T20 World Cup: England win Super 8s opener as Sri Lanka flail with bat

Simon Burnton at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Sun, 22 February 2026 at 2:08 pm UTC·5 min read Over the first hour of this match the grass banks on either side of the wicket filled both in number and in belief. Dot balls set off boisterous celebrations, wickets provoked delirium. An increasingly joyous crowd whooped as England’s batters trooped dolefully to and from the square. Mexican waves rippled around a stadium already, and prematurely as it turned out, in full celebration. England were restricted to just 146 for nine, an innings that revealed a few demons in the pitch and several, it seemed, in their heads. Again England faltered against spin. Jos Buttler remains in a...