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Jacob Bethell (centre) celebrates England\u2019s victory with his teammates. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\nUpdated at\u00a012.13 EST<\/p>\n
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Match reportShare<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat was awesome,\u201d says Harry Brook. \u201cOne of the best wins I\u2019ve ever had\u2026 Sixteen overs of spin \u2013 to do that to a Sri Lankan team in their own country is awesome\u2026 It\u2019s been an awesome tour.\u201d<\/p>\n He receives the trophy, which, as in the ODI series, is much the same size as the one for the Champions League in football. The England players, full of smiles, pose with it behind a giant sign saying CHAMPIONS. They wave to the travelling supporters, who respond with a genteel round of applause.<\/p>\n Time for me to get some fresh air. Thanks for your company and correspondence, and we\u2019ll see you for the T20 World Cup. Both these teams will be in action on Sunday \u2013 England against Nepal at 9.30am GMT, Sri Lanka against Scotland at 1.30pm.<\/p>\n England players celebrate with the trophy after winning the series. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.39 EST<\/p>\n The Sri Lankan captain, Dasun Shanaka, is philosophical in defeat. \u201cLot of positives,\u201d he says. \u201cChameera bowled very well.\u201d He certainly did: on a day when the winning captain used only four overs of seam, Chameera bowled four overs on his own and took five for 24.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Time for the presentations. The player of the match is not Bethell, it\u2019s not Jacks \u2026 it\u2019s Sam Curran! Rightly so, if you ask me, as this surface was a spinner\u2019s paradise and a batter\u2019s nightmare. He\u2019s the Man of the Series too, after taking a hat-trick way back in the first game. \u201cIt\u2019s been great,\u201d Curran says as he poses with a large trophy and various pieces of cardboard. \u201cGreat to be back in the side.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n That was a triumph for England as a team, for Brook as a beleaguered captain, and for five other players. Bethell finished with four for 11 and all four wickets came at the death, in his last eight balls: not bad for a fourth-choice spinner. What a temperament he has. Jacks, the third-choice spinner, took three for 14, so between them they bagged seven for 25 while their elders and betters, Rashid and Dawson, took only one for 25 apiece.<\/p>\n But let\u2019s not forget the batting, to which Bethell and Jacks contributed very little. England\u2019s innings was held together, just, by Buttler for the first seven overs and Curran thereafter. Curran\u2019s 58, on a slow turner, was worth a hundred on a flat deck. Dawson gave him vital support with one of the most influential 14s you will ever see. One of the commentators said that if England made 125 they would have something to bowl at, and so it proved.<\/p>\n Not only have England won two white-ball series, and three T20 games, in a row. They\u2019re also through to the Under-19 World Cup final, after seeing off a late charge from Australia in Bulawayo. Ashes, what Ashes?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.15 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! SL 116 all out, England win the series 3-0<\/p>\n Theekshana c Dawson b Bethell 2 Bethell the hero! Denied a fourth wicket by a review, he soon induces a top edge which is safely held by Dawson at backward point. England win the match by 12 runs and complete a clean sweep. It\u2019s a white-ball whitewash!<\/p>\n Jacob Bethell (centre) celebrates England\u2019s victory with his teammates. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.13 EST<\/p>\n 19th over: Sri Lanka 115-9 (Theekshana 2, Pathirana 1) Brook still has one over from his elders. Dawson bowls it and the last pair do their best to get out to almost every ball, only to find that they\u2019re not good enough. So this contest goes to the last over with SL needing 14 and Bethell preparing to bowl.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.57 EST<\/p>\n 18th over: Sri Lanka 113-9 (Theekshana 1, Pathirana 0) Dear Mr Bethell, I take it all back. Not only are you a superb fielder, you also have it in you to bowl at the death and take three wickets in an over.<\/p>\n Buttler did very well too, with an inspired catch and a crisp stumping. He had been one of the guilty men when England failed to take that review, but he\u2019s atoned for that now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Shanaka st Buttler b Bethell 4 (SL 113-9)<\/p>\n Third one in the over! Bethell turns one past Shanaka\u2019s shimmy and Buttler whips off the bails.<\/p>\n England’s Jacob Bethell celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka, stumped out by England’s Jos Buttler. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.00 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! Chameera c Brook b Bethell 0 (SL 112-8)<\/p>\n And another! Bethell gets one to grip and turn, and Chameera does what so many England batters did earlier: he pops it up into the ring, as if giving catching practice to the Under-9s.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Wellalage c Buttler b Bethell 13 (Sri Lanka 112-7)<\/p>\n What a catch! As an inside edge loops up off Wellalage\u2019s ankle, Buttler flings himself forwards and scoops it up, inches from the ground. In his 403rd England appearance, the mental strength that won the ODI World Cup is still there.<\/p>\n England’s Jos Buttler takes a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage off the bowling of England’s Jacob Bethell. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.57 EST<\/p>\n 17th over: Sri Lanka 108-6 (Wellalage 9, Shanaka 4) Rashid returns for his last over. The Sri Lankans play a lot of sweeps and pick up five. So, 21 needed off 18 balls. SL are clear favourites, but there could be a twist.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 16th over: Sri Lanka 103-6 (Wellalage 7, Shanaka 1) Liyanage went for a big slog-sweep and sent it straight to Bethell in the deep. That\u2019s the place for Bethell in a tight run chase. Well done, Will Jacks: before today he had four wickets in 31 T20 internationals. now he has seven. And he\u2019s been economical too: he finishes with 4-0-14-3.<\/p>\n SL need 26 off the last four overs\u2026 and England need four wickets.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.42 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! Liyanage c Bethell b Jacks 17 (Sri Lanka 97-6)<\/p>\n Another one for the demon Jacks!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15th over: Sri Lanka 97-5 (Liyanage 17, Wellalage 2) Juggling his four spinners, Brook goes back to Bethell. He doesn\u2019t get as much turn as the others and the batters milk him. Six off the over, which is all SL need: 32 required off 30 balls.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.36 EST<\/p>\n 13th over: Sri Lanka 91-5 (Liyanage 13, Wellalage 1) One left-hander gives way to another as Dunith Wellalage comes in. And England miss a trick! They go up for LBW as Wellalage misses Jacks\u2019s arm ball. Brook decides not to review and the replay shows that it was hitting leg stump.<\/p>\n The third umpire, incidentally, is a woman \u2013 Nimali Perera, who is 35 and has stood in 80 women\u2019s white-ball internationals.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.33 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! Kamindu Mendis LBW b Jacks 14 (Sri Lanka 90-5)<\/p>\n Ebb and flow! No sooner have SL got on top than England peh them back. A fine delivery to the left-hander pitches on middle-and-off-ish, straightens and is rightly given out. Mendis reviews, but to no avail, so Jacks strikes again with the first ball of a spell.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.29 EST<\/p>\n 12th over: Sri Lanka 90-4 (Kamindu Mendis 14, Liyanage 13) Brook decides to keep one over of Rashid up his sleeve, so Dawson returns. Liyanage plays him confidently too, dancing down to loft him for four. And then Kamindu comes to the party \u2013 same shot, but even bigger, that\u2019s six! And suddenly SL are well on top.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12th over: Sri Lanka 77-4 (Kamindu Mendis 6, Liyanage 8) As Jacks bowls his second over, Kamindu shovels him to long-on, where Overton does well to save two with a dive and a flick to his nearest team-mate. SL need 52 off eight overs, which, if England don\u2019t keep taking wickets, should be a cakewalk.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.36 EST<\/p>\n 11th over: Sri Lanka 73-4 (Kamindu Mendis 3, Liyanage 7) Rashid continues and gets swept for four by Janith Liyanage \u2013 good shot.<\/p>\n \u201cThis looks like a cakewalk for England,\u201d says Andrew Benton. \u201cI\u2019ve no idea what a cakewalk is, but it seems to fit perfectly. Fruity and substantial or light and fluffy, bring on those cakes, yesss!\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.19 EST<\/p>\n 10th over: Sri Lanka 65-4 (Kamindu Mendis 1, Liyanage 1) So, two new batters at the crease. Time for a slip and a short leg, surely? Brook sticks with the ring for Liyanage, but for the left-handed Kamindu, he does bring a slip in. I hope he\u2019s realised that the only way England can realistically win this is by taking six more wickets. At the halfway stage, SL are halfway there.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.17 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! Kusal Mendis c Rashid b Jacks 26 (Sri Lanka 62-4)<\/p>\n Two in two! With his first ball, Will Jacks tempts Kusal into a top-edged sweep, which loops up invitingly for Rashid at short fine leg. Game on!<\/p>\n England’s Adil Rashid takes the catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APEngland\u2019s Will Jacks celebrates with teammates. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.51 EST<\/p>\n 9th over: Sri Lanka 62-3 (Kusal Mendis 26, Kamindu Mendis 0) Rashid dishes up a long hop to Kusal, who helps himself to a pull for four. But then Rashid finds his immaculate best, deceiving Rathnayake with a googly. Game on?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Rathnayake b Rashid 13 (Sri Lanka 62-3)<\/p>\n Curse of the commentator!<\/p>\n Sri Lanka’s Pavan Rathnayake bowled out by England’s Adil Rashid. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APRashid (right) celebrates with Jos Buttler. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.49 EST<\/p>\n 8th over: Sri Lanka 54-2 (Kusal Mendis 20, Rathnayeke 11) Brook brings on his third spinner, Jacob Bethell with his slow left-arm. Slow through the air, quick through the over. Just four singles from it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7th over: Sri Lanka 50-2 (Kusal Mendis 18, Rathnayeke 9) You know those young men and women who take the stage in international sport and instantly look like a senior player? Pavan Rathnayake is one of them. Adil Rashid comes on, gets loads of turn \u2013 and Rathnayake reads him so well that he can play a slog-sweep with fast hands. It only gets a single, to long-on, but it oozes class.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.02 EST<\/p>\n 6th over: Sri Lanka 46-2 (Kusal Mendis 16, Rathnayeke 7) Another change as Sam Curran, England\u2019s star with the bat, takes the ball. He very nearly gets a wicket as Rathnayeke wafts at a slower ball. If Jamie Overton had been at backward point, that would have been out, but it\u2019s Luke Wood and he can\u2019t quite reach it. Kusal gets four in the same direction, more deliberately, with a late cut. The powerplay ends with SL ahead of the rate but England not out of the game.<\/p>\n Curran is asked to take a plaster off one of the fingers on his left hand. He was hit there in the field the other day, and the rules, as Steve Harmison helpfully explains, don\u2019t allow you \u201cto have anything on your bowling hand\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.59 EST<\/p>\n 5th over: Sri Lanka 37-2 (Kusal Mendis 12, Rathnayeke 2) That was well bowled by Dawson, who found enough spin to turn Nissanka\u2019s big swing to leg into a slice and stopped the Sri Lankans in their tracks after a burst of 20 runs in five balls. Cedit to Brook too, for bringing Dawson back so quickly \u2013 he may have only taken him off to let him change ends.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Nissanka c Jacks b Dawson 23 (Sri Lanka 34-2)<\/p>\n After being slog-swept for four, Dawson takes revenge next ball! He gave it some air and Nissanka could only sky it to Will Jacks in the covers.<\/p>\n England’s Liam Dawson celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.00 EST<\/p>\n 4th over: Sri Lanka 27-1 (Nissanka 16, Kusal Mendis 11) Brook takes Dawson off straightaway and surely regrets it as Jamie Overton takes some tap. Nissanka whips him over midwicket for six, then Mendis cuts him for four. Fourteen off the over!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3rd over: Sri Lanka 14-1 (Nissanka 9, Kusal Mendis 5) Wood keeps it tight too \u2026 until the last ball of his second over. Nissanka picks it up off his legs and it sails towards the boundary. Jacob Bethell is ready for it, catches it, throws it up, steps over the rope \u2026 and can\u2019t hold onto the rebound! So that\u2019s the first six of the innings.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2nd over: Sri Lanka 6-1 (Nissanka 2, Kusal Mendis 4) Harry Brook may have been an idiot this winter, but he does make some bold decisions. He opens the bowling now with spin, in the form of Liam Dawson, who repays his faith with a superb over \u2013 five dots, only one single.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease change the scorecard to properly reflect the status of those who haven\u2019t batted,\u201d says Michael Conrad. \u201cThey are not \u2018Not Out\u2019, they are at best \u2018Yet to bat\u2019 or best left blank. It makes a mockery of the scorecard and tarnishes an otherwise decent article.\u201d<\/p>\n It is bizarre, isn\u2019t it? But the scorecard is automated, so I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t do anything about it. Also, \u201cotherwise decent\u201d? Nice backhand!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.43 EST<\/p>\n 1st over: Sri Lanka 5-1 (Nissanka 1, Kusal Mendis 4) It\u2019s a good over from Wood, the only boundary a thick inside edge off a yorker.<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent fightback by England,\u201d says Colum Fordham, \u201cand hats off to Sam Curran for making a match of this \u2018dead rubber\u2019 which is actually a useful warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup. An excellent knock. England have strength in depth when it comes to batting, as Dawson showed. Let\u2019s hope the spinners, Rashid first and foremost, can capitalise.\u201d Good to see those quote marks. In cricket, no rubber is ever really dead \u2013 the sub-plots see to that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Mishara c Duckett b Wood 0 (Sri Lanka 1-1)<\/p>\n Luke Wood strikes with his third ball, taking tha pace off and luring the dangerous Mishara into a chip to mid-on. And something finally goes right for Ben Duckett, who takes a good low catch.<\/p>\n England\u2019s Ben Duckett takes a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka\u2019s Kamil Mishara off the bowling of England\u2019s Luke Wood. Photograph: Lahiru Harshana\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.14 EST<\/p>\n Post-collapse reading<\/p>\n Something from our Sydney office.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>England close on 128<\/p>\n 20th over: England 128-9 (Rashid 7, Wood 1) England finish with their lowest T20 total against Sri Lanka \u2013 but quite a few more than looked likely just after drinks, when they were 60-6. Sam Curran was England\u2019s best batter by far. hitting a career-best 58 with a mixture of grit and flair. Liam Dawson kept him company for long enough to ensure that England at least used all their overs. But the star of the show was Dushmantha Chameera, who took five for 24 in his four overs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Curran c Nissanka b Chameera 58 (England 127-9)<\/p>\n After driving for four, Curran tries to waft for six! And only succeeds in presenting third man with an easy catch. But he has held England together.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>England beat Australia!<\/p>\n We interrupt this final over to inform you that England U-19s have beaten Australia by 27 runs in their World Cup semi-final. It was a tale of two captains: Thomas Rew of England made 110, Oliver Peake replied with 100, but Rew had better support and how biolers held their nerve as Peake launched a late onslaught.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19th over: England 118-8 (Curran 54, Rashid 2) Curran celebrates with a flick for four. His 50 came off 44 balls with four fours and a six. And he got a hat-trick earlier in the series \u2026 as Ed Smith used to say, he makes things happen.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Fifty to Sam Curran!<\/p>\n Curran pushes a single down the ground to reach an excellent fifty \u2013 and equal his highest score in T20 internationals. In September 2023 his batting average in this format was 11; since then it\u2019s been 34.<\/p>\n England’s Adil Rashid, left, congratulates Sam Curran after he scored fifty runs. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.38 EST<\/p>\n 18th over: England 109-8 (Curran 48, Rashid 0) So, after that solid partnership of 47 between Curran and Dawson, the collapse resumes with two wickets in the over. And Chameera already has 4-14, with one over still to come.<\/p>\n