Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup Campaign Stumbles in Kandy Collapse
KANDY: The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was a cauldron of noise as Sri Lankan fans packed the stands, their voices rising with every English wicket that fell. However, the jubilation was short-lived, replaced by stunned silence as the home side produced a batting collapse of such spectacular ineptitude that it turned the contest into a race for the ugliest dismissal of the night.
England's Battling Innings Anchored by Salt
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, England found themselves constrained by a disciplined and varied Sri Lankan bowling attack. Despite recent injury concerns, the hosts delivered what was nearly a textbook T20 bowling performance.
Left-arm pace from Dilshan Madushanka set the early tone, complemented by the loopy left-arm spin of Dunith Wellalage, the mystery spin of Maheesh Theekshana, and the raw, hostile pace of Dushmantha Chameera, who expertly nailed his yorkers while exploiting the around-the-wicket angle.
England struggled to break free, eventually scraping to 146 for 9—a total that felt at least 20 runs short on a slow, two-paced surface with a damp outfield.
The innings was a study in contrasts, defined by the composure and clarity of Phil Salt against a broader batting effort that unraveled once Sri Lanka's spinners tightened their grip. Salt battled through cramps in the oppressive humidity to score a fluent 62 off just 40 balls, reaching a well-judged fifty in 36 deliveries.
His resistance included a couple of clean strikes off Chameera that briefly lifted England's tempo, but support remained fleeting. Salt's masterclass ended when he failed to clear long-off against Wellalage, departing after a high-quality innings that kept England afloat.
Sri Lanka's Bowling Highlights
Madushanka found early swing with the new ball, keeping both Salt and Jos Buttler quiet while conceding just four runs in his opening over and repeatedly probing the fourth-stump line. Buttler, under constant examination, struggled to settle and fell for a scratchy 7 off 14 when trapped lbw by Wellalage.
The spin duo of Wellalage and Theekshana dominated the middle phase, bowling with impressive control and imagination while varying pace and trajectory to force errors. Together they conceded just 47 runs while sharing five crucial wickets.
Wellalage completed a three-wicket haul (3/26), while Theekshana wrapped up the lower order to finish with 2/21.
The Dramatic Sri Lankan Implosion
What followed was even more miserable for the home supporters. Sri Lanka's chase unraveled almost instantly, with wickets tumbling with numbing predictability as shot selection turned reckless and execution deteriorated.
Jofra Archer set the destructive tone, testing Pathum Nissanka with sharp short balls before inducing a mistimed pull that was safely taken by Jamie Overton. England then struck with rapid succession in what became a blur of dismissals.
The collapse was compounded by a remarkable spell of part-time spin from Will Jacks, who claimed three crucial wickets (3/22) as Sri Lanka's middle order disintegrated. Chaos ensued when Dushan Hemantha dragged a pull shot onto his own stumps, epitomizing the team's disintegration.
Dasun Shanaka provided brief resistance with a top score of 30 off 24 balls, but fell to a fine relay catch by Jacks and Tom Banton. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for just 95 runs in 15.2 overs, suffering a crushing 51-run defeat.
Bowling Standouts for England
- Will Jacks: 3/22 with his part-time spin proving devastating
- Jofra Archer: 2/20 with a menacing new-ball burst
- Adil Rashid: 2/13 with controlled leg-spin
- Liam Dawson: 2/27 contributing to the middle-over squeeze
Campaign Consequences
This defeat comes after Sri Lanka's loss to Zimbabwe in their final group match, and the comprehensive nature of this collapse may not just damage their T20 World Cup campaign—it could well bring a premature end to their semifinal hopes. The performance raised serious questions about the team's batting resilience under pressure.
Brief Scores:
England: 146/9 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 62; Dunith Wellalage 3/26, Maheesh Theekshana 2/21)
Sri Lanka: 95 all out in 15.2 overs (Dasun Shanaka 30; Will Jacks 3/22, Jofra Archer 2/20)
