England crush Sri Lanka in Super Eights
- By Web Desk -
- Feb 22, 2026
An all-round bowling effort helped England defend a modest target against Sri Lanka in their Super Eights encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
England successfully defended a partly target of 147, skittling Sri Lanka for a mere 95 in 16.4 overs.
Jofra Archer and Will Jacks combined to pile a miserable start on Sri Lanka, leaving them five down for 34 at the end of the powerplay.
The early blows never allowed the Islanders to make a comeback in the match as skipper Dasun Shanaka resisted with 30 off 24 with the help of two sixes and a boundary.
However, there was no support from others, as Sri Lanka kept losing wickets while England bowlers turned the screws on them.
For Enlgnad, Will Jacks took three wickets while Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson shared six wickets between them.
As a result, the whole team was bundled out for a modest total
Earlier, Sri Lanka delivered a collective bowling effort to keep England to a below-par 146-9.
Opting to bat first, England never truly found momentum after an early setback. Star batter Jos Buttler struggled for fluency and was dismissed for seven off 14 deliveries, falling to Dunith Wellalage inside the powerplay.
Phil Salt attempted to anchor the innings, but wickets continued to tumble at the other end. England crawled to 68-4 at the halfway stage, unable to capitalise as Sri Lanka maintained tight lines and applied constant pressure.
Sam Curran briefly threatened to accelerate but managed just 11 before Dushmantha Chameera struck.
Salt, who had held the innings together with a counter-attacking knock, eventually fell in the following over to Wellalage after scoring 62 off 40 balls, laced with six fours and two sixes.
With Salt’s departure, England’s innings lost its backbone. Maheesh Theekshana removed Liam Dawson for six, reducing England to 124-7 in the 18th over.
Will Jacks provided late impetus with a 21-run cameo off 14 balls, while Jamie Overton’s unbeaten 10 ensured England batted out their 20 overs.
For Sri Lanka, Wellalage was the standout performer, claiming three crucial wickets. Dilshan Madushanka and Theekshana supported him well with two scalps apiece.