Friday Feb 20, 2026
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Monday, 2 February 2026 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Pavan Rathnayake swipes one behind square during his knock of 40 off 22 balls
Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka punch gloves during a brisk start of 56 off 33 balls
Sa’adi Thawfeeq reporting from Pallekele
Sri Lanka could consider themselves rather unlucky to lose the second T20I to England by five wickets under the DLS method at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Sri Lanka’s total of 189-5 looked a competitive one at the halfway stage of the match, but the arrival of rain and the wet conditions that followed clearly tilted the game in England’s favour.
Both Jos Buttler (39 off 29 balls) and Tom Banton found it difficult against changes of pace and spin from Sri Lanka before a heavy downpour interrupted play for 75 minutes. After the break, Sri Lanka lost the control they had built, with bowlers struggling to grip the wet ball and frequently missing their lengths. The loss of Eshan Malinga to a dislocated shoulder soon after the resumption only aggravated matters further for them.
England, who were 57-2 off 7.2 overs at the rain stoppage, were faced with a revised target of 168 off 17 overs. They only needed one solid cameo to chase down the revised target. Skipper Harry Brook delivered in style with a sensational 12-ball 36, smashing 4 sixes and 2 fours. Banton played the responsible role at the other end, remaining unbeaten on 54 off 33 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) to guide England home to a win and an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. He eventually took the Player of the Match award.
On a pitch that had less turn than the first T20I, Sri Lanka got off to a blazing start from the top order, with Pathum Nissanka (34 off 22 balls) and Kamil Mishara (36 off 30 balls) putting on 56 off 33 balls.
Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, and Jofra Archer all took a pounding, especially during the powerplay that produced 58 runs. But the England spinners did a brilliant job, with Adil Rashid returning with impressive figures once again. Kusal Mendis tackled him very well in his first two overs, but his dismissal for 32 off 17 balls opened the door for Rashid to finish strongly. Will Jacks did a solid job as well, and it was he who turned the tide when the others were leaking runs. Overall, the 12 overs of spin went for 81-3, while the pacers gave away 103-2 in eight overs.
The third and final T20I will take place at the same venue tomorrow.
