Thursday Feb 05, 2026
Thursday Feb 05, 2026
Wednesday, 4 February 2026 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sa’adi Thawfeeq reporting from Pallekele
It was Sri Lanka’s game to win and they flopped badly losing by 12 runs to England the third and final T20 International played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday and with it the 3-match series 3-0.
Having restricted England to a score of 128-9, Sri Lanka gave one of their worst batting displays to be shot out for 116 in 19.3 overs and thereby lose a match which they should have won hands down and gone into the T20 World Cup with a lot of confidence. But instead, the batsmen gave a feeble display against spin and crumbled like nine pins which does not augur well with their preparations for the T20 World Cup which commences in four days.
England’s comprehensive series sweep with a clinical performance left Sri Lanka searching for answers. That England defended a modest target of 128 was largely due to an amazing bowling performance by spinners Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks. Sri Lanka’s batsmen could never build the big partnerships they needed, as the England’s bowlers kept chipping away with wickets every time a stand started to look dangerous.
The pitch was very dry, which helped the ball grip and spin a lot, making it very hard for the Sri Lankan batters to hit. Will Jacks took 3 wickets for only 14 runs to break the middle of the batting lineup, while Bethell took 4 wickets for 20 runs to finish off the game. A key moment was Jos Buttler’s incredible diving catch to dismiss Wellalage, which showed how hard England fought for every run.
Sri Lanka came up with a terrific bowling performance to restrict England to an under-par score. Harry Brook won the toss for the third time in a row but he chose to bat this time around. The Sri Lankan bowlers were on the money with the new-ball and also got the rewards for it. England lost four wickets within the powerplay and were in a precarious position at 35-4. Buttler was looking good at one end and was showing some promise with 25 off 21 but a sharp off-spinner from Maheesh Theekshana knocked him over.
Sam Curran was the only one who converted his start into something substantial as he built his innings nicely to notch up a fifty (58 off 48 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) under pressure. His 47-run partnership with Liam Dawson was the only noteworthy stand worth mentioning. Only three English batters managed to score in double-digits as Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage found grip and turn off the surface and bowled nicely. The slower balls from the seamers were gripping and Sri Lanka used plenty of that to tie the opposition down. Even though Dushmantha Chameera returned for his first game after a groin niggle bowled a great spell to take a career best 5/24, England’s Curran face-saving knock of 58 for his team won him the Player of the Match award.
Kusal Mendis was handed a cap by Sanath Jayasuriya before the start of the match to celebrate his 100th T20I appearance for Sri Lanka, making him only the second Sri Lankan to achieve the landmark after Dasun Shanaka (124 T20Is).
