• Jos Buttler revealed umpire Rod Tucker joked about England’s night curfew during the 2nd ODI in Sri Lanka.
  • Buttler’s brisk 33* off 21 and Joe Root’s 75 steered England to a five-wicket win.
  • England used heavy spin (39.3 overs) to bowl Sri Lanka out for 219 in the chase.
  • England sealed the white-ball series and now turn attention to three T20Is and the T20 World Cup 2026.

Rod Tucker’s cheeky night-curfew quip

Former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler has revealed a light-hearted exchange with Australian umpire Rod Tucker during the 2nd ODI of the Sri Lanka vs England series. Buttler told listeners on the Love of Cricket podcast that Tucker playfully warned England to keep up their over rate so they could get back before the team’s strict night curfew.

Watch the Love of Cricket podcast clip on Instagram

Match snapshot: chase, comeback and key contributions

England chased 272 to close out the second ODI. After a strong 75 from Joe Root, Buttler finished the job with a quickfire 33 not out from 21 balls to guide England to a five-wicket victory. The win marked a crucial response after England lost the series opener.

England’s bowlers produced an unusual heavy spin-focused workload, delivering 39.3 overs of spin— the most the side has bowled in a 50-over match. The tactic paid off as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 219, setting up the chase.

Context: curfew, culture and team measures

The England squad has been under scrutiny since off-field incidents in recent tours. Management implemented a strict night curfew for the Sri Lanka trip as part of tighter team measures. That set-up provided the backdrop for Tucker’s offhand joke about ensuring England’s over rate stayed brisk enough to make curfew time.

What this means next

England built on the second ODI victory to win the final match by 53 runs and clinch the series 2-1. The teams now switch formats—three T20Is start on January 30—before both sides head into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. England will join Nepal, the West Indies, Scotland and Italy in their group-stage campaign.

For fans, the moment underlines how on-field performance and off-field discipline can meet in small, human moments: a quick quip from an umpire and a match-winning cameo from a seasoned finisher.

Image Referance: https://cricxtasy.news/england-cricket/jos-buttler-reveals-umpire-rod-tucker-s-cheeky-night-curfew-banter-during-2nd-sri-lanka-vs-england-odi/