ENG vs SL: Imperfect England dismantle error-strewn Sri Lanka

England's Will Jacks, right, celebrates with teammates the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis. (AP Photo)

Sri Lanka's wait for a breakthrough against England now stretched to their 12th consecutive T20I defeat as their batting unravelled in frustrating circumstances, falling well short in their Super Eight clash of the T20 World Cup at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium on Sunday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! After their bowlers laid the perfect foundation by restricting England to 146/9 on a dry, slow surface, Sri Lanka squandered the advantage with a reckless start, collapsing to 34/5 inside the Powerplay. From there, the chase meandered into oblivion, as they eventually folded up for 95, 51 runs short of the target.

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The pitch demanded patience and clarity, and Sri Lanka's bowlers delivered on both these counts. Left-arm spinner Dunit Wellalage led the squeeze with 3/26, removing Jos Buttler and England captain Harry Brook in the pivotal middle overs that stalled England's momentum. Maheesh Theekshana, with his offspinners and flickers, was equally incisive, conceding 21 runs and claiming two scalps, as seamers Dilshan Madushanaka and Dushmantha Chameera cleverly varied their pace to dent England any sustained acceleration. Opener Phil Salt's 62 off 40 (6x4, 2x6) was a study in controlled aggression on a surface where clean hitting was arduous. He shephered England to what proved to be a match-winning score. In response, Sri Lanka's innings dismantled almost immediately. Jofra Archer struck twice with the new ball, removing inform opener Pathum Nissanka (9) and Kamil Mishara (6). The decisive burst, however, came from Will Jacks. Introduced in the Powerplay, his offspin perfectly suited this surface. Kusal Mendis chipped one back, Pavan Rathnayake fell in the very next delivery and Wellalage soon followed, as Sri Lanka crashed from 20/1 to 22/4 in a dramatic collapse. From that point, the required rate spiralled. England's attack remained disciplined, changing the pace and forcing false shots from the Sri Lankan batters. Only their captain Dasun Shanaka 30 off 24 (1x4, 2x6) offered brief resistance. Having entered the contest burdened by 11 straight T20I defeats to England, Sri Lanka had crafted the platform to rewrite the narrative. Instead, early wickets and mounting scoreboard pressure proved decisive. It wasn’t a difficult pitch, but it demanded composure, the discipline to settle in and resist the urge to come out all guns blazing. Sri Lanka did exactly the opposite with a clutch of soft dismissals. England’s composure and adaptability on a demanding surface ultimately sealed the result, with Jacks capping an all-round display — following impactful knocks of 39* and 53* against Nepal and Italy — with figures of 3/22 to close out an error-strewn display by Sri Lanka. "This was probably not the perfect game for us, but every game is better than the last. It's not a sprint," Archer said after the win.Scores: England 146/ 9 (P Salt 62, D Wellalage 3/26) bt Sri Lanka 95 (W Jacks 3/22) by 51 runs.

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