Summary

  • England win rain-affected match by 11 runs (DLS) - report

  • Salt (46) anchors England chase after being dropped on 17

  • Curran takes hat-trick as SL dismissed for 133

  • Last four wickets fall for four runs

  • Sri Lanka earlier fall from 76-1 to 98-6

  • Rashid (3-19) and Dawson (2-31) impress

  • Match reduced to 17 overs per side

  • First of three T20s, Pallekele

Your views on England's tour of Sri Lanka

Live Reporting

by Timothy Abraham

  1. Join us on Sunday...

    Sam Curran celebrates his hat-trick with his England team-matesGetty Images

    England's T20 World Cup preparations start with a win over Sri Lanka on a day which will most likely be remembered for Sam Curran's hat-trick.

    Mike Peter has neatly summarised proceedings in his match report. Be sure to read that before you leave us...

    We will be back on Sunday with live coverage of the second T20 international between these two sides. If you're hungry for more cricket stories check out the following:

    Thanks for your company today. See you again soon.

  2. Kevin Howells
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Lots for England to take out of that with two more important games to come for the quicker bowlers to work on the variations amongst other things.

    The Sri Lankans, both collapsed with the bat and were not at their best in the field. Confident win for England.

  3. The majority of England fans have beaten a hasty retreat from the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium but some young Sri Lanka supporters are dancing away without a care in the world.

    Hopefully, we'll have the presentation and the thoughts of both captains shortly.

  4. champagne moment

    ENGLAND WIN BY 11 RUNS

    The players are shaking hands up in the dressing rooms as the rain continues to pitter patter down in Pallekele.

    England have won by 11 runs under DLS having lost four wickets in their chase.

  5. rain stops play

    Rain stops play

    It's raining again. The covers are coming on...

    England are a couple of runs ahead of the total calculated by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

  6. Eng 125-4

    Dasun Shanaka did well to hold the pace off. England need nine off 12 balls.

  7. wicket

    WICKET

    Salt c sub (Wellalage) b Shanaka 46 (Eng 123-4)

    Harry Brook swats away a shorter slower ball from Dasun Shanaka then pokes one into the off side to bring Phil Salt back on strike.

    With a half-century beckoning Salt cloths a bit of a golf shot off Shanaka down to long-on and this time he is caught.

    Useful runs for the England opener even if he rode his luck a little.

  8. Steve Harmison
    Ex-England pace bowler on TNT Sports

    It's been a smart innings from Phil Salt, his first in Sri Lanka, and he's given himself time in the middle ahead of a World Cup. He's been a real positive for England.

  9. Eng 120-3

    Phil Salt rubs NaCl* in the wound the ball after being dropped by drilling Matheesha Pathirana back down the ground for four.

    England need 14 runs off 18 balls to wrap this one up.

    *one for the chemists among you.

  10. Salt dropped on 41

    Matheesha Pathirana, streets ahead of every other Sri Lanka bowler, is back as Dasun Shanaka hopes for a miracle.

    He should have had another wicket when Phil Salt chips into the off side but Pathum Nissanka drops a simple chance.

  11. Steve Harmison
    Ex-England pace bowler on TNT Sports

    Sri Lankan fans may not be having a great time here but they have been entertained. England have been ruthless.

  12. Eng 115-3

    There's four more of them as Harry Brook reverse sweeps Wanindu Hasaranga for four. It's aerial but there's no fielders within catching range.

    Brook and Phil Salt content to works the ball into the gaps to rotate the strike in the remainder of the over.

  13. Eng 105-3

    England need 29 from 30 with plenty of wickets in the hutch.

  14. How's stat?!

    Kieran Parmley
    CricViz analyst

    Harry Brook has really struggled against spin in T20Is, so it's no surprise to see Shanaka go to spin with England's captain at the crease.

    vs Pace - 54 average, 172 strike-rate

    vs Spin - 17 average, 123 strike-rate

  15. 6 runs

    Eng 104-3

    Target 134

    Phil Salt clobbers Maheesh Theekshana over the square leg boundary for six.

    This 17-overs-a-side match proving to be a breeze for England

  16. Eng 97-3

    Phil Salt gives Harry Brook a hearty thumbs up after some brisk running brings them a couple off Wanindu Hasaranga with a dab into the leg side.

    A couple off balls later Hasaranga's wrong 'un slips between Brook's bat and pad and goes within a cigarette paper of bowling the England skipper through the gate.

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    Any other team had a batting order of four or more of the starting letter of surname? Buttler, Bethell, Banton, Brook Can’t think of any off the top of my head

    Adam

  18. Eng 93-3

    Decent knock from Tom Banton. Does he get in ahead of Ben Duckett for the World Cup? Two more games to decide after this one, I guess.

    Harry Brook gets hurried by a short-pitched delivery from Matheesha Pathirana and has no idea where it has gone after a top edge flies high up behind point.

    He gets a let off as the ball thuds safely into the turf.

  19. How's stat?!

    Kieran Parmley
    CricViz analyst

    Tom Banton with reverse sweeps and switch hits vs spin in T20s:

    212 runs

    99 balls

    7 dismissals

    30.2 average

    214 strike-rate

  20. David Gower
    Ex-England captain on TNT Sports

    England have had their own woes in the middle order. That is a big question that they want to answer. Tom Banton plays these unorthodox shorts, these reverse sweeps and that is why he has come back into the side.

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