Adil Rashid exhibits why he can be central to England’s bid for a 3rd Twenty20 world title – as spinner stars in win over Sri Lanka
If England are to retain any chance of becoming the first country to win three Twenty20 world titles, Adil Rashid will almost inevitably be at its forefront.
Rashid’s three wickets not only altered the momentum of the first match of the series versus Sri Lanka on Friday, it also took him to within two of becoming the first England bowler to 150 in the format.
Just a matter of days from his 38th birthday, the Yorkshireman provided a leg-spinning masterclass in Pallekele, taking the air out of the ball to finish with figures of 4-0-19-3, as Sri Lanka imploded after being asked to bat first in a contest reduced to 17 overs a side.
At 76 for one at the start of the eighth over, the Sri Lankans wee threatening a much larger total but Rashid’s duping of Pathum Nissanka, slowing things down to 43 miles per hour sped up the demise.
It was the first of five dismissals in as many overs, with fellow spinner Liam Dawson dovetailing beautifully as England’s spinners out-bowled their Sri Lankan counterparts, claiming a combined five for 60.
And amid a winter of Ashes gloom, this victory by 11 runs after rain returned to curtail the chase, building on a 2-1 one-day win in Colombo, suggested there might be light at the end of the tunnel.
Adil Rashid produced a leg spinning masterclass to help England beat Sri Lanka in their first T20 match
Rashid took three wickets and showed that he will be key to England’s chances of winning a third Twenty20 world title
Phil Salt top scored with the bat for England, who earned a victory by 11 runs in Pallekele
Although England had won just over half of their completed fixtures since becoming world champions in this format for a second time in November 2022 – 22 of 40 prior to this tour – they have been successful recently when getting onto the field between the showers.
They turned up in Sri Lanka’s hills having had four of their previous seven Twenty20 internationals washed out and so it was perhaps no surprise when they were met with rain.
But by dismantling Sri Lanka for 133, they took their run to eight wins in nine with the kind of clinical display they will need to replicate time and again if they want to head into the final stages of the World Cup in India and back here in Sri Lanka next month.
Spin will play a significant part in the competition and in Rashid, they have a bowler who commands respect and caution from opposition batsmen in addition to Jofra Archer, surprisingly back from a side strain that curtailed his Test outings in Australia.
They also have one in Sam Curran who has excelled in World Cups: finishing man of the tournament in 2022 chiefly for his work with the ball.
The Surrey all-rounder had claimed just three wickets in his previous eight innings in T20 internationals and started shoddily here, allowing Sri Lanka to take 16 runs from the opening over after Harry Brook won the toss.
But Curran could not have finished any stronger, taking only England’s second hat-trick in 20-over cricket – following Chris Jordan’s efforts against the United States at the last World Cup two years ago – as the Sri Lankans lost four wickets in five balls to be dismissed with deliveries left unused.
England were powered out of the blocks by Phil Salt taking 14 runs from the first three deliveries of the innings, sent down by mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana.
Jos Buttler trumped that with successive fours off Eshan Malinga, who nevertheless had the last laugh when a fifth ball of the over with pace taken off it snuck through his defence.
The dropping of Salt from the final ball of the power play period further, when he had made just 17 of his 46 runs, felt pivotal and although Matheesha Pathirana – a modern day Lasith Malinga – highlighted the value of the unorthodox in Asian conditions, Sri Lanka did not have the runs on the board to further discomfort an England team that has now defeated them in nine straight matches, allowing Tom Banton, who has been used as a finisher in recent outings, to show he is a viable spin-hitting alternative to finger injury victim Ben Duckett at No 4.
