Sam Curran claimed a hat-trick as England beat Sri Lanka by 11 runs beneath the Duckworth-Lewis technique of their rain-marred opening Twenty20 Worldwide in Pallekele on Friday.
The left-arm seamer grew to become the second Englishman, after Chris Jordan, to assert a hat-trick in T20 Internationals as England bundled out Sri Lanka for 133 with 4 deliveries nonetheless left within the innings.
Phil Salt led England’s profitable chase with 46 off 35 balls because the vacationers clinched the low-scoring match that had been decreased to a 17-overs-a-side contest following rain.
Earlier put into bat, Sri Lanka cruised to 76-1 in seven overs, with Kusal Mendis (37) and Pathum Nissanka (23) within the center.
Spinner Adil Rashid (3-19) triggered a batting collapse as he eliminated each the set batters and Dhananjaya de Silva too, as Sri Lanka slumped to 98-6 within the twelfth over.
Curran mowed down the Sri Lankan tail within the eventful sixteenth over along with his hat-trick.
AS IT HAPPENED: SL VS ENG 1ST T20I HIGHLIGHTS
Dasun Shanaka was snared at mid-off, Maheesh Theekshana perished at lengthy on, and Matheesha Pathirana had his stumps rearranged. Sri Lanka misplaced its final 4 wickets for 4 runs in a spectacular meltdown.
Jofra Archer, getting back from a aspect pressure, returned figures of 3-0-22-0.
When England got here out to bat, Jos Buttler (17) hit Ehsan Malinga for 4 fours in a row earlier than shedding his stumps to the pacer.
Malinga additionally eliminated Jacob Bethell, and Salt might have been dismissed too, however Kamil Mishara dropped a sitter at deep mid-wicket.
Tom Banton fell after a breezy 29, however Sri Lanka’s sloppy catching was on show once more as Nissanka dropped a regulation catch within the deep in a serious aid to England captain Harry Brook when the batter was on 11.
Shanaka ultimately dismissed Salt within the fifteenth over, however England was on the verge of victory by then.
England was 125-4 in 15 overs when rain stopped play with the customer comfortably forward of its goal at that stage.
The second T20 Worldwide of the three-match sequence is scheduled on Sunday.
Printed on Jan 31, 2026