Summary

Your views on England’s tour of Sri Lanka

Live Reporting

by Mike Peter

1. get involved

   Get Involvedpublished at 14:47 GMT

   Click ‘Get Involved’ to have your say

   This is one way of making sure the middle order and tail get some time in the middle before the World Cup.

   John, Newcastle

2. Eng 85-6published at 14 overs

   Matheesha Pathirana returns and delivers another excellent over, just four singles coming from it.

   He has figures of 2-18 from his three overs thus far.

3. get involved

   Get Involvedpublished at 14:43 GMT

   Click ‘Get Involved’ to have your say

   Look, sometimes you lose games of cricket – it happens. But you really don’t want to be going into a World Cup on the back of an absolute shocker. Hopefully England can rescue something here, even if it’s not victory.

   John,. Bath

4. Eng 81-6published at 13 overs

   Kamindu Mendis gets his first bowl of the series.

   His first five balls go for five runs, before Sam Curran pulls his last delivery through mid-wicket for four.

   Curran moves to a run-a-ball 28.

5. Eng 72-6published at 12 overs

   Liam Dawson picks up his first boundary, cracking Maheesh Theekshana’s delivery past a diving leg slip and to the ropes.

6. How’s stat?!published at 14:37 GMT

   Kieran Parmley
   CricViz analyst

   136-9 is currently England’s lowest score in T20 internationals against Sri Lanka, that was in Bristol all the way back in 2011.

   Sri Lanka went on to win by nine wickets with 16 balls remaining that day.

   England’s lowest score overall is 80 all out against India in Colombo in 2012.

7. Eng 65-6published at 11 overs

   A rare boundary for England, as Sam Curran strikes Dushmantha Chameera’s penultimate delivery past square for four.

8. Postpublished at 14:31 GMT

   David Gower
   Ex-England captain on TNT Sports

   This one held low from Dushmantha Chameera. Will Jacks has to trudge off with a single figure score.

   The England trouble continues.

9. 

   WICKETpublished at 10.3 overs

   Jacks c Nissanka b Chameera 3 (Eng 60-6)

   Spooned to mid-wicket!

   It’s a second wicket for Dushmantha Chameera as Will Jacks gets through his shot early and sends a loopy chance out to Pathum Nissanka, who takes an easy catch.

   Image source, Reuters

10. How’s stat?!published at 14:25 GMT

    Kieran Parmley
    CricViz analyst

    Harry Brook in T20 internationals:

    • Coming in the powerplay – 14 innings, 18 average, 122 strike rate
    • Coming after the powerplay – 33 innings, 37 average, 164 strike rate
11. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:24 GMT

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    Image source, Getty Images

    Before all the doom and gloom comments come through. The bowling has been excellent today and I’d struggle to put all the blame on the batters.

    Bobby, Sheffield

12. drinks break

    Eng 59-5published at 10 overs

    After three dot balls to start the over, including Maheesh Theekshana beating Sam Curran’s outside edge, England finish it with three singles.

    The players will take drinks.

13. Postpublished at 14:22 GMT

    David Gower
    Ex-England captain on TNT Sports

    Tell you one thing, that was a very, very difficult one for the third umpire because the bat was hitting the ground as the bat was scraping the ball.

    It was very hard from that full length to see how much it turned towards the stumps.

14. Not outpublished at 9.1 overs

    Tough one.

    There’s a spike on the technology, but it’s hard to discern whether that’s from the bat hitting the ground or if it’s ball on willow.

    The third umpire recommends we stick with the original decision of not out.

15. Sri Lanka reviewpublished at 9.1 overs

    Gigantic appeal!

    Maheesh Theekshana turns to the umpire and drops to a knee after striking Sam Curran on the pad, offering multiple shouted pleas for a raised finger.

    Nothing from the official, so Sri Lanka are going to review this.

16. How’s stat?!published at 14:18 GMT

    Kieran Parmley
    CricViz analyst

    Jos Buttler vs spin in T20 internationals:

    • 2022 and 2023 – 61 average, 160 strike rate, 5 dismissals
    • Since 2024 – 24 average, 153 strike rate, 17 dismissals
17. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:17 GMT

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    England need now to just knock it around, pick up singles and bat the full 20 overs.

    Niall, Warrington

18. Eng 56-5published at 9 overs

    Sam Curran brings up England’s fifty, clubbing Dunith Wellalage through the leg side for four.

    A trio of singles follow.

19. How stat?!published at 14:16 GMT

    Kieran Parmley
    CricViz analyst

    That was the fifth time England have lost four powerplay wickets in a full T20I, last doing so against West India in Bridgetown in 2022.

    They have twice managed to win after losing four powerplay wickets (v Afghanistan in Delhi in 2016 and v West Indies in Basseterre in 2019).

20. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:14 GMT

    Click ‘Get Involved’ to have your say

    I know they won’t make any changes to the squad. But if we want a realistic chance of winning in the T20 World Cup, I don’t think Bethell or Duckett can be part of it. They’re clearly burnt out.

    AVD, Cheltenham