ENG vs SL: Spinners Led England To Win & Seal Series By 3-0

ENG vs SL: In the last T20I, England claimed a great win over Sri Lanka by 12 runs and now lead the series by 3-0 and claiming the entire series at Pallekele. After England could manage to make 128 runs with 9 wickets left, Sri Lanka had a very poor batting performance under pressure and were bowled out for 116 in very challenging and old conditions on a worn-out, turning pitch.

Sri Lanka’s Batting Woes Continue Ahead of T20 World Cup

In a span of merely five days, Sri Lanka witnessed their second major batting collapse, leaving a lot of concerns in the run-up to the T20 World Cup. While chasing a relatively decent total, the hosts collapsed from 62/2 to 116 all out, tossing away a match that they were well on their way to winning.

Early Wickets Keep England in the Contest

Despite the fact that England put up a low total, there was enough support on the surface for them to remain optimistic. Luke Wood started well in the ENG vs SL match, removing Kamil Mishara for a duck in the first over.

Sri Lanka managed to get some momentum going with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, including a fruitful 14-run over off Jamie Overton. But Liam Dawson brought them back down with a sharply turning ball that removed Nissanka.

Spin Choke Triggers Dramatic Middle-Order Collapse

England’s spinners piled on the pressure immediately after the PowerPlay. Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell restricted the runs before Rashid bowled Pavan Rathnayake with a magnificent googly, triggering the collapse.

Captain Harry Brook recognized the moment and brought in Will Jacks, who got his man with the first ball as Mendis top-edged a sweep. Sri Lanka lost grip despite reaching 90/4 in 13 overs.

Will Jacks and Bethell Turn the Match on Its Head

Jacks continued to put the pressure on, getting Kamindu Mendis lbw and inducing a poorly timed slog sweep on Janith Liyanage. Although Dunith Wellalage and Dasun Shanaka managed to stabilize the innings, Bethell provided the crucial breakthrough.

In a dramatic over, Bethell got rid of Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, and Shanaka, turning the entire ENG vs SL match in England’s favor. He would later get rid of Maheesh Theekshana to end with match-winning figures.

Sam Curran’s Gritty Fifty Saves England

Earlier, England’s defendable total was almost entirely thanks to Sam Curran’s gritty 58. England’s top order has collapsed under the pressure of Sri Lanka’s pace attack, led superbly by Dushmantha Chameera.

Ben Duckett was the first to go in the first over, followed by Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, and Harry Brook as England were reduced to 35/4 in the PowerPlay.

Chameera’s Five-For Rips Through England Line-up

Chameera was relentless, using movement and variations to great effect. He later returned to get Will Jacks and then took a double-wicket maiden that got rid of Liam Dawson and Jamie Overton.

Despite losing partners at regular intervals, Curran counterattacked well, scoring 47 runs with Dawson and reaching his half-century in the 19th over. England finally managed to reach 128/9, which surprisingly turned out to be enough in this ENG vs SL thriller.