Sri Lanka vs England T20 World Cup 2026 highlights: Will Jacks' 3-fer helps England thump Sri Lanka by 51 runs

GAME OVER! England have pulled off an excellent 51-run win over Sri Lanka in Pallekele to get their Super 8 campaign off to a winning start. Sri Lanka are all out for 95 in 16.4 overs, with Dilshan Madushanka the last man to be dismissed. This is England's 12th consecutive win over Sri Lanka in T20Is.

OUT! Dasun Shanaka has been dismissed by Adil Rashid as Sri Lanka lose their eighth wicket. He is caught by Tom Banton at wide long-on. Will Jacks initially went for the catch, but just as he realises that he is going over the boundary rope, he relays the ball to Banton. Superb teamwork from the duo.

SL 86/8 (15 overs; Target 147)

OUT! Dushan Hemantha has to make the long way back to the pavilion as he is dismissed by Jamie Overton. Hemantha looks to go for a big shot but ends up hitting the stumps with his own bat.

OUT! Sri Lanka lose yet another wicket as Kamindu Mendis is dismissed. Kamindu looks to play on the on-side, but gets a leading edge as he falls to the hands of the bowler Liam Dawson himself.

SL 53/6 (9 overs; Target 147)

Will Jacks bowls his fourth and final over. It has been an excellent performance from him, although he concedes a maximum in this over. Dasun Shanaka was the one who brought up a welcome boundary for Sri Lanka as he cleared the midwicket fence. Eight runs from the over.

SL 45/5 (8 overs; Target 147)

OUT! Will Jacks strikes as he gets his third wicket, removing Dunith Wellalage. Wellalage looks to smash it down the ground, but ends up finding Harry Brook at mid-on.

SL 34/5 (5.5 overs; Target 147)

OUT! Sri Lanka lose another wicket as Kamil Mishara departs. He never looked settled in the middle. Facing Jofra Archer, Mishara looks to push through the off-side, but ends up finding Overton at gully.

SL 26/4 (5 overs; Target 147)

Sri Lanka are off to a nightmarish start to their chase against England in Pallekele.

After losing Pathum N issanka, the Island nation have lost Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake, with Will Jacks striking twice in the fourth over.

SL 21/3 (4 overs; Target 147)

OUT! Jofra Archer has drawn first blood in Sri Lanka's run chase sas he removes Pathum Nissanka. Nissanka is caught by Jamie Overton at deep mid-wicket. This is not the start that Sri Lanka would have wanted in this chase.

SL 19/1 (3 overs; Target 147)

Both the openers get off the mark with singles as three runs come off the first over of Sri Lanka's chase, bowled by Jofra Archer. England will be looking for a few quick wickets in the powerplay to halt Sri Lanka's momentum.

SL 3/0 (1 over; Target 147)

Right. Time for the match to resume as the Sri Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara walk out to open. Jofra Archer to bowl the first over for England.

A clinical performance from Sri Lanka's bowlers have helped the hosts restrict England for 146/9 from 20 overs. Phil Salt, who scored 62 runs, was England's top performer, but he lacked support from the other end Dunith Wellalage was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/26 from four overs.

Sri Lanka need 147 runs to win.

Dilshan Madushanka has taken two wickets in just one over, removing Will Jacks and Jofra Archer. England are in deep trouble at the moment, will they even get to 150 now?

ENG 135/9 (19 overs)

OUT! England lose their seventh wicket as Maheesh Theekshana removes Liam Dawson. Dawson looked to heave across the line, but ended up getting a thick top-edge that flew to Dasun Shanaka at cover.

ENG 126/7 (18 overs)

Will Jacks and Liam Dawson have their task cut out for England, who will be looking to get to somewhere around 150. Eight runs came off Maheesh Theekshana's third over, whereas Dushmantha Chameera goes for 10 runs in his third over.

ENG 124/6 (17 overs)

OUT! Another one bites the dust. And this is a big wicket as Dunith Wellalage removes Phil Salt for 62 runs. It was a short ball from Wellalage, but Salt did not get enough power to go all the way as he was eventually caught by Dushan Hemantha at long-off.

ENG 106/6 after 15 overs

OUT! England have lost wickets at regular intervals today and the latest to depart is Sam Curran. Curran, facing Dushmantha Chameera, looks to play the lofted shot but ends up finding Kamil Mishara at long-on. The visitors have now lost half their side.

ENG 95/5 (13.4 overs)

Dushan Henamtha continues. Phil Salt gets to his half-century, a hard-fought fifty for him.

He has got to the milestone in 36 balls, hitting five fours and one six. In the next ball, Sam Curran follows it up with a six, courtesy a slogsweep over deep midwicket.

ENG 94/4 (13 overs)

OUT! Another one bites the dust as Dunith Wellalage removes Harry Brook. Brook is struck LBW and is given out. The England captain reviews this decision, and it's umpire's call on the wickets.

ENG 77/4 (11 overs)

OUT! Tom Banton is dismissed at the bowler's end as England lose another wicket. Banton hit towards mid-off, and he and Salt set off for a quick single. From the looks of it, that single was risky, and a direct hit at the bowler's end from Dasun Shanaka proved to be costly.

ENG 49/3 (8 overs)