England Vs Sri Lanka: Jacks 3-22, Salt 62 Lead England to 51-Run Win as Sri Lanka Bundled Out for 95
The england vs sri lanka fixture ended with England completing an impressive 51-run win after posting 146 and then bowling Sri Lanka out for 95. The match produced a dominant bowling display, a big innings from Phil Salt, and a dramatic hit-wicket moment that summed up Sri Lanka's evening.
England Vs Sri Lanka: Match snapshot
England finished on 146, with Phil Salt top-scoring on 62 off 40 balls and the only England batter to pass 21. Despite the modest total, England's bowlers combined to restrict Sri Lanka to 95, securing a 51-run victory.
Bowling stars and key figures
Will Jacks delivered the standout bowling figures, taking 3-22 including two wickets in two balls. In addition to Jacks, three England bowlers took multiple wickets: Archer, Dawson and Rashid each claimed two wickets. Those combined efforts dismantled Sri Lanka's chase and left them well short of the target.
Sri Lanka collapse and the Hemantha incident
Sri Lanka were bundled out for 95. Their top four were dismissed for single figures, and only Dasun Shanaka reached double figures beyond 13—he scored 30 and was the only Sri Lanka batter to score more than 13. Dushan Hemantha was dismissed hit wicket for five, a moment described as summing up Sri Lanka's evening; commentator Aatif Nawaz reacted with the words "What have you done" at that dismissal.
Fielding and the turning of the game
Will Jacks and Tom Banton combined to dismiss Dasun Shanaka with an excellent piece of fielding. The catch was praised as brilliant teamwork, showing great awareness as the two players tag-teamed the catch on the boundary. That moment underscored England's fielding contribution to the win.
Captain's reaction and assessment
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka described the result as very disappointing but highlighted positives from the ball. He noted that Sri Lanka kept England to a score 20 runs less than par and that he had expected his players to bat well. On the batting collapse he said it was a combination of factors: the pitch was slow but settled a bit, Sri Lanka played poorly with the bat, the bowlers bowled well, and the team played some rash shots at critical intervals.
Shanaka also outlined a strategic note for the tournament: in this World Cup Sri Lanka tried using five main bowlers, which gives them a useful attack to restrict sides to lower scores. The discussion in the dressing room was to take it deep and to make positive, right options. He warned that one bad game is not affordable in a World Cup and said the team needs to bounce back, noting that the top order have done well in recent games and he is confident they will do well in upcoming matches.
Match context and what follows
Matthew Henry's match report outlines how England pulled off the 51-run victory despite scoring only 146. The result will be followed by India v South Africa in Ahmedabad, previewed as a cracker between two of the tournament favourites. Coverage will continue with that high-profile fixture shortly.
In sum, the england vs sri lanka game was defined by Salt's 62, Jacks' 3-22 (including two in two), two wickets apiece for Archer, Dawson and Rashid, a top-four batting collapse for Sri Lanka and a hit-wicket dismissal that encapsulated a difficult evening for the visitors.
