Unprecedented scenes emerged at the Pallekele International Stadium in Sri Lanka. The home crowd had pretty much thought the game was within their reach when Sri Lanka won the toss and restricted England to 146 runs in 20 overs upon inviting them to bat first.
But a clinical performance from the English bowling unit proved too much for Sri Lanka. They lost wickets consistently falling into the trap of hitting the ball out of the park. As a result, the home side was bowled out at a disappointing total of 95 runs in 16.4 overs and lost the game by a huge margin of 51 runs.
Sri Lanka vs England: Top performers
Sri Lankan spinners did put up an impressive display. Dunith Wellalage took 3 crucial wickets of Jos Butler, England skipper Harry Brook, and Phil Salt and conceded just 26 runs in 4 overs. Mahesh Theekshana too clinched 2 wickets with an economy rate of just 5.25.
But Will Jacks’ 21 runs off 14 balls and a mesmerising spell of 3 wickets by conceding 22 runs was a difference maker in real senses. Because of his all-around display, he was awarded the player of the match and rightfully so.
Sri Lanka vs England: Worst Performers
Being a top performer for Sri Lanka with the bat, Pathum Nissanka had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. But his disappointing innings of 9 runs set the tone of a batting collapse for Sri Lanka. While England won the match, it was a disappointing performance from Jos Buttler once again. The former English skipper continued his below-par form in this tournament and was dismissed on an individual score of just 7 runs off 14 balls.
Sri Lanka vs England- What is the way forward?
With this impressive win over the host nation, England find themselves at the top of the table in Group B and strong contenders to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament. England are poised to face Pakistan in their next Group 8 clash, and the three lions will look forward to improving their batting display on the same ground. A win for England against Pakistan will almost guarantee a spot for them in the final 4.
For Sri Lanka, every game is now a must-win. The big challenge for them at the moment is New Zealand, another formidable side at this stage of the tournament. A setback against the Blackcaps will shatter the Sri Lankan side’s dream of winning their second T20 World Cup, particularly on their home soil.
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