TimesofIndia.com in Kandy: Sri Lanka fans packed the Palleke International Cricket Stadium as the England batsmen politely threw away wickets. The noise didn’t last long, though. What followed was an even more tragic scene for the home side, a defeat so disastrous that the game at one point felt like a contest to produce the ugliest penalty of the night.After electing to bat first, England were still hampered by the performance of Sri Lanka’s bowling, which, despite its discipline and variety, deserved far more than the later performance. Despite recent injury woes, it was close to a textbook T20 performance: Dilshan Madushanka’s left-arm speed, Dunith Wellalage’s left-arm spin, Maheesh Theekshana’s enigmatic spin, and the raw, hostile pace of Dushmantha Chameera who nailed his yorkers and exploited angles around the wicket. England eked out 146 for 9, and on a slow, two-paced pitch, the total felt like at least 20 runs short.Then came the implosion. Sri Lanka’s chase ended almost immediately, wickets tumbling with mind-numbing predictability. The shot selection was reckless and the execution even worse. After losing to Zimbabwe in their final group game, they suffered a 51-run defeat to England in their opening match that could not only damage their season but also their performance. This could well end their semi-final hopes.
Salt Master Class
England’s game was a stark contrast: Phil Salt’s composure and clarity contrasted with a wider batting effort that fell apart once Sri Lanka’s spinners tightened the screws. Although Salt battled cramps in the damp weather to score a fluid 62 off 40 balls, England never really got off the ropes as the outfield was slowed down by dampness on a surface that offered plenty of grip.For Sri Lanka, Madhushankar set the tone early, finding the cue to swing with the new ball. He kept Salter and Jos Buttler quiet, conceded just four runs in his opening over, and repeatedly probed the fourth stump line. Butler struggled to settle under constant scrutiny. When Sri Lanka introduced Veerarachi as early as the second over, the intention was clear: to attack England with spin from the start.
Salter briefly broke the leash, leaning back to the Willarage loft at extra cover for the first six overs, but the pressure rarely let up. Madhushankar continued to tease Buttler with full lengths and subtle changes of pace, conceding just three runs in a miserly over. The match ended abruptly when Veeraraji trapped Buttler in front and the England captain departed with a dismal figure of 7 for 14.Sri Lanka sensed their opportunity and stepped up their attack. Jacob Bethell suffered a leg slip and died shortly after, mistakenly punching Madushanka. At the end of the powerplay, England were 2 for 37.Spin dominated the middle stages. Wellalage and Theekshana played with control and imagination, forcing turnovers by changing pace and trajectory. The two conceded 47 runs and shared 5 wickets. Harry Brook drifted and dropped at Wellalage and Tom Banton unnecessarily rushed out. At half-time, England were down 68 for 4.Salter kept England alive, scoring 50 off 36 balls with accurate judgment. A couple of clean shots from Chameera upped the tempo to take England to 100, but support remained fleeting. Salter’s resistance came to an end when he failed to clear long off against Wellalage, who set off with a quality 62. Theekshana completed the lower order while Wellalage finished with a haul of three wickets.
Sri Lanka implodes
Sri Lanka’s chase unraveled in a blur as England broke up the batting with a ruthless burst of new ball and some sublime part-time spin from Will Jacks.Jofra Archer set the tone, testing Pathum Nissanka with a sharp short ball. Nissanka fought back briefly before Archer triggered an untimely pull and was caught safely by Jamie Overton.Then England exploded. Kusal Mendis fired one straight back to Will Jacks before Pathan Rathnayake charged and slid one past Tom Banton. Archer bowled Kamil Mishara with a thick edge and Overton made a quick catch at slip.Jax landed two more strikes, Veralachi picked out Brooke, and Kamindu Mendez knocked Dawson straight to the floor. Chaos ensued when Dushan Hemantha dragged a pull ball to his own stumps. Sri Lanka’s last hope, Dasan Shanaka, fell short after a catch from Jacks and Banton. Shanaka top-scored with 30 off 24 balls.Sri Lanka were bowled out for 95 in 16.4 overs. For England, Jacks (3/22), Liam Dawson (2/27), Archer (2/20) and Adil Rashid (2/13) were the standout bowlers.summary scoreEngland 146/9 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 62; Dunith Wellalage 3/26, Maheesh Theekshana 2/21)Sri Lanka were all out for 95 in 15.2 overs (Dasun Shanaka 30; Will Jacks 3/22, Jofra Archer 2/20)
