Sam Curran (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: England strengthened their position as strong contenders for the upcoming T20 World Cup after their 11-run Duckworth-Lewis-Stern win over Sri Lanka in the opening T20I at Pallekele on Friday.Sam Curran proved to be the deciding factor, claiming a hat-trick as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 133 in 16.2 overs. Opener Phil Salt, the world’s number two T20I batsman, anchored England’s run chase with a smooth 46-ball 35 as the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, which serves as a test for the World Cup.
Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan? | Greenstone Lobo predicts the ideal player for the T20 World Cup
“Our execution was good tonight. We’re happy with the progress we’ve made and it’s all about getting ourselves ready for the World Cup. Sam Curran was amazing. He had a tough start tonight but he bounced back so well,” said England captain Harry Brook.Sri Lanka raced to 76 for one in seven overs before the spin turned the tide. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid struck three times to halt the hosts’ momentum and was named Man of the Match.Curran became only the second England player after Chris Jordan to register a T20I hat-trick, wrapping up the Sri Lankan innings just as the hosts were threatening to clinch a competitive total. He started by having skipper Dasun Shanaka caught at mid-off, then saw Maheesh Theekshana hit to long-on before delivering a full, swinging delivery to the bowling of Matheesh Pathiran.The latter pair managed just four runs before Jamie Overton dismissed Waninda Hasaranga for 14 as Sri Lanka collapsed from 129 for six to 133 in five deliveries.In response, Salt set the tone with an authoritative knock, while Tom Banton provided the impetus with a quick-fire 29 off 15 balls that included three fours and two sixes. Sri Lanka’s sloppy fielding, which featured two dropped regulation catches, further hurt their cause, although the hosts had already defended a sub-par total against a formidable England line-up.England needed just nine runs from the last two overs with six wickets in hand when play was halted by rain. With the visitors having a big lead in the DLS calculations, they were declared the winners. Earlier, rain reduced the match to 17 overs per side.“Very disappointed with the way we handled things in the middle. We have to be better with the options we choose. We have the potential no doubt but we are not doing well in the middle,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said.The two teams will meet again at the same venue on Sunday and the series will conclude on Tuesday.
