KANDY: England delivered a dominant performance against Sri Lanka, defeating the hosts by 51 runs in their 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eights opener on Sunday, giving captain Harry Brook a perfect 27th birthday gift.
After being asked to bat first, England posted 146-9, a total that seemed below par. However, their bowlers dismantled Sri Lanka’s top order during the six-over powerplay, reducing them to 34-5. Jofra Archer and Will Jacks claimed five wickets between them, leaving the home side in disarray.
“That’s a beautiful birthday present,” Brook said. “We played exceptionally. To bowl them out for less than 100 is an awesome effort.”
Jacks, named player of the match for the third time in five games, praised the team’s collective effort. Archer took 2-20, removing both Sri Lankan openers, including the in-form Pathum Nissanka, while Jacks finished with 3-22, claiming wickets of Kusal Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, and Dunith Wellalage in quick succession.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka fought a lone battle with 30 off 24 balls before falling to Adil Rashid. “It’s one bad game which is not affordable in a World Cup,” Shanaka said. “But we need to bounce back in the next couple of games.”
Earlier, Sri Lanka had restricted England to 146-9, with left-arm spinner Wellalage taking 3-26. Phil Salt led the English innings with 62, while other batters struggled. Dilshan Madushanka (2-25) and Maheesh Theekshana (2-21) were the only Sri Lankan bowlers to make an impact.
The win gives England a strong net run rate advantage in their Super Eights group, especially after the New Zealand-Pakistan match was washed out on Saturday.
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