In a low-scoring encounter at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, England Successfully defended a modest total to defeat Sri Lanka By 12 runs. Despite the collapse of the middle order due to poor performance Dushmantha ChameeraEnglish Lions come roaring back through unexpected bowling heroics jacob bethel And will jacks.
Dushmantha Chameera destroyed England’s batting order in the first innings
The third and final T20 match started with plenty of drama as Sri Lankan fast bowler Chameera bowled one of the most devastating spells of his career. Opting to bowl first, the Sri Lankan attack took advantage of the early moisture in the Pallekele surface. Chameera trapped his second ball ben duckett LBW for a duck.
The collapse continued as Chameera demolished the backbone of the English batting. He finished with staggering figures of 5/24, removing heavy hitters like Sam Curran And jamie overton During the death overs. After this England found themselves in trouble at 47/5 jos buttler Fell for 25 runs. It was only because of Curran’s hard-hitting innings of 58 runs in 48 balls that England was able to reach the total score of 128/9. While the total looked low by the modern era, the sluggish nature of the pitch indicated that chasing the target would be anything but straightforward.
Also read: SL vs ENG, 3rd T20I: This is why Phil Salt is not playing in today’s match
Jacob Bethel and Will Jacks prevent Sri Lanka from completing the sweep
Sri Lanka’s chase of 129 runs started with special enthusiasm. Pathum Nissanka Scored 23 runs on 12 balls. At 46/2 after the powerplay, the hosts looked to be comfortably on their way to winning the series. However, the introduction of England’s part-time spinners completely flipped the script.
will jacks Bowled with incredible discipline, introduced the pressure to finish with 3/14 from his four overs. His skull contained dangerous things Kusal Mendis (26) and Kamindu MendisEffectively removing the engine room of the Sri Lankan middle order. As the required run rate increased, the pressure became evident.
the last nail in the coffin jacob bethel. In a career-defining spell, Bethel demolished the lower order, finishing with incredible figures of 4/11 in just 3.3 overs. He began a sensational collapse, where Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for just four runs. From 112/6, the hosts were all out for 116 runs in 19.3 overs.
England’s ability to defend 128 runs serves as a tactical masterclass in white-ball cricket. By relying on Jack and Bethel’s spin over traditional momentum options in the final stage, harry brookThe side proved that adaptability is their biggest weapon.
Also read: Tom Banton leads England to series win over Sri Lanka in second T20 match
