It was an England victory set up by the wily, age-old brilliance of Adil Rashid, the vital part of their hopes for a World Cup triumph in the coming weeks. The masterful leg-spinner took three for 19 as Sri Lanka’s batting lineup collapsed in the first of three Twenty20s, losing five wickets for 22 runs.
Sam Curran celebrated a late hat-trick, too, as the visitors were set a target of 134 in a 17-overs-a-side contest after rain delayed the start. They were guided by Phil Salt’s 46, but Tom Banton’s 15-ball 29 provided the real thrust, easing the tension in the middle overs.
England were just about stumbling over the line as Salt departed in the 15th over, but the rain returned with nine needed off 12, the crowd filtering out before the official decision, Harry Brook’s side lead the series after winning by 11 runs on DLS.
The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium – the venue for this entire 20-over series – was a lush sight before the start: green banks flank the field, screensaver hills dominate the backdrop. B ut unseasonal rain complicated things, chalking off six overs before the first ball.
England had named their XI the night before, including the fit-again Jofra Archer for his first appearance since the third Test of the Ashes. Harry Brook chose to bowl first, gave his premier quick the second over, and there were positive signs after a month away: Archer began with a toe-hunter, got the ball leaping past Kamil Mishara’s outside edge and nearly had the left-hander caught at midwicket, the leaping Liam Dawson unable to hold on.
But the opening passage belonged to Sri Lanka, with Curran struggling to find the right spot. After conceding 16 off the first over of the innings, he returned for the seventh and was laid into by Kusal Mendis for 20 more. Even the left-armer’s new weapon, the moon ball, did not bring joy, Mendis sending a 50mph change-up down the ground for six. The hosts were ticking along at a very healthy rate.
As ever, England looked to Rashid for some beard-stroking wisdom. He combined with Dawson’s twirl to ignite the middle-order implosion: 76 for one became 98 for six. Rashid looped the ball up to invite three fatal slogs, but his working over of Dhananjaya de Silva, dismissed for 11, was the standout. The 37-year-old began his final over with three dots as De Silva failed to decode the googly. A mistimed sweep to Curran in the deep followed.
Dawson, at the other end, took two for 31, his second a fine, skidding delivery to trap Janith Liyanage in front. Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s recently reappointed T20 captain, provided some resistance with his 20, but Curran returned to rewrite the tune of his day. Shanaka and Maheesh Theekshana failed to clear the boundary when going down the ground before Curran went full, straight and lit up Matheesha Pathirana’s stumps. The Surrey all-rounder conceded his runs at close to 13 an over; he also became the second man to take a T20 hat-trick for England.
This was Salt’s first time taking on Sri Lanka, a surprising stat for an opener with more than 80 caps for England, but he was his usual self, bludgeoning Theekshana’s box of tricks for 14 off his first three deliveries. As Jos Buttler began Eshan Malinga’s first over with four consecutive boundaries, it seemed England were on for a quick one. But Malinga replied with a delicious variation, his off-cutter hanging in the air to bowl Buttler.
Jacob Bethell advanced to nine before he was also undone by Malinga’s change of pace, the slower ball chipped to the catcher in the covers. When Salt, on 17, swatted Wanindu Hasaranga towards deep midwicket, the collapse seemed to be on. But Mishara spilled a simple chance and Banton calmed the situation in his first innings of the tour, punishing Hasaranga with consecutive reverse-slaps, the first for four, the second travelling all the way. The Somerset batter’s takedown was key in leaving a simple equation at the drinks break, with 48 required off the last 48.
Banton could not finish the job, smashing the impressive Pathirana to cover, and Brook was suddenly exposed, Hasaranga’s googly not letting him settle. But Sri Lanka’s clinical touch was missing, Pathirana denied the wicket of Brook when another catch went down, this time at deep point. The slingy right-arm quick conceded just 18 off his four overs, setting his marker for the next two games. But Sri Lanka’s errors in the field proved costly.
