T20 World Cup Super 8: England win by 51 runs as Sri Lanka collapse chasing 147 to win, after opting to field in Kandy
Updated 22/02/2026 at 13:16 GMT
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England looked in perilous trouble in their opening Super 8 match as Sri Lanka kept them to 146-9 off their 20 overs, but the hosts found the going even tougher with Will Jacks taking 3-22 as the top five all fell within the powerplay. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson then kept runs down and took two wickets apiece to secure a convincing victory, which looked very unlikely at the halfway stage.
Highlights: England seal T20 series clean sweep over Sri Lanka
Video credit: TNT Sports
Defending a below-par 146-9, England took five wickets in the powerplay to set up a crushing 51-run victory over Sri Lanka in Kandy at the T20 World Cup.
England struggled with the bat in their Super 8 opener, with top-scorer Phil Salt (62 off 36) the only one in the top six to get into double figures.
Sri Lanka's spinners Dunith Wellalage (3-26) and Maheesh Theekshana (2-21) were both excellent, with the former taking the crucial wicket of Harry Brook (14), trapping him leg before.
After Salt's dismissal, Jacks' 21 (off 14 balls) at least set Sri Lanka a target over a run a ball, and 147 proved well beyond them.
Jofra Archer took the wickets of both openers with danger-man Pathum Nissanka (9) holing out just short of the boundary to Jamie Overton, with the same player also catching Kamil Mishara (6).
Jacks took the other three wickets to fall in the powerplay and from that point onwards, at 34-5, they did not look like getting close to the total.
It was Jacks again who effectively ended the tournament co-hosts' hopes as he caught top-scorer Dasun Shanaka (30) off Adil Rashid (2-13) and then threw the ball to Tom Banton before he stepped over the ropes.
England next face Pakistan at 13:30 GMT on Tuesday.
Will Jacks named man of the match!
He is the player of the match for the third time in the tournament. This time for his bowling, taking 3-22, though his 21 runs were also handy and he made a fantastic assist to a catch too.
England win by 51 runs! Sri Lanka 95 all out!
Wicket! Madushanka b Rashid 0
A beautiful googly from Rashid ends the innings and seals a convincing victory for England.
Wicket! Chameera b Dawson 6
Sri Lanka 94-9 (Overs: 16)
Chameera misses a short ball and Sri Lanka are on the brink now.
Sri Lanka 86-8 (Chameera 3, Theekshana 4)
Overs: 15
Theekshana gets a couple of twos, but it can do little to lift the silence around the stadium now.
Wicket! Shanaka c Banton b Rashid 30
Sri Lanka 82-8 (Overs: 14.2)
Great play from Jacks on the boundary at cow corner. Shanaka rocked on the back foot and thought he might have hit a six but Jacks takes the ball on the full and then throws it to Banton, coming across from long, before he stepped over the boundary.
Sri Lanka 81-7 (Shanaka 30, Chameera 2)
Overs: 14
Overton's short-pitched balls are causing trouble. Shanaka top-edges the first ball which is lucky to land between keeper and short fine leg. The last ball gives the hosts some restbite as Shanaka slams Overton over long off for six.
A break for drinks now.
Sri Lanka 73-7 (Shanaka 21, Chameera 1)
Overs: 13
Rashid's over just goes for four runs. The run rate required is approaching two-a-ball for Sri Lanka.
Wicket! Hemantha b Overton 5
Sri Lanka 69-7 (Overs: 12)
Overton bowls his first over of the match and his last ball, a short one, surprises Hemantha and after half trying to flick away and half take evasive action, he flicks the bails off with his bat.
Sri Lanka 64-6 (Shanaka 17, Hemantha 4)
Overs: 11
Shanaka hits a boundary smacking Dawson just over his head and down the ground for a four.
Sri Lanka 56-6 (Shanaka 11, Hemantha 3)
Overs: 10
Just the three runs off Rashid's over. It is hard to see Sri Lanka getting close to England's total from this point.
Sri Lanka 53-6 (Shanaka 9, Hemantha 1)
Overs: 9
England huge favourites to win now. And now Sri Lanka have to face Rashid.
Wicket! Kamindu Mendis c and b Dawson 13
Sri Lanka 52-6 (Overs: 8.4)
A short delivery from Dawson is also pummelled, this time by Mendis over the long boundary at deep mid-wicket. But then Mendis chips a ball straight back to Dawson for a sixth wicket.
Sri Lanka 45-5 (Kamindu Mendis 7, Shanaka 8)
Overs: 8
Jacks bowls his four overs out straight away. Rare you see that in T20. He drops too short with his fourth ball which Shanaka slams over the mid-wicket boundary. He will settle for figures of 3-22 off 4 overs though!
Sri Lanka 37-5 (Kamindu Mendis 6, Shanaka 1)
Overs: 7
A lot required of Kamindu Mendis against the England spinners now as the other Sri Lankan batters historically struggle to get them away. Just three off Dawson's first over.
Sri Lanka 34-5 (Kamindu Mendis 4, Shanaka 0)
Overs: 6
What a powerplay for England! A real captain's knock needed from Shanaka now.
Wicket! Wellalage c Brook b Jacks 10
Sri Lanka 34-5 (Overs: 5.5)
Wellalage hits Jacks for consecutive fours to start the over. Timing a full ball wide of point and then barely connecting with a sweep which beats short fine leg. After two dot balls he tries to hit Jacks over mid on but Brook catches the ball over his head.
Sri Lanka 26-4 (Wellalage 2, Kamindu Mendis 4)
Overs: 5
Much-needed runs off the last ball of the over as Mendis edges wide of the keeper for four.
Wicket! Mishara c Overton b Archer 6
Sri Lanka 22-4 (Overs: 4.5)
Mishara stays at the crease wanting the umpire upstairs to check Overton's catch at short third man but it was clean as a whistle and the hosts are now in deep trouble. 147 looks a long way away.
Sri Lanka 21-3 (Mishara 6, Wellalage 1)
Overs: 4
Jacks with 2-6 off two overs. Incredible.
Wicket! Rathnayake c Banton b Jacks 0
Sri Lanka 20-3 (Overs: 3.4)
Jacks on a hat-trick as Rathnayake comes down the wicket and skies the ball which Banton takes running back from cover point.
Wicket! Kusal Mendis c and b Jacks 4
Sri Lanka 20-2 (Overs: 3.3)
What a start from Jacks. His first over goes for four and he takes a straight forward catch from Mendis to give England what the early wickets they desperately wanted.
Sri Lanka 19-1 (Mishara 5, Kusal Mendis 4)
Overs: 3
The new batter flicks his second ball behind square for another boundary to end an action-packed over.
Wicket! Nissanka c Overton b Archer 9
Sri Lanka 15-1 (Overs: 2.4)
Nissanka with clever timing backing away and nudging a ball between fly slip and point for four. Then Nissanka sweeps a slower ball fine for another boundary. England then move the field and Nissanka picks out the fielder just moved to the deep mid-wicket boundary. A big wicket!
Sri Lanka 7-0 (Nissanka 1, Mishara 5)
Overs: 2
Rare poor fielding from Bethell at point as he lets a ball go past him for four. The rest of the over from Jacks is good with five dot balls.
Sri Lanka 3-0 (Nissanka 1, Mishara 1)
Overs: 1
Nissanka goes for a few big swipes but misses in a very quiet first over that cedes just two singles and a questionable wide.
Archer to take the new ball...
And he needs to do some damage with it.
Sri Lanka need 147 to win!
England 146-9 (Overton 10, Rashid 0)
Overs: 20
Sloppy fielding gifts Overton a second run and then he hits the next ball straight down the ground for six. The last ball was asking to be hit but Overton misses it and takes a nasty one on the knee it seems.
Wicket! Archer c Hemantha b Madushanka 0
England 135-9 (Overs 19)
Another low full toss, another wicket. Archer toe-ends a shot and Hemantha takes a good catch running and diving to his left at mid on.
Wicket! Jacks c Wellalage b Madushanka 21
England 135-8 (Overs 18.5)
Jacks powers a ball to the extra cover boundary and hits another yorker for four. But a low full toss is hit high in the air and Wellalage running round from the boundary at cover point takes the ctch.
England 126-7 (Jacks 13, Overton 1)
Overs: 18
Overton struggles against spin and so it proves as there are three dot balls before he gets off strike from the penultimate ball of the over. Thekshana then beats Jacks to keep him off strike. He finishes with 2-21 off 4 overs.
Wicket! Dawson c Shanaka b Theekshana 6
England 124-7 (Overs 17.1)
The last over of spin England will face and it immediately gets Sri Lanka a wicket as Dawson is deceived and hits the ball straight up in the air giving Shanaka a comfortable catch.
England 124-6 (Jacks 13, Dawson 6)
Overs: 17
Chameera bowls wide of off stump to Dawson which works out, but against Jacks he is pounded to the wide long off boundary.
England 114-6 (Jacks 8, Dawson 2)
Overs: 16
Jacks gets his first boundary pounding Theekshana off the back foot hitting over extra cover for four. He has a big job on his hands to get England any sort of total.
England 106-6 (Jacks 2, Dawson 0)
Overs: 15
One run and a wicket from Wellalage's over, what an effort from him.
Wicket! Salt c Hemantha b Wellalage 62
England 106-6 (Overs: 14.2)
Maybe a little fatigued, Salt, on the back foot, does not hit Wellalage hard enough and holes out to Hemantha at long on.
England 105-5 (Salt 62, Jacks 1)
Overs: 14
A rare miss-field from Kamindu on the cover point boundary sees Salt gifted a four. Salt then times a short ball launching it high over the fine leg boundary. That brings England's hundred up off 84 balls.
Wicket! Curran c b Chameera 11
England 94-5 (Overs: 13.2)
Curran looks to launch Chameera high over long on but pace was taken off the ball and the batter holes out to Mishara a couple of metres in from the boundary.
England 94-4 (Salt 52, Curran 11)
Overs: 13
Salt reaches his half-century. He does so off 36 balls which is not bad at all, but he has had precious little support....until now as Curran slog sweeps Hemantha high over cow corner. That is the last over from Sri Lanka's worst bowler though.
England 83-4 (Salt 49, Curran 4)
Overs: 12
Theekshana returns fgor anotehr effective over with just six coming form it as Curran looks to play himself in a little.
England 77-4 (Salt 45, Curran 1)
Overs: 11
The first ball from Hemantha is full and hit wide of long off for four. Salt is feeling the heat after running a couple of twos. There was heavy rain yesterday so it will be very humid out there.
Wicket! Brook lbw b Wellalage 14
England 68-4 (Overs: 10)
It was looking a good over from England with nine runs off it and Brook slamming a four straight down the ground through narrow long off, but the last ball beats the England skipper in the flight and smacks him in the pads. Brook sends it upstairs but the ball was clipping the top of leg stump.
England 59-3 (Salt 34, Brook 8)
Overs: 9
Hemantha is the bowler you feel England could get at. Nissaka fields brilliantly to stop a Brook reverse sweep at slip. Then a direct hit from long off would have run out Salt by a mile but with no one backing up it adds six runs for England.
England 49-3 (Salt 32, Brook 0)
Overs: 8
A fine bouncer beats Salt from the last ball. A very good over from Chameera. Every Sri Lankan bowler has delivered so far. They look a different side from the pre-tournament series.
Wicket! Banton run out (Shanaka) 6
England 49-3 (Overs: 7.5)
Chameera bowls his first over of the match and he just concedes four singles, before Banton looks for another which was hit straight to mid off and, though he dives, he cannot beat Shanaka's throw.
England 45-2 (Salt 30, Banton 4)
Overs: 7
Hemantha bowls his first over and a full toss is swept hard, one bounce to the square-leg boundary. Other than that a solid over from the spinner.
England 37-2 (Salt 24, Banton 2)
Overs: 6
Barely over six runs an over from the powerplay, that's a great effort from Sri Lanka.
Wicket! Bethell c Madushanka b Theekshana 3
England 32-2 (Overs: 5.1)
Bethell looks to put the first ball from Theekshana over mid on but edges high in the air and Madushanka dives to catch the ball at short third man.
England 32-1 (Salt 22, Bethell 3)
Overs: 5
You rarely get a bowler taking three of the powerplay overs these days but that is what Madushanka has done. He was very unlucky not to get Salt out when the opener got a rank leading edge to an attempted swipe through the leg side, but the ball just evades the man at fly slip. A fuller last ball also goes for four through the point region.
England 23-1 (Salt 14, Bethell 2)
Overs: 4
Salt places a firm back-foot, cross-batted shot past the man in the covers to end the over with a much-needed boundary.
Wicket! Buttler lbw b Wellalage 7
England 16-1 (Overs: 3.1)
Buttler goes for a reverse sweep and is hit in front of middle stump. The end of a poor innings. He wisely opts not to review the decision.
England 16-0 (Salt 9, Buttler 7)
Overs: 3
Buttler clips Madushanka for two off the first ball, but is beaten three times by balls angling past him from the left hander.
England 13-0 (Salt 9, Buttler 4)
Overs: 2
Wellalage shares the new ball and the England batters do not find him too easy either, though Salt does force a ball just over the man on the long off boundary - despite seemingly being beaten in the flight.
England 4-0 (Salt 2, Buttler 2)
Over 1
Madushanka gets some swing and neither England opener are too comfortable getting him away. Fine start for the hosts.
Buttler and Salt on their way to the middle
Can they fire when it matters? Madushanka to bowl the first over.
The players are on the field for the anthems
The action is about to get underway.
Both teams are in Super Eights Group 2
They are with New Zealand and Pakistan. The top two reach the semi-finals.
Brook would have fielded too...
Both of these sides are ones you would not back against chasing, but neither would you be confident of them defending a total - despite Sam Curran's penchant for late-game heroics.
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Curran takes stunning hat-trick against Sri Lanka - 'England are really sitting pretty!'
Video credit: TNT Sports
The Teams
England: Salt, Buttler, Bethell, Banton, Brook, Curran, Jacks, Dawson, Overton, Archer, Rashid.
Sri Lanka: Nissanka, Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Shanaka, Wellelage, Hemantha, Theekshana, Madushanka, Chameera.
England unchanged for fourth game in a row
Sri Lanka make two changes bringing Dushmantha Chameera and Kamil Mishara into the side at the expense of Pramod Madushan and Kusal Perera.
Hello and Welcome...
Thanks for joining our coverage of England's Super Eights opener against Sri Lanka.
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