England Lions defeated Sri Lanka by nine wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method at Beckenham on 13 September 2026. The home team won the second T20 warm-up match after chasing a revised target of 73 runs from eight overs. Sri Lanka batted first and posted 156 runs for nine wickets in 20 overs.
Rain interrupted play at the innings break, forcing match officials to shorten England Lions’ chase. England Lions reached 76 runs for one wicket in 6.2 overs, completing victory with 10 balls remaining. The match provided final preparation for both teams ahead of Sri Lanka’s three-match T20 International (T20I) series against England.
Match Format and Rain Interruption
Before the match, both teams agreed to play a 13-player fixture, allowing up to 11 batters for each side. Sri Lanka lost the toss and batted first on the Beckenham pitch. Rain began to fall immediately after Sri Lanka completed their 20 overs.
The weather initially forced officials to reduce the second innings to 12 overs with a revised DLS target of 108 runs. Continued heavy rain then prompted a second reduction. Officials set England Lions a final target of 73 runs from eight overs, which the hosts chased down comfortably in 6.2 overs.
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Sri Lanka’s Innings and Top Performers
Sri Lanka openers Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka pushed Sri Lanka to 70 runs for one wicket by the sixth over. Fast bowler Saqib Mahmood. Mahmood dismissed Pathum Nissanka for 23 runs off 16 balls. Kamil Mishara top-scored for Sri Lanka with 31 runs from 17 deliveries, hitting four fours and two sixes.
England Lions’ left-arm spinner James Coles struck twice. Lahiru Udara scored 13 runs and Kamindu Mendis scored two runs before losing their wickets to Coles.
Former captain Dasun Shanaka scored 13 runs before skying a Mason Crane delivery to Tom Hartley. Crane took two wickets for 20 runs in his four overs. Tom Hartley also claimed a wicket. Fast bowler Henry Crocombe then dismissed Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka for 23 runs.
Tharindu Rathnayake scored 22 runs late in the game, but he lost his wicket to Hartley in the final ball of the 19th over. Saqib Mahmood bowled a tight 20th over, conceding five runs. Wicketkeeper Joe Moores ran out Dunith Wellalage for 10 runs during the final over. Unbeaten batters Maheesh Theekshana (1*) and Dushmantha Chameera (0*) finished Sri Lanka’s innings on 156 runs for nine wickets.
England Lions’ Rapid Run-Chase
England Lions openers Paul Walter and Ben McKinney attacked Sri Lanka’s pace bowlers from the outset. Dilshan Madushanka conceded eight runs in the first over, including five extra runs from wides. Rain stopped play with England Lions on 43 for no loss after 3.4 overs.
Officials set the revised target of 73 from eight overs after the stoppage. Maheesh Theekshana took Sri Lanka’s only wicket in the fifth over when Eshan Malinga caught Ben McKinney for 19 runs. Ben Mayes joined Paul Walter and scored 10 not out off seven balls, including a four off Eshan Malinga. Paul Walter finished the match in the seventh over, hitting Dushmantha Chameera for a four and a six over backward square leg. Walter top-scored with 34 not out from 20 balls, taking England Lions to 76 for one in 6.2 overs.
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