Key Points
- England registered their 12th victory in a row against Sri Lanka in T20 Internationals.
- Will Jacks starred with the ball, picking 3/22, while scoring a vital 21 from 14 balls.
- Jofra Archer dismissed both Sri Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara inside the Powerplay.
Jofra Archer and Will Jacks tore through Sri Lanka's batting line-up after Phil Salt's 40-ball 62 to power England to a thumping 51-run win in an eventful Super 8s match of the ICC T20 World Cup, in Pallekele, on Sunday.
After left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage (3/26) did the star turn for a disciplined Sri Lankan attack to limit a scratchy England to 146 for nine.
But England staged a incredible fightback with the ball. Pacer Jofra and off-spinner all-rounder Jacks turned the game on its head in the Powerplay, leaving Sri Lanka tottering at 34 for five in the sixth over.
England's bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets as Sri Lanka were bundled out for 95 in 16.4 overs.
Will Jacks dismantles Sri Lanka
Jacks returned fine figures of 3/22 in four measly overs while Archer ended with 2/20 in three overs, and they were well supported by Liam Dawson (2/27 in 4 overs) and Adil Rashid (2/13 in 3.4 overs) as they wrapped up the lower-order and tail.
In the end, Salt's knock too proved to be vital to the final outcome of the match, even as his other colleagues in the batting unit failed miserably.
For Sri Lanka, skipper Dasun Shanaka was the top scorer with 30 off 24 balls.
If England's start was bad, Sri Lanka's beginning was worse as Jofra got rid of the dangerous Pathum Nissanka (9 off 8 balls) cheaply, caught by Jamie Overton who was stationed at deep midwicket just before that ball and the opener fell into the trap to a fast and full delivery.
Reprising the role played by Wellalage in the first half, Jacks then got into the act by removing Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake off successive balls.
Archer had Kamil Mishara caught by Overton at gully and Jacks sent Wellalage after he played across the line to get caught by skipper Harry Brook at mid-on.
A soft dismissal off Liam Dawson saw Kamindu Mendis take the long walk back, leaving the packed house in Pallekele stunned.
Wellalage strikes early
Earlier, having struggled in the group-stage games, England's batters' start to the second phase of the showpiece was in stark contrast to captain Brook's assertion of playing aggressive cricket in the Super Eights.
Phil Salt top-scored for England with a 62 off 40 balls, even as his teammates failed miserably.
Having struggled in the group-stage games, England's start in the second phase of the showpiece was in stark contrast to skipper Harry Brook's earlier assertion of playing aggressive cricket.
Phil Salt’s lone fifty rescues England
Not only did Sri Lanka stifle the English top-order in the powerplay, but they also managed to snaffle a couple of wickets to leave the visitors at a poor 37 for two at the end of the first six overs, on a pitch that offered something for the bowlers but not as much as the batters made it look.
Considering Jos Buttler's woeful run of form in the tournament and his recent struggles against spinners, it was not surprising to see Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka using Wellalage in the powerplay.
Wellalage did a wonderful job, snaring the wickets of Buttler and Brook (14 off 7 balls) in his first three overs to leave England precariously placed at 68 for four in 10 overs, dismissing the captain as their innings approached the halfway mark.
Wellalage bowled one slow through the air and got it to drift and miss Brook's bat and hit his pads.
Buttler (7 off 14 balls) was the day's first casualty as he was rapped on the pads after a failed attempt at reverse sweeping the spinner, bringing to an end a scratch knock that might just force the England team management to starting thinking seriously about giving someone like Ben Duckett a chance in the next game, especially keeping in mind the Nottinghamshire man's excellent record against the spinners.
Maheesh Theekshana (2/21 in 4 overs) dismissed Jacob Bethell after the batter got a leading edge to the third man fielder Dilshan Madushanka (2/25 in 4 overs), who also thrifty with the new ball, conceding just 16 runs in three overs.
Tom Banton (6) was on his way back to the dressing room after setting off for a suicidal single, while Sam Curran was out caught in the deep of the bowling of Dushmantha Chameera.
Meanwhile Salt, who survived the powerplay for the first time in the tournament, played some fine shots, including a six over extra cover off Wellalage and a maximum over fine leg against Chameera, and raced to his half-century in 36 balls.
However, Wellalage fought back to get rid of Salt when the tiring opener failed to send a short ball over long-off, and the England innings deteriorated further after that.
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