Sam Curran, a Surrey all-rounder, marked the beginning of England's successful return to international T20 cricket with an impressive hat-trick as they edged past Sri Lanka by 11 runs in Pallekele. The hosts' innings was ravaged by spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, taking 3-19 and 2-31 respectively, before Curran took over, dismissing Dasun Shanaka and two lower-order batsmen for a total of 38 runs. With this win, England now leads the three-match series 1-0.
Curran's hat-trick was a thrilling moment in an otherwise dominant performance by England's spinners. The hosts had looked strong after opening batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis put on a partnership of 52 runs off 28 deliveries, reaching 76-1 in the eighth over. However, Rashid and Dawson quickly stemmed the flow, taking wickets in five consecutive overs to reduce Sri Lanka's order to 133 all out.
In response, England batsmen Salt and Phil hit a blistering 49-run stand for the first wicket before losing two more wickets on the way to a final total of 125-4. Sam Curran wrapped up the innings with a hat-trick off the last three balls of the 16th over.
The win marked England's second T20 international hat-trick, following Chris Jordan's impressive feat in 2024 against the United States. The Surrey all-rounder has established himself as an integral part of England's team and is set to continue his form in the upcoming matches.
England now heads into the next match at the same ground on Sunday with a strong momentum and hopes to maintain their winning streak.
Curran's hat-trick was a thrilling moment in an otherwise dominant performance by England's spinners. The hosts had looked strong after opening batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis put on a partnership of 52 runs off 28 deliveries, reaching 76-1 in the eighth over. However, Rashid and Dawson quickly stemmed the flow, taking wickets in five consecutive overs to reduce Sri Lanka's order to 133 all out.
In response, England batsmen Salt and Phil hit a blistering 49-run stand for the first wicket before losing two more wickets on the way to a final total of 125-4. Sam Curran wrapped up the innings with a hat-trick off the last three balls of the 16th over.
The win marked England's second T20 international hat-trick, following Chris Jordan's impressive feat in 2024 against the United States. The Surrey all-rounder has established himself as an integral part of England's team and is set to continue his form in the upcoming matches.
England now heads into the next match at the same ground on Sunday with a strong momentum and hopes to maintain their winning streak.
I'm loving how Sam Curran's hat-trick was the game-changer for England! 
They were struggling after Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis' solid start, but those spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson really stepped up their game and turned the tide. And now with 11 runs between them, I'm like "what a performance" 
! 
Curran's hat-trick was such an electric moment, and it shows he's definitely got what it takes to be a top player in international cricket 
Can't wait for Sunday's match at Pallekele - England's momentum is looking strong 
! And can we talk about how England's spinners are on fire?! Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson were like ninjas out there, taking down Sri Lanka's batsmen left and right 
! I'm so hyped for the next match, England needs to keep this momentum going!!! 
️ We're gonna crush it, team England!!! 
I was on the edge of my seat when he took out Dasun Shanaka, what a save for England! 
The Sri Lankan batsmen were all over the place, couldn't even handle the spinners. 
Meanwhile, Salt and Phil were like fire on ice, such a great partnership! 
I love how Curran's confidence is growing with each game, he's going to be a superstar for England! 
️ This win sets them up so well for Sunday's match, they should totally crush it now! 
anyway, this win puts england in a great position to take the series lead and i'm hyped for sunday's match 
. Can't wait for sunday match, gonna be epic 
England is definitely getting back to its T20 game, and Sam Curran is like a superhero out there 
england's momentum is building up, lets see if they can keep it going in the next match! 
. They just couldn't handle the spin attack 
. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson were on fire! 
Their partnership was huge in getting Sri Lanka back into the game.
. Salt and Phil's 49-run stand was a highlight of the innings, and Sam Curran's hat-trick was just incredible 
. They've got some talented players, but they need to figure out how to deal with England's spinners 
. Bring it on! 
. And that England spin attack was on point 
, taking those early wickets to put the pressure on Sri Lanka.
. And let's be real, Curran's hat-trick was the icing on the cake 
– what more can you ask for from a player?
. And 11 runs is hardly an impressive margin of victory if you ask me... I mean, what's next? Are they gonna celebrate a single-run win like it's the World Cup final? 
, i mean, 11 runs is not that much to brag about. sri lanka got completely destroyed by england's spinners, it's like they were begging for wickets 
. and let's be real, sri lanka was never gonna win this one. but still, sam curran did look pretty cool out there 
49 runs in like, what, 10 overs? 
fingers crossed for sunday's match too 
. The way England's spinners worked together is pure class 
The way he took out three wickets in just three balls is pure skill! 
I'm not sure about this new trend of T20 cricket... it feels like just a bunch of short games strung together, you know? 
I'm worried that T20 cricket is becoming too intense, too fast-paced... losing the simple charm of the sport. 