Sri Lanka vs England, 3rd T20I, England tour of Sri Lanka 2026

t20England won by 12 runs

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele

3 Feb 2026, 7:00 pm IST

england won the toss, chose to bat

Winner: England

Top Performers

england

Top Batsmen

Batter	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR
Sam Curran	58	48	6	1	120.83
Jos Buttler	25	21	2	1	119.05

Top Bowlers

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Dushmantha Chameera	4	24	5	6
Matheesha Pathirana	4	27	2	6.8

Sri Lanka,England

Top Batsmen

Batter	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR
Kusal Mendis	26	26	4	0	100
Pathum Nissanka	23	12	0	3	191.67

Top Bowlers

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Jacob Bethell	3	10	3	3.3
Will Jacks	4	14	3	3.5

england Inning Score: 128 /9

Batter	Dismissal	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR
Jos Buttler	b M Theekshana	25	21	2	1	119.05
Ben Duckett	lbw b Chameera	0	1	0	0	0
Jacob Bethell	c Kusal Mendis b Matheesha Pathirana	3	7	0	0	42.86
Tom Banton	b Dunith Wellalage	7	7	1	0	100
Harry Brook	c Janith Liyanage b Matheesha Pathirana	4	3	1	0	133.33
Sam Curran	c Pathum Nissanka b Chameera	58	48	6	1	120.83
Will Jacks	c Pathum Nissanka b Chameera	3	4	0	0	75
Liam Dawson	c Kamindu Mendis b Chameera	14	20	1	0	70
Jamie Overton	c Janith Liyanage b Chameera	2	3	0	0	66.67
Adil Rashid	not out	7	5	1	0	140
Luke Wood	not out	1	1	0	0	100

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Wide Balls	Economy
Dushmantha Chameera	4	24	5	1	6
Dasun Shanaka	3	23	0	0	7.7
Matheesha Pathirana	4	27	2	2	6.8
Dunith Wellalage	4	28	1	0	7
Maheesh Theekshana	4	16	1	0	4
Kamindu Mendis	1	9	0	0	9

Sri Lanka,England Inning Score: 116

Batter	Dismissal	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	SR
Pathum Nissanka	c Will Jacks b Liam Dawson	23	12	0	3	191.67
Kamil Mishara	c Duckett b Luke Wood	0	2	0	0	0
Kusal Mendis	c Adil Rashid b Will Jacks	26	26	4	0	100
Pavan Rathnayake	b Adil Rashid	13	15	1	0	86.67
Kamindu Mendis	lbw b Will Jacks	14	11	0	1	127.27
Janith Liyanage	c Jacob Bethell b Will Jacks	17	19	2	0	89.47
Dunith Wellalage	c Jos Buttler b Jacob Bethell	9	14	0	0	64.29
Dasun Shanaka	st Jos Buttler b Jacob Bethell	4	6	0	0	66.67
Dushmantha Chameera	c Harry Brook b Jacob Bethell	0	2	0	0	0
Maheesh Theekshana	batting	1	1	0	0	100

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Wide Balls	Economy
Luke Wood	2	13	1	0	6.5
Liam Dawson	3	23	1	0	7.7
Jamie Overton	1	14	0	0	14
Sam Curran	1	9	0	0	9
Adil Rashid	4	25	1	0	6.2
Jacob Bethell	3	10	3	0	3.3
Will Jacks	4	14	3	1	3.5

Match Summary

Sri Lanka vs England, 3rd T20I, England Tour of Sri Lanka - February 3, 2026

England clinched a narrow victory against Sri Lanka by 12 runs in the third T20I at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Sam Curran was the standout performer for England with a crucial half-century, while Dushmantha Chameera's impressive five-wicket haul was a highlight for Sri Lanka. The match saw some thrilling moments with both bat and ball, culminating in a tense finish.

Match Summary

Match Winner: England
Player of the Match: Sam Curran
Top Scorer: Sam Curran (58 runs)
Best Bowling Performance: Dushmantha Chameera (5 wickets for 24 runs)
Significant Batting Partnership: Sam Curran's innings provided stability and momentum to England's innings.
Key Bowling Contributions: Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks took three wickets each for England.

Detailed Narrative

England's Innings

Winning the toss, England opted to bat first. Their innings was off to a rocky start with early wickets falling. Ben Duckett was dismissed for a duck by Dushmantha Chameera, who was in exceptional form. However, it was Sam Curran's composed 58 off 48 balls that anchored the innings. His knock included six boundaries and one six, propelling England to a competitive total of 128 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs.

Dushmantha Chameera was the star with the ball for Sri Lanka, claiming five wickets for just 24 runs, dismantling England's top and middle order. Matheesha Pathirana supported well with two wickets.

Sri Lanka's Chase

Chasing 129, Sri Lanka got off to a brisk start with Pathum Nissanka scoring a quickfire 23 from 12 balls. However, they soon found themselves in trouble as Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell spun a web around their batsmen. Will Jacks took three crucial wickets for just 14 runs in his four overs, while Jacob Bethell also claimed three wickets for 10 runs.

Kusal Mendis tried to steady the innings with his patient 26 off 26 balls but lacked support from the other end. The middle-order collapse meant Sri Lanka fell short by 12 runs, getting bowled out for 116 in 19.3 overs.

Key Performances

Sam Curran played a pivotal role with his half-century which turned out to be match-defining.
Dushmantha Chameera's five-wicket haul was spectacular but went in vain as his team couldn't chase down the target.
Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell were instrumental in breaking through the Sri Lankan batting line-up with their effective spells.

The match was an exciting contest of skill and strategy, showcasing excellent individual performances that ultimately led England to victory in this thrilling T20 encounter.