Highlights, England vs Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup 2021, Full Cricket Score: England virtually seal semi-final spot with 26-run win

Dasun Shanaka: The bowlers been outstanding the whole tournament in the first ten overs. The experience is low. When we started batting, we knew dew would play a role. Wickets cost us the match. Six months back we were not the same team, but we have come a long way. Really happy with the way the boys are fighting.

Eoin Morgan: Incredibly proud. Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali stepped up unbelievably well to support others with the ball. Jos Buttler played one of his best ever innings in an England shirt. Privileged to play with him and great to have him in the team. Sri Lanka have pushed us further than we have been pushed in the tournament. A combination of unbelievable skill and his calm nature. Today was a bit of a tougher test.

Jos Buttler is the Player of the Match!

Buttler: Stay patient. Managed to get a really good partnership. We were just trying to get something going. At the time we were thinking 120 might be a good score. We were trying to target the small side. Really enjoy batting with Morgs. (Running Shanaka out) Was probably the favourite bit of my day. We were under pressure for a long part in the chase. I was trying to guess where he was trying to bowl, and had batted for quite some time.

Few would say otherwise…

We're not bad are we...#T20WorldCup #ENGvSL

— England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) November 1, 2021

After 19 overs,Sri Lanka 137/10 ( Lahiru Kumara 1 , )

Moeen puts the finishing touches, removing Karunaratne and Theekshana in a space of six deliveries to end with 2/15 as England hand Sri Lanka a 26-run loss to not only extend their unbeaten start and collect their fourth win on the trot, but also sealing his side’s semi-final qualification chances.

OUT! Theekshana looks to have some fun with the match virtually out of their grasp, looking to clear the wide long off fence, but ends up offering Jordan the safest of catches. Moeen Ali grabs the remaining wicket off his last delivery of the evening, sealing a 26-run win for England! SL 137 all out

Theekshana c Jordan b Moeen 2(2)

OUT! Karunaratne holes out to the man at long on to depart for a duck, leaving England needing just one more wicket to complete a fourth victory on the trot! SL 134/9

Karunaratne c Roy b Moeen 0(2)

After 18 overs,Sri Lanka 134/8 ( Chamika Karunaratne 0 , Maheesh Theekshana 0)

England effectively seal the game in Jordan’s final over of the evening, with Dasun Shanaka and Dushmantha Chameera departing in a space of five balls. Jordan signs off with 2/24 at the end of his quota, and the equation of 30 off 12 now looks near impossible with no set batter at the crease.

OUT! A second wicket for Chris Jordan off his last delivery of the evening, as Dushmantha Chameera holes out to the fielder standing in front of the boundary at deep backward square leg. SL 134/8

Chameera c Malan b Jordan 4(4)

OUT! Superb piece of work by Jos Buttler, catching Shanaka short of his crease at the striker’s end just as the Sri Lanka skipper took a couple of steps forward askng for a single! England may very well have sealed the game with the dismissal of the opposition captain. SL 130/7

Shanaka run out (Buttler) 26(25)

After 17 overs,Sri Lanka 130/6 ( Dasun Shanaka (C) 26 , Chamika Karunaratne 0)

Livingstone starts off with a dot, followed by a couple of singles. Hasaranga slices the ball over point off the fourth to collect his third boundary, but perishes next ball while attempting to clear the fence thanks to a terrific bit of work by Roy and Billings near the wide long off boundary. Seven from the over along with the wicket, with Chamika Karunaratne joining Shanaka at the centre. Sri Lanka need 34 off 18 with four wickets in hand.

OUT! Livingstone strikes just when the Hasaranga-Shanaka partnership was starting to look like a match-winning one. Hasaranga goes for the big hit towards the wide long off/deep extra cover boundary, where Roy pulls off a stunning piece of work with a slide — throwing the ball to Billings in front of him just as he’s about to touch the boundary cushion. The umpires take this upstairs with the soft signal out, and sure enough, Hasaranga gets the marching orders. England right back in the game. SL 129/6

Hasaranga c Billings b LIvingstone 34(21)

After 16 overs,Sri Lanka 123/5 ( Dasun Shanaka (C) 24 , Wanindu Hasaranga 29)

If they aren’t able to get the boundaries, Hasaranga and Shanaka are able to keep the scoreboard ticking through the ones and twos. 10 from Jordan’s third over, including a boundary to Hasaranga off an inside out lofted drive over extra cover in the penultimate delivery, leaving Sri Lanka 41 to win off 24.

After 15 overs,Sri Lanka 113/5 ( Dasun Shanaka (C) 22 , Wanindu Hasaranga 21)

Livingstone bowls his third over, keeping things tight until the penultimate delivery, in which Shanaka releases some of the pressure with a well-timed slog over the cow corner fence. 10 from the over, with Sri Lanka needing 51 off 30.

After 14 overs,Sri Lanka 103/5 ( Dasun Shanaka (C) 14 , Wanindu Hasaranga 19)

Mills returns. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are not out of the game yet. Hasaranga, who was stellar with the ball earlier today (3/21) makes room and goes for a well-timed slog over long on at the start of the over. A single and a wide follow, before Shanaka collects a boundary off the third, gloving a short ball down leg past the diving keeper. Mills walks off the ground after the boundary, a hamstring niggle appearing to be the cause of discomfort here. Woakes bowls out the three remaining deliveries of the over, conceding a couple of singles and ending with a dot. Eventful over, with 14 coming off it. SL need 61 off 36.

After 13 overs,Sri Lanka 89/5 ( Dasun Shanaka (C) 9 , Wanindu Hasaranga 11)

Livingstone returns to the attack, with Hasaranga collecting a boundary at the start of the over with a well-timed cut, that is followed by a single off each of the next three deliveries. Seven from the over. SL need 75 off 42.

After 12 overs,Sri Lanka 82/5 ( Dasun Shanaka (C) 8 , Wanindu Hasaranga 5)

Adil Rashid bowls out his final over, conceding five off it including a brace in the fourth as he signs off with excellent figures of 4-0-19-2 — which could very well turn out to be a match-winning haul the way the match is shaping at the moment. SL need 82 off 48.

The asset that Rash is

Morgan's use of Adil Rashid has been excellent; backing him to bowl with mid-on and mid-off up in the power play and conjuring two wickets with batsmen trying to go over.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 1, 2021

After 11 overs,Sri Lanka 77/5 ( Dasun Shanaka (C) 7 , Wanindu Hasaranga 1)

Woakes continues to leak runs as Rajapaksa collects a six and a four off consecutive balls. The latter however, ends up playing a shot too many as he holes out to long on right after the six and four, with Sri Lanka losing their fifth wicket in the process. 11 runs and a wicket from this over. Sri Lanka need 87 off 54.

OUT! Rajapaksa’s promising innings comes to an end as he holes out to long on, playing a shot too many as he had collected a six and a four off consecutive balls before the dismissal. Some redemption for Woakes, who had conceded 22 runs from 10 balls until now. SL 76/5

Rajapaksa c Roy b Woakes 26(18)

After 10 overs,Sri Lanka 66/4 ( Bhanuka Rajapaksa 16 , Dasun Shanaka (C) 7)

Another change from the other end, with Tymal Mills being introduced, with eight coming off the 10th over including a boundary to skipper Shanaka off the fourth. Sri Lanka need another 98 to win at the halfway stage, though they’re fast running out of batters at the moment.

After 9 overs,Sri Lanka 58/4 ( Bhanuka Rajapaksa 15 , Dasun Shanaka (C) 1)

Chris Jordan is brought into the attack. And makes an impact right away, trapping Fernando plumb leg-before to send him back to the dugout for 13. Four from the over along with the wicket.

OUT! Now Jordan finds himself among the wickets, trapping Fernando leg before with a yorker-length ball that struck him dead in front of middle. Fernando thought of the review for a second, before heading right back to the dugout. SL 57/4

Fernando LBW Jordan 13(14)

After 8 overs,Sri Lanka 54/3 ( Avishka Fernando 11 , Bhanuka Rajapaksa 14)

DROPPED! Adil Rashid nearly grabs a third wicket in as many overs as Chris Woakes puts down a sitter at deep square leg after a miscued slog sweep by Rajapaksa. How costly will that prove for the Englishmen? Four from the over.

After 7 overs,Sri Lanka 50/3 ( Avishka Fernando 8 , Bhanuka Rajapaksa 13)

Liam Livingstone brought into the attack after the powerplay. Rajapaksa, meanwhile, announces himself at the crease with a well-timed strike over the bowler’s head off the third delivery, collecting his first maximum in the process. 10 from the over, with the 50 coming up for the Lankans in this over.

After 6 overs,Sri Lanka 40/3 ( Avishka Fernando 6 , Bhanuka Rajapaksa 5)

Rashid strikes again, and in a manner that is almost identical to Asalanka’s dismissal, gets rid of Perera as Morgan takes a fine catch near extra cover. Bhanuka Rajapaksa arrives at the crease with Sri Lanka in a situation similar to that of England at the end of their powerplay. Can Fernando and Rajapaksa pull off a Buttler-Morgan from here? Sri Lanka need another 124 from 84.

OUT! Another wicket for Rashid, this time Perera succumbing to his guile. Much like Asalanka, Perera too gets bamboozled by the wrong ‘un, getting a thick leading edge. Morgan backpeddles, completing a fine catch near extra cover. SL 34/3

Perera c Morgan b Rashid 7(9)

After 5 overs,Sri Lanka 34/2 ( Kusal Perera (W) 7 , Avishka Fernando 5)

Chris Jordan introduced in the fifth over. Fernando, meanwhile, gets off the mark with a punch through the cover region, collecting a boundary. Single off each of the last two deliveries.

After 4 overs,Sri Lanka 28/2 ( Kusal Perera (W) 6 , Avishka Fernando 0)

Adil Rashid brought into the attack now. Starts off with a slider that beats Asalanka’s outside edge. Foxes him with the googly two balls later as Asalanka ends up getting a thick leading edge that results in a simple catch for Moeen at the edge of the circle. Avishka Fernando walks in with Sri Lanka in a spot of bother.

OUT! Rashid gets rid of Asalanka just when the southpaw was starting to look dangerous. Asalanka charged down the pitch looking for his second maximum, but got foxed by the wrong ‘un, getting a thick leading edge that results in a simple catch for Moeen at the edge of the circle. SL 24/2

Asalanka c Moeen b Rashid 21(16)

After 3 overs,Sri Lanka 24/1 ( Kusal Perera (W) 2 , Charith Asalanka 21)

More runs for Asalanka in Moeen’s second over as he continues to lead Sri Lanka’s revival, collecting a couple of boundaries in this over, both coming off slog sweeps. 10 from this over.

After 2 overs,Sri Lanka 14/1 ( Kusal Perera (W) 1 , Charith Asalanka 12)

Chris Woakes, who has been a handy powerplay option for Morgan this World Cup, from the other end. Charith Asalanka, who walks in at three, goes hammer and tongs right away with a six and a four off consecutive balls to give the Lankans a boost. 12 from this over.

After 1 over,Sri Lanka 2/1 ( Kusal Perera (W) 0 , Charith Asalanka 1)

Just the start the Englishmen would’ve wanted, as a superb bit of fielding by Morgan at square leg followed by some sharp work by Buttler behind the stumps results in the dangerous Pathum Nissanka departing for just 1. Shaky start to Sri Lanka’s run chase. Just two from the first over, bowled by Moeen.

OUT! Trouble for Sri Lanka early on as Pathum Nissanka, the top-scorer in the previous game against South Africa, departs for just 1, falling short of the striker’s end after responding to Perera’s call for a single. Sharp throw from Morgan at square leg and Buttler is quick to whip the bails off. SL 1/1

Nissanka run out (Morgan/Buttler) 1(1)

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera begin Sri Lanka’s chase of the tricky 164-run target with Moeen Ali handed the new ball.

After 20 overs,England 163/4 ( Jos Buttler (W) 101 , Moeen Ali 1)

Chameera bowls the final over. Buttler shuffles to his right to a full toss, scooping it over short fine to start the over with a boundary, moving into the 90s. Follows it up with a brace. DROPPED! Buttler gets a thick top edge that should’ve been taken, but Nissanka — running to his right from deep backward square leg, ends up spilling it, handing Buttler a lifeline. Dot off the next two, the second one a 149kmph bolt from Chameera. Buttler then gets an absolute gift in the last delivery, a juicy full toss down leg that is promptly dispatched over the backward square leg fence to help him bring up the milestone.

England set Sri Lanka 164 to win after being asked to bat.

SIX! What a way for Jos Buttler to bring up his maiden T20I century, as England finish on 163/4 after being asked to bat by Sri Lanka! Juiciest of full tosses from Chameera, and Buttler promptly smacks it over the backward square leg fence, taking off his helmet in celebration right after.

After 19 overs,England 149/4 ( Jos Buttler (W) 87 , Moeen Ali 1)

Hasaranga returns for his final over. Morgan greets him by skipping down the pitch and smashing him over long off for a maximum, though the wily leg-spinner hits back in the next delivery by getting rid of him for 40, breaking the marathon fourth-wicket stand in the process and bringing Moeen Ali to the crease. One more over to go after this.

BOWLED! Trust Hasaranga to get the breakthrough as the England captain falls short of his half-century by 10 runs. What a partnership that turned out to be for England, one that certainly has put them in the driver’s seat. Morgan misses while looking for a the slog sweep, resulting in the zing bails lighting up. ENG 148/4

Morgan b Hasaranga 40(36)

After 18 overs,England 141/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 86 , Eoin Morgan (C) 34)

The Sri Lankans simply have no answer to the Buttler destruction as the keeper-batter decides to launch an all-out attack in this over, smashing Shanaka for back-to-back sixes to bring up the century stand with Morgan before guiding the ball towards fine leg for a boundary to move to his highest T20I score. England nine short of the 150 mark with two overs left.

After 17 overs,England 122/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 69 , Eoin Morgan (C) 32)

Chameera returns. Morgan pulls a short ball at the start of the over, hitting the roof beyond the midwicket boundary for his second six as he moves to 30. Excellent stop by Avishka Fernando at wide long off after a full blooded inside out slog by Buttler in the third ball, saving a couple of runs for his side. Chance of a run out in the final delivery as Shanaka puts in a fine stop and nearly catches Buttler short at the striker’s end. 12 from the over. Partnership between the pair currently worth 87.

After 16 overs,England 110/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 66 , Eoin Morgan (C) 24)

Skipper Dasun Shanaka decides to have a bowl after that monster over from Kumara. Keeps it tidy, giving away five off it including a brace to Buttler off the third. Another four overs left. How many can Buttler, Morgan and the rest of the English batting order get from here?

After 15 overs,England 105/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 63 , Eoin Morgan (C) 22)

Lahiru Kumara’s smashed all over the park in this over as he ends up leaking 22 runs, which might have tilted the balance of the game in England’s favour. Morgan starts the over with a six over deep extra cover to bring up the fifty partnership with Buttler, who then collects two more maximums to get England past the 100-mark with another five overs left. The way the pair’s striking at the moment, they surely can think of a score in the 150-160 range.

SIX! Morgan brings up the fifty stand with Buttler for the fourth wicket with a superbly-timed inside out slog over long off off Lahiru Kumara! ENG 89/3

After 14 overs,England 83/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 50 , Eoin Morgan (C) 15)

Hasaranga returns to the attack. Buttler brings up his fifty with a single off the third delivery, taking 45 balls to get to the milestone today, while Morgan collects his first boundary the next ball he gets down on one knee and paddles behind square. Eight off the over.

Fifty up for Jos Buttler — his 16th in Twenty20 Internationals! The hard-hitting England keeper-batter, who has struck four boundaries and a six so far, brings up the milestone in 45 balls. ENG 78/3

After 13 overs,England 75/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 48 , Eoin Morgan (C) 9)

Karunaratne returns. Buttler meanwhile, keeps England’s hopes of a fighting total alive with a four and a six off consecutive balls to move into the 40s. His presence will worry the Lankans, given how he tore the Aussie attack apart in the previous game. Collects a brace and a single off the remaining deliveries, and is unbeaten on 48 by the time the over ends, with 14 runs coming off it.

After 12 overs,England 61/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 35 , Eoin Morgan (C) 8)

Theekshana returns for his final over, mixing his deliveries up well including bowling the odd carrom ball to keep the batters guessing. Just two singles from the over. The offie signs off with figures of 0/13 from four.

After 11 overs,England 59/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 34 , Eoin Morgan (C) 7)

Buttler, who’s fairly well set at the crease by now, brings up the fifty for England with a boundary first ball after the drinks interval, threading the gap through the extra cover region. Keeps the scoreboard ticking with a couple of doubles later in the over. Single off each of the last three balls. 12 from the over.

Will 130 be par for this surface keeping dew in mind?

Tidy from Sri Lanka, but England have gone into their shells: seven runs from the last three overs. Presumably they think 130 may be enough.

— Scott Redler  (@RedDogT73) November 1, 2021

After 10 overs,England 47/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 24 , Eoin Morgan (C) 6)

Theekshana bowls his third, giving away three singles. Meanwhile, boundaries still are a rarity so far in the England innings, which has reached the halfway mark already with the run rate less than five-an-over at the moment. The Lankans have been superb so far. Can they maintain this approach for the next 10?

After 9 overs,England 44/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 22 , Eoin Morgan (C) 5)

Chamika Karunaratne introduced in this over. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, burn one of their two reviews after an unsuccessful LBW appeal against Buttler in the fourth ball, with the ball going over the stumps according to HawkEye. Just three singles from the over.

After 8 overs,England 41/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 20 , Eoin Morgan (C) 4)

Theekshana back in place of Hasaranga, who’s the leading bowler so far today. Four runs from the over, with Buttler and Morgan collecting two singles each as the former moves to 20.

After 7 overs,England 37/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 18 , Eoin Morgan (C) 2)

Just one off Lahiru Kumara’s second over as he replaces Chameera, with skipper Shanaka continuing to shuffle his seamers from that end. Pressure very much on the Group 1 leaders at the moment.

After 6 overs,England 36/3 ( Jos Buttler (W) 18 , Eoin Morgan (C) 1)

Another top over from Hasaranga as he continues to weave a web around the English batters, getting rid of Bairstow for a golden duck by trapping him leg-before in the second delivery while giving away just two singles. Has been a top start for the Lankans so far today. Meanwhile, captain Eoin Morgan joins Buttler at the crease.

OUT! The wickets are starting to tumble regularly now, as Hasaranga removes Bairstow for a golden duck! The LBW appeal was initially turned down with Bairstow going a long way down the pitch. The Lankans review right away, and get three reds in return. ENG 36/3

Bairstow LBW Hasaranga 0(1)

After 5 overs,England 34/2 ( Jos Buttler (W) 17 , )

Malan collects his first boundary in this over as he works the ball through the midwicket region in the third delivery. He gets a faint inside edge while going for a pull, though the ball lands just short of Kusal Peera’s gloves, but ends up getting his off stump rattled next ball to depart for 6. Five runs and a wicket from Chamber’s 2nd over.

BOWLED! Malan returns to the English dugout not long after walking out to the centre as Chameera strikes! Malan was looking to drive this through the covers, but was done in by the inward movement while the ball also stayed a touch low. ENG 34/2

Malan b Chameera 6(8)

After 4 overs,England 29/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 16 , Dawid Malan 2)

Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana brought into the attack in the fourth over. Starts off on a tidy note, giving away just two singles, though also fires a couple of wides down leg while bowling to Malan. Buttler, meanwhile, completes 2,000 T20I runs with a single off the penultimate delivery.

After 3 overs,England 25/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 15 , Dawid Malan 1)

Lahiru Kumara replaces Dushmantha Chameera. Pressure back on the Lankans in this over after Kumara ends up conceding two boundaries in three deliveries to Buttler, who seems to have picked up from where he left off on Saturday against Australia. 10 from the over, including the two fours.

After 2 overs,England 15/1 ( Jos Buttler (W) 5 , Dawid Malan 1)

Hasaranga strikes in just his second delivery of the evening, getting rid of the dangerous Roy off the second delivery to get the early breakthrough that the Lankans would have hoped for after opting to field. Just three from the over aside from the wicket. Dawid Malan walks to the crease next.

OUT! Wanindu Hasaranga’s golden arm does the job as far as getting the early breakthrough is concerned! Rattles the off stump with one that skids through, beating Roy’s attempted sweep. ENG 12/1

Roy b Hasaranga 9(6)

After 1 over,England 12/0 ( Jason Roy 9 , Jos Buttler (W) 3)

Roy clips the ball behind square on the leg side to collect a brace off the first delivery, getting off the mark right away. Follows it up with the first boundary of the innings two balls later as he drives the ball through the cover region. Collects a single off the fourth to hand the strike to Buttler, who gets off the mark right away with a punch through the covers that fetches him three, before collecting a single to keep the strike. 12 from the first over.

Players take the knee before start of play after the anthems are sung. Jason Roy and Jos Buttler walk out to open for the Englishmen, whose kits have the extra dash of red in it. Dushmantha Chameera to bowl the first over.

Teams:

England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (wk), Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka (c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara

Eoin Morgan, England captain: We would’ve looked to do the same. Change of conditions and opposition, so different challenge. You’ve got to do both and do extremely well. We’ve got the same team. We’re trying to win every game at the moment. Everybody’s pulled up well and fresh.

Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka captain: There might be dew later on. We are sticking to the same team. These guys the youngsters have been amazing. It’s the experience which matters. They will come up better in this game. Batting is a bit of a concern. We’ve got the advantage as the batters and bowlers know the exact conditions.

TOSS: Sri Lanka win the toss, and skipper Dasun Shanaka opts to field

Pitch report:

Shane Watson: Looks like a pretty standard Sharjah wicket. There’s a nice sheen on the wicket, which means it will be a bit skiddy which the batters and bowlers both have to contend with. Decent hit down the ground.

Niall O’Brien: Looks an absolutely belter here. Looks like Sharjah of the old. Has the highest runs-per-over rate among the three venues. Has a slightly slower nature and lesser bounce than Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so there’s a little bit for the bowlers to work with over here as well. Good length balls. The ground staff have done a wonderful job.

As far as the T20 World Cup goes, England are very much on top of Group 1 with three wins from as many games, while Sri Lanka are on the brink of elimination after losing two in three, the latest being a four-wicket loss to South Africa on Saturday.

Buttler the best, but still trying to improve: Morgan

Jos Buttler was at his absolute best with the willow in hand against Australia, smashing an unbeaten 71 off just 32 deliveries to help England chase the 126-run target down with more than eight overs to spare. Skipper Eoin Morgan, meanwhile, lavished praise on the wicketkeeper-batsman after the game saying even though he was among the best in the world and is at the forefront of change in the game, he was always trying to improve himself as a player.

Rashid enjoying return to fitness

It hasn’t exactly been a smooth sailing for Adil Rashid since the 2019 World Cup. The England leg-spinner has had to undergo extensive rehabilitation since Eoin Morgan and Co’s successful campaign at home two years ago, and is finally enjoying his return to full fitness in the ongoing tournament.

Read: England’s Adil Rashid enjoying return to full fitness after extensive rehab since 2019

England and Sri Lanka couldn’t find themselves in a more contrasting situation in the T20 World Cup at the moment. While England have virtually qualified already with three wins from as many games heading into this fixture, Sri Lanka are already staring at the prospect of an early flight back home and have to win every game from here if they are to reach the semis.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 29th match of the 2021 T20 World Cup, with England taking on Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Ground in the only fixture on Monday.