SL vs ENG Match Result

6:27 PM IST That's a wrap, folks! It seems like the rain is so heavy that the Presentation ceremony has been scrapped for this game. It was a rain-marred contest but we did get to see some great entertainment as well. There are still two matches left in this series and the second T20I between Sri Lanka and England will be played at Pallekele once again. That game will be played on Sunday, February 1 and is scheduled to begin at 1.30 pm GMT. You can join us a lot sooner for the build-up as well. Till then, take care and goodbye!

6:24 PM IST Tightening the screws - Sri Lanka are usually rock solid at home but they are just starting to fall apart right before the start of a home T20 World Cup. Maybe it is just nerves but Dasun Shanaka and his troops need to show more consistency in all three facets of the game. Just like with the bat, there were a few bright spots with the ball. Matheesha Pathirana was outstanding and showed that he can bowl with the new ball as well. Eshan Malinga proved to be a wicket-taker as well but the spinners were off the boil. Both Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga were slow to get into their groove and didn't create many chances. A couple of catches did go down, though, and both of them were pretty straightforward, which will irk the coach even more.

6:20 PM IST An unfortunate end to proceedings - There it is, the official decision has been taken. The rain has had the final say, and the match is called off. England win by 11 runs (DLS Method). Actually, the on-air commentators now confirm that the DLS par score was actually 114 runs and not 123. Handshakes in the dressing room and even without this latest edition of the rain, it is very unlikely that the result would have been any different. After losing the first match of this tour, England have simply been on top of their game. Their recent white-ball record, especially away from home, has been under scrutiny but they have now taken a 1-0 lead in the T20I series after sealing the ODI series as well. A bit underwhelming from Sri Lanka, only managing to do well in patches and they will look to bounce back stronger.

6:09 PM IST Oh, hang on! The rain has returned out of nowhere. England needed just 9 runs to win off the remaining 12 deliveries but it has started to rain pretty heavily. The covers are coming on and the current DLS par score is 123 as shown on the screen, which means England have pretty much won this game as the chances of a restart look very bleak.

6:09 PM IST Gearing up for the mega event - Just the performance England would have wanted as they take their first step towards the upcoming T20 World Cup. It was a brilliant comeback with the ball and now, with the bat, the visitors have looked largely unbothered. Phil Salt hit a six off the first ball of the chase and England never looked back. They lost a few wickets along the way but Salt played an anchoring knock, ending up just 4 short of a half-century and a breezy cameo worth 29 off just 15 balls from Tom Banton in the middle overs, was enough to seal a comfortable win.