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 following 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 in Pallekele, as spinner Will Jacks took three wickets – including two in as many deliveries in the fourth over – and Jofra Archer’s two strikes included in-form opener Pathum Nissanka (9 off 8).

The home side were 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 defeat to England.

Three of those losses came earlier this month at the same venue when Harry Brook’s men swept a bilateral series.

England 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 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, Banton (6) run out attempting a risky single and a host of other batters, including Jacks after a handy 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, particularly from Buttler, but a first win over a Test-playing outfit – 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 Dilshan Madushanka’s third over, before being trapped in front trying to get funky against Dunith Wellalage (3-26) 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 Wellalage having run out of puff.

Salt was not at his most fluent on a slow pitch, and appeared to suffer from dehydration, but his efforts were important.

​​​​​​Jacks, whose late-innings runs proved pivotal in the jittery triumphs over Nepal and Italy, pumped four off-side fours before he sliced Madushanka (2-25) to Wellalage.

Sri Lanka were heavy favourites at halfway but then wilted with the dismissal of Nissanka, who hit a 52-ball hundred against Australia in Pallekele on Monday and then a fifty versus Zimbabwe in Colombo on Thursday, triggering the collapse.

Jacks caught and bowled Kusal Mendis (4) and had a charging 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 an uplift with the bat.

England spinner Jacks: I thrive on responsibility

Player of the Match, Will Jacks (3-22 and 21 off 14 balls):

“I love responsibility with the ball. It encourages me to get into the game and perform better.

“Bowling in the powerplay is something I’ve done a lot so it’s not foreign to me – when we get on a surface like that I know what I need to do.

“We haven’t quite been at our best as a team but importantly we’ve been winning close games.

“It was a relief to get through the stage where you’re expected to win. Then when you play the better teams the pressure is off you.

“You can go out there and play your way. We know if we play with freedom and unity that more often than not we’ll be in the right position.”

England still striving for ‘perfect game’

England captain Harry Brook:

“We still haven’t had that perfect game. With the bat we haven’t managed to get the starts and the big scores we’d like.

“But I think that’s quite an exciting prospect. I see that as something coming very soon

“The likes of Jos Buttler not coming off, Jacob Bethell, myself, Tom Banton, not getting big scores.

“We are still managing to get over the line and getting the job done is awesome. Hopefully those rewards will come down the line.

“Once we can figure that powerplay out, and get on top with the bat, then we’re going to be a very hard team to beat.”

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

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