The ambiance on the Pallekele Worldwide Cricket Stadium was nothing in need of electrical as Sri Lanka and England confronted off in a high-stakes forty second Match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With a spot within the semi-finals doubtlessly on the road, the Tremendous Eights, Group 2 encounter on February 22 delivered a second of pure fielding brilliance that has already gone viral. Whereas England’s power-hitters had been anticipated to dominate, it was the veteran Sri Lankan, Dasun Shanaka, who stole the highlight with a bit of athleticism that defied his years.
Dasun Shanaka’s spectacular direct hit despatched Tom Banton packing throughout SL vs ENG Tremendous 8 conflict
The defining second of the primary innings arrived within the eighth over, simply as England was seeking to rebuild after a shaky Powerplay. Dealing with Dushmantha Chameera, Tom Banton regarded to rotate the strike towards an inswinging yorker. Banton tapped the ball towards mid-off and instantly referred to as for a dangerous single, a call that proved deadly.
The ball travelled shortly towards Dasun Shanaka, who moved like a predator. Gathering the ball cleanly because the bounce popped completely into his palms, Shanaka didn’t hesitate. In a single fluid movement, he uncorked a bullet throw that smashed straight into the stumps. Regardless of a determined, full-length dive from Banton, the Englishman was caught nicely in need of his crease.
The dismissal left England reeling at 49/3, with Banton departing for a lackluster 6 off 7 balls. The Pallekele crowd erupted because the replay confirmed the precision of the hit; it was a masterclass in fashionable fielding that emphasised Sri Lanka’s disciplined strategy beneath stress.
Right here’s the video:
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Disciplined Sri Lanka prohibit England to a low rating in Kandy
Regardless of the early wobbles and the brilliance of Shanaka, England managed to scratch their technique to a aggressive, albeit underwhelming, whole of 146/9 of their 20 overs. The innings was a narrative of a lone warrior in Phil Salt, who performed a gritty knock of 62 off 40 balls, together with six boundaries and a solitary six. Salt was the one English batter to look snug towards a flexible Sri Lankan bowling assault that used the humid Kandy circumstances to perfection.
The spin duo of Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana strangled the center order. Wellalage was significantly deadly, ending with figures of three/26, claiming the huge wickets of Jos Buttler (7) and the harmful Harry Brook (14). The DRS performed its half in Brook’s dismissal, as an umpire’s callon an LBW shout upheld the on-field determination, additional dampening England’s momentum.
Because the innings break commenced, win chances shifted closely in favour of Sri Lanka, leaving England’s bowlers with an enormous job to defend a sub-150 whole on a pitch that gave the impression to be slowing down.
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