England underlined their T20 World Cup credentials with a gritty 11-run DLS victory over Sri Lanka in the opening T20I at Pallekele.
Sam Curran turned the match with a sensational hat-trick as Sri Lanka collapsed from 129/6 to 133 all out, while Adil Rashid’s three-wicket spell earned him Player of the Match. Chasing a revised target, Phil Salt’s fluent 46 and Tom Banton’s brisk cameo kept England well ahead before rain intervened.
Declared winners with six wickets in hand, England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, reinforcing their status as World Cup front-runners.