England spin and Jacks dominate as they beat Sri Lanka in T20 Cricket World Cup
England beat Sri Lanka by 51 runs in the Super 8s of the t20 cricket world cup as Will Jacks took 3-22 and Phil Salt top-scored with 62 off 40. The match combined a modest England total of 146 for nine with a tight bowling display that bundled Sri Lanka out for 95.
Will Jacks and Jofra Archer spearhead the bowling
Will Jacks finished with three for 22, including a spell that produced two wickets in two balls, and Jofra Archer collected two top-order wickets as Sri Lanka’s innings collapsed in the powerplay. Jacks was handed a rare opportunity with the new ball and shared new-ball duties; he exploited the grip in the surface while spin colleagues Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid also prospered, each taking two wickets.
Phil Salt anchors England’s 146 for nine
Phil Salt mustered 62 off 40 balls and was the only England batter to pass 21; Will Jacks was the only other England batter to pass 20 with 21. England reached 146 for nine, but their top order had earlier slipped to 68 for four off 10 overs after Harry Brook lost the toss following eight consecutive wins. Jos Buttler made seven off 14, his third consecutive single-figure score, while Buttler, Bethell and Banton finished out for single-figure scores overall.
Sri Lanka all out for 95 as England press in T20 Cricket World Cup
Sri Lanka were all out for 95 in 16. 4 overs, with Adil Rashid bowling Madushanka and Dushan Hemantha dismissed hit wicket in an evening the coverage described as summed up by that moment. Their top four were dismissed for single figures; only Dasun Shanaka reached double figures beyond 13, scoring 30, and the batting collapse left them 34 for five following the powerplay after a quick unravelled top order.
Key moments: wickets, fielding and tactical turns
Pathum Nissanka — whose unbeaten century effectively knocked Australia out in a previous game — slugged Archer to Jamie Overton on the leg-side rope before the top order fell away. Jacks had two in two when Kusal Mendis prodded to the off-spinner; Pavan Rathnayake charged at his first ball and mowed uppishly to Banton; Archer then found Mishara’s edge with Overton taking a fine low catch. Bethell’s hack off mystery spinner Theekshana skewed to Madushanka, and Banton was out run out after taking on Dasun Shanaka’s throw from mid-off, losing the battle to a direct hit despite a desperate dive.
Captain reactions, conditions and tournament angle
England captain Harry Brook called the win a “beautiful birthday present” and said the side had “played exceptionally well” while adapting to a slow, hard-to-time pitch where spinners “used the pace really well. ” Brook added that Phil Salt had played an exceptional innings while also addressing Jos Buttler’s form: he said there was “no concern at all, ” described Buttler as “a powerhouse of world cricket” and said Buttler was “arguably the best white-ball player” but was “lacking a bit of confidence at the minute. ”
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka described the result as “very disappointing” but pointed to “lots of positives with the ball, ” saying Sri Lanka had kept England to “a score 20 runs less than par” and that he expected his players to bat well. On the collapse he said it was “a combination” with the pitch slow and settling, that Sri Lanka “played badly with the bat and the bowlers bowled well, ” and that rash shots in critical intervals cost them. Shanaka noted the team had tried “five main bowlers” in this World Cup to restrict sides to lower scores and stressed that “one bad game which isn’t affordable in a World Cup” means they must bounce back, adding that the top order had done well in recent games and he expected them to recover in upcoming matches.
The match coverage was produced by Mike Peter, Adwaidh Rajan & Pollie Starkie, with an additional report referenced by Matthew Henry. Observers flagged that this result continued England’s recent dominance over Sri Lanka at Pallekele — England have now recorded a 12th successive T20 win over Sri Lanka and had swept them 3-0 at the same venue in the last month — and that England had scraped through the first group stage before Harry Brook’s side sought to turn over a new leaf in the Super 8s.
Coverage noted action will continue with India v South Africa in Ahmedabad, described as a match between two of the tournament favourites.
