After a limp effort with the bat at the start of the T20 World Cup Super 8s, England fought back with the ball and outscored their opponents with 95 runs, defeating Sri Lanka with 51 runs.
Sri Lanka lost 34-5 in the powerplay chasing 147 runs, with part-time spinner Will Jacks taking three wickets (including two from as many deliveries in four overs) and Jofra Archer at Palekele scoring two strikes, including in-form opener Pathum Nissanka (nine off eight).
The home side eventually rolled in 16.4 overs, with Dushyant Hemantha (5) out-hitting the wicket and Dasun Shanaka (24 off 30) falling to a brilliant relay catch on the boundary line from Jacks and Tom Banton combination, handing England their 12th straight T20I defeat.
Three of those losses came at the same venue where Harry Brook’s side swept the bilateral series earlier this month.
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See how Will Jacks hit a double as Sri Lanka collapsed at Palekele
After being introduced, England’s LBW Jos Buttler made a fierce seven-hit reverse sweep from 14 balls, and after three knocks against Scotland and Italy, England suffered three consecutive single-digit scores in the T20 World Cup and slumped to 146 wins and nine losses.
Phil Salt (62 from 40) was the only batsman who really fired in the hot and humid conditions, Brook (14) died at Pound on his 27th birthday, Bunton (6) was run out attempting a dangerous single, and many other batsmen slumped, including Jacks, who had a good 14-21.
Following the defeat of the opening round of the pool, Pakistan vs. New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday, England have moved to the top of Group 2, with Brook’s side set to face Pakistan in Palekele on Tuesday and New Zealand in Colombo on Friday.
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Jos Buttler’s T20 World Cup struggles continued as he lost weight with 7 off 14 balls in a reverse sweep.
Buttler in particular needs to improve with the bat, but England’s first win against a Test-playing team in this tournament, which saw nervy wins over associate nations Nepal, Scotland and Italy, before losing to West Indies in the first round, is truly impressive.
Butler suffers another setback, but Salt reaches his half-century.
Buttler, who has not reached an international 50 since September, played in Pramod Madhushanka’s third over, but tried and failed at a number of flat-footed drives and was trapped in front trying to get funky against Danis Wellaledge (3-26) in the next over.
At least his opening partner, Salt, completed his eighth T20I fifty from 36 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes and scoring his first notable score of the tournament as he ran out of puffs and holed out off Wellerage.
Salt pitched slow and wasn’t at his best, but his effort was important.
Jacks’ late goals proved crucial in nervy wins over Nepal and Italy, hitting four offside fours before slicing Madhushanka (2-25) and finishing with Wellaraju.
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England captain Harry Brook was defeated by Danis Wellerage on his 27th birthday, weighing just 1kg.
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Tom Banton is out after taking a nice direct hit from Dasun Shanaka from mid-off.
Sri Lanka were favorites until midway through, but the dismissal of Nissanka, who hit a 52-ball hundred against Australia in Palekele on Monday and a fifty against Zimbabwe in Colombo on Thursday, derailed their momentum and triggered their collapse.
Jacks caught and bowled Kusal Mendis (4) and pouched Pavan Rathnayake (0) from successive deliveries at the cover of Banton before Kamil Mishara (6) and Wellaledge (10) were caught by Archer and Jacks respectively.
England achieved a morale-boosting victory as their dominance over Sri Lanka continued. Adil Rashid (2-13) wiped out Madhushanka with a googly to close out the match.
However, unless his bat improves considerably, it will be difficult for him to win a third T20 World Cup title after 2010 and 2022.
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Dushyant Hemantha hits the wicket and falls to Jamie Overton at Palekele
England spinner Jax: I will grow up responsibly
Player of the Match, Will Jacks (3-22 and 21 from 14 balls):
“I love the sense of responsibility with the ball. It keeps me involved in the game and encourages me to perform better.”
“Bowling in the powerplay is something I have done a lot so it is not foreign to me and when I go on a surface like that I know what I have to do.
“We are still not at our best as a team, but it is important that we are winning close games.
“It was a relief to get through the stage where you expected to win. Then when you play against a better team, the pressure is off.
“You can go out there and play your way. We know that if you play with freedom and unity, you can often get into the right position.”
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Jacks and Tom Banton took some great relay catches on the boundary and Adil Rashid’s bowling dismissed Sri Lankan captain and top scorer Shanaka.
England still aiming for ‘perfect game’
England captain Harry Brook:
“I haven’t played a perfect game yet. I haven’t been able to start with the bat, and I haven’t been able to score as many points as I would like.
“But I think it’s a very exciting prospect. I see it happening soon.”
“Jos Buttler and the others couldn’t get going and Jacob Bethell, myself and Tom Bunton couldn’t get big scores.
“We’re still able to get over the line and it’s great to get the job done. Hopefully we’ll get those rewards in the future.”
“Once we understand that power play and dominate with the bat, we’re going to be a very difficult team to beat.”
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England fast bowler Jofra Archer says his team is getting better with each match at the T20 World Cup.
England T20 World Cup Super 8 results and fixtures
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