22 have placed the England all-rounder second on the country’s list of best ODI bowling performances by a spinner, following his match-winning display against Sri Lanka. Jacks bowled seven balls of excellent economy at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street, picking up his five wickets at a cost of only 22 runs. He was 3 runs off their tally for England’s spinners. Former off-spinner Vic Marks has a mark of 5/20 to shoot from in Wellington, 1984, against New Zealand. Adil Rashid is in third place on the list with 5/27 against Ireland at Bristol in 2017.
| Bowler | Opponent | Figures | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Marks | New Zealand | 5/20 | 1984 |
| Will Jacks | Sri Lanka | 5/22 | 2026 |
| Adil Rashid | Ireland | 5/27 | 2017 |
| Graeme Swann | Australia | 5/28 | 2009 |
| Graeme Hick | Zimbabwe | 5/33 | 2000 |
Jacks’ outstanding performance enabled England to win its first of three games by 89 runs. Harry Brook scored 67 off 69 balls in 265 for England in 48.1 overs, including seven fours, as they were bowled out.
Joe Root and Jacks both scored unbeaten 44 and 46 runs off 47 balls respectively. Ben Duckett and Jos Buttler added 32 and 31 points respectively to put together a good 63 points for England. Sri Lanka bowlers Sachindu Colombage and Asitha Fernando picked up three wickets each and their batting ability failed to get going. Captain Kusal Mendis scored 42 runs from 60 balls while Dunith Wellalage top-scored with 45 from 36 balls.
Pathum Nissanka added 27, but Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 176 in 37 overs. Jacks’ efforts over both innings made him the main man behind England’s series-opening win, not only by delivering an unbeaten 128-run innings, but also one of the finest ODI bowling performances from an Englishman in his position.
