England beat Sri Lanka by 11 runs in the opening T20I at Pallekele on Friday after rain cut the match short. Sam Curran grabbed a hat-trick in the 16th over to finish off Sri Lanka’s chase. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method confirmed England’s win when rain stopped play with the hosts needing nine runs from the final two overs.
Curran became only the second England player to take a T20I hat-trick. Chris Jordan was the first. The left-arm bowler dismissed Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, and Matheesha Pathirana in three straight balls. Shanaka got caught at mid-off. Theekshana went next at long-on. Pathirana got bowled by a swinging full delivery that crashed into the stumps.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 133 in 16.2 overs after looking solid at 76 for one in the powerplay. England had set a target under DLS after the match was reduced to 17 overs per side. Phil Salt made 46 off 35 balls at the top of the order. Tom Banton smashed 29 off just 15 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Rashid Breaks Sri Lanka’s Momentum
Adil Rashid won Man of the Match for his three wickets with the ball. The leg-spinner turned the game after Sri Lanka got off to a flying start. His wickets in the middle overs stopped the hosts from building partnerships. Jamie Overton got rid of Wanindu Hasaranga for 14 runs to pile more pressure on the lower order.
Sri Lanka collapsed from 129 for six to 133 all out. The last pair added just four runs before Curran wrapped things up. The hosts dropped two catches earlier in the innings, which could have changed the game. Those mistakes came back to hurt them when England stayed ahead on DLS calculations.
England Take Series Lead
England now leads the three-match series 1-0. The second T20I takes place on Sunday at the same venue in Pallekele. The final match is scheduled for Tuesday. This series works as preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup, where both teams will compete.
Captain Harry Brook praised his team after the win. He called out Curran’s performance after the all-rounder had a tough start to the match. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka admitted his team made poor decisions during key moments. Phil Salt kept his form going as the world’s number two-ranked T20I batter. His 46 runs gave England a strong platform despite the rain interruptions. Banton’s quick-fire knock late in the innings pushed the total higher and made it harder for Sri Lanka to chase under the revised target.
The hat-trick was the defining moment. Curran got all three wickets when Sri Lanka still had a chance to win. The 16th over turned into a nightmare for the hosts. Shanaka walked back first. Theekshana followed one ball later. Pathirana had no answer to the swinging yorker that cleaned him up.
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Rain arrived with England well ahead of the DLS par score. The visitors had six wickets in hand and controlled the chase throughout. Match officials checked the calculations and declared England winners by 11 runs under the DLS method.
Sri Lanka will need to regroup quickly before Sunday’s match. Their batting collapsed once the spinners came on. The dropped catches early in England’s innings gave the visitors too many chances. Those small errors added up when the rain came, and the DLS calculations went against them, just as recent international results have shown England’s strong white-ball form across formats.
England’s tour of Sri Lanka continues with back-to-back matches over the weekend. The team will look to seal the series on Sunday before the final match on Tuesday wraps up their T20I commitments in Pallekele.For more cricket news and match updates, follow JeetWin Sports for complete coverage.
