Jacob Bethell Dismantles Sri Lanka Tail To Deliver T20 Series Whitewash For England

It was a thriller connected a Pallekele turner, nan triumph going England’s way. Jacob Bethell’s part-timers turned lethal, his three-wicket complete dismantling Sri Lanka’s tail to unafraid a 12-run triumph successful nan 3rd and last Twenty20 international.

The visitors defended conscionable 128, their full chiefly built by Sam Curran’s 48-ball 58. It proved capable connected a worn aboveground arsenic England’s raft of spinners went to work. And while Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson are nan seasoned frontliners, this nighttime belonged to Bethell and Will Jacks. The left-armer vanished pinch 4 for 11, nan offie pinch 3 for 14 disconnected a afloat allotment.

It was Bethell who completed nan occupation arsenic a astonishment decease bowler, turning nan crippled successful nan 18th complete earlier taking nan last wicket successful nan 20th, Maheesh Theekshana’s whole-hearted slog producing a apical separator to short third. England will participate nan World Cup this week pinch a whitewash victory.

Ben Duckett was a precocious inclusion for Phil Salt, who sustained a backmost tense successful nan warmup, while Luke Wood filled successful for nan rested Jofra Archer. Sri Lanka made 3 changes pinch Kamindu Mendis, initially missing successful nan squad for these T20s, included astatine No 5. Dhananjaya de Silva, who batted location connected Friday, had been near retired of their group for nan World Cup, announced connected Monday.

Harry Brook’s determination to bat first meant an early introduction for Duckett, playing his first T20I since June. He’d been rested for bid against South Africa and New Zealand, and missed nan commencement of this 1 pinch a bruised finger, Salt and Jos Buttler re-establishing their bruising opening business successful his absence. After each that waiting, though, nan left-hander’s enactment lasted 1 ball, Dushmantha Chameera’s nipbacker proving fatal.

It was nan first of six single-figure dismissals successful nan England innings arsenic nan hosts ripped through. Matheesha Pathirana was a peculiar thrill to watch early on, his low-arm power dismissing Bethell and Brook wrong nan powerplay. Brook had tucked into nan accelerated bowler 2 nights erstwhile for 3 sixes but was undone by a good setup. An 88mph transportation zipped past nan England captain’s chemoreceptor earlier a 79mph cutter sewage stuck successful nan aboveground – Brook’s prod led to a elemental drawback adjacent by.

Tom Banton was undone by Dunith Wellalage’s loop, Buttler by Theekshana’s turn. Chameera clocked that taking nan gait disconnected pinch his legcutter was nan measurement to go, nan cardinal limb arsenic he precocious to a five-wicket haul, Jacks among those flummoxed arsenic England fell to 60 for six.

Jos Buttler takes a drawback to disregard Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage disconnected nan bowling of England's Jacob Bethell. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana/Reuters

Chameera accounted for Curran, too, but only aft nan all-rounder had fixed England a full to judge in. Entering astatine 34 for four, he pulled nan drag-downs difficult and opened up astatine nan close; erstwhile Chameera did put immoderate gait connected nan shot successful nan last over, Curran launched for 4 to nan other screen rope. He utilized his early presence to beforehand to his 2nd T20I half-century, his first since being recalled astatine nan extremity of past summer. He deserves his spot successful that apical six.

Wood struck successful his first complete earlier Pathum Nissanka grounded to spell connected aft different explosive start, Sri Lanka finishing their powerplay connected 46 for two. The mobility remained connected really nan hosts would spell against Rashid, nan leg-spinner having caused truthful overmuch fuss connected this tour, unpickable astatine definite points.

Rashid’s leg-break spun large but it was nan googly that did for Pavan Rathnayake, nan 23-year-old trapped leg-before connected 13. Kusal Mendis, playing his 100th T20, top-edged a expanse disconnected nan very adjacent delivery, bowled by Jacks, leaving Sri Lanka 62 for 4 successful nan ninth over. We had a game.

Kamindu and Janith Liyanage took 13 disconnected Dawson’s 3rd complete to bring nan required complaint nether six. But nan economical Jacks skidded nan shot connected to extremity Kamindu’s innings, nan twists continuing. Jacks would person had different lbw spell his measurement had England reviewed a telephone conscionable moments later against Wellalage.

The off-spinner had hit from astir nan wicket, though, arsenic England squeezed from some ends, Bethell’s left-arm rotation joining successful connected nan fun. Brook wasn’t going to move backmost to pace. Liyanage swept to Bethell successful nan heavy for Jacks’ third. Rashid’s tight six near 21 required from nan past 3 overs.

Every tally turned precious, a bound to statesman Bethell’s 3rd complete emotion seismic. But Buttler sprung into action pinch nan adjacent delivery, leaping successful beforehand of nan stumps to return a superb debased grab. Chameera pushed guardant moments later, nan shot lobbing to Brook astatine cover. Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s skipper and power-hitter, precocious guardant but nan move was excessively great, Buttler pulling disconnected nan stumping. There were nary much twists to come.