T20 World Cup: England start Super 8s campaign with victory as Sri Lanka implode chasing 147 in Pallekele | Cricket News

England fought back with the ball after a limp effort with the bat as they began their T20 World Cup Super 8s campaign with a 51-run victory over Sri Lanka after skittling their opponents for 95.

Sri Lanka imploded to 34-5 in the powerplay chasing 147 with part-time spinner Will Jacks taking three wickets – including two in as many deliveries in the fourth over – and Jofra Archer’s two wickets including that of in-form opener Pathum Nissanka (9 off 8).

The home side were ultimately rolled in 16.4 overs, with Dushan Hemantha (5) out hit wicket and Dasun Shanaka (30 off 24) falling to a superb relay catch on the boundary as Jacks and Tom Banton combined, as they suffered a 12th straight T20 international defeat to England, with three of those having come earlier this month at the same venue as Harry Brook’s side swept a bilateral series.

England had earlier stuttered to 146-9 after being inserted, with Jos Buttler lbw on the reverse sweep for a torturous seven from 14 balls as he suffered his third successive single-figure score at the T20 World Cup after knocks of three against Scotland and Italy.

Phil Salt (62 off 40) was the only batter to truly fire in hot and humid conditions, with Brook (14) perishing lbw on his 27th birthday, Tom Banton (6) run out attempting a risky single and a host of other batters, including Jacks (21 off 14), falling on the slog.

England move top of Group 2 after the opening fixture in this pool – Pakistan vs New Zealand in Colombo on Saturday – was washed out, with Brook’s team to now play Pakistan in Pallekele on Tuesday and then New Zealand in Colombo on Friday.

There will need to be improvements with the bat, particularly from Buttler, but a first win over a Test-playing outfit in this tournament – England lost to West Indies in round one around nervy victories over Associate nations Nepal, Scotland and Italy – is a real fillip.

Buttler falters again but Salt hits half-century

Buttler, who has not hit an international fifty since September, played and missed attempting a number of flat-footed drives in Pramod Madushanka’s third over, before being trapped in front trying to get funky against Wellalage in the next.

At least opening partner Salt made his first score of note in this competition, completing an eighth T20I fifty from 36 balls and hitting six fours and two sixes before he holed out in the deep off Dunith Wellalage (2-36) having run out of puff.

​​​​​​Jacks, whose late-innings runs proved pivotal in the jittery triumphs over Nepal and Italy, pumped four off-side fours before he became left-arm tweaker Wellalage’s third victim.

Sri Lanka were heavy favourites at halfway but then wilted with the dismissal of Nissanka, who hit a 52-ball hundred against Australia and a fifty versus Zimbabwe across his last two innings, triggering the collapse.

Jacks caught and bowled Kusal Mendis (4) and had Pavan Rathnayake (0) pouched at cover by Banton from successive deliveries, before Kamil Mishara (6) and Wellalage (10) were caught off Archer and Jacks respectively.

England went on to complete a morale-boosting win as their dominance of Sri Lanka continued – Adil Rashid (2-13) wrapping things up by cleaning up Madushanka with a googly.

However, it is hard to see them claiming a third T20 World Cup title, after 2010 and 2022, unless there is quite an uplift with the bat.

England’s T20 World Cup Super 8s results and fixtures

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