Jacob Bethell’s late strikes give England 3-0 series sweep over Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Spinners Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks led the way as England beat Sri Lanka by 12 runs in a low-scoring match on Tuesday to sweep their Twenty20 series 3-0 ahead of the World Cup.

England posted a meagre 128 for nine with the bat, its lowest total against Sri Lanka in the format, as pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera bagged a five-wicket haul, but all-rounders Jacks (3-14) and Bethell (4-11) produced their best bowling performances in the format to restrict the host to 116.

“We’ve shown we can adapt to surfaces... the way ?the spinners bowled, 16 overs against Sri Lanka in their own conditions was an awesome effort,” England captain Harry Brook said.

Ben Duckett was dismissed for a golden duck by Chameera, and Bethell, Tom Banton and Brook fell cheaply, leaving England struggling at 34 for four in the sixth over.

Jos Buttler (25) was beaten by Maheesh Theekshana’s sharp turn off Kandy’s spin-friendly track, which found the gap between the England opener’s bat and pad to hit the stumps.

Player-of-the-match Sam Curran made a battling 58 to lift England to a respectable total, and Luke Wood removed Kamil Mishara for a duck in the first over. The spinners then took over, with Liam Dawson getting Pathum Nissanka caught at cover for 23.

Adil Rashid bowled Pavan Rathnayake, before Jacks worked through Sri Lanka’s middle order, dismissing Kusal Mendis (26), Kamindu Mendis (14) and Janith Liyanage (17) to reduce Sri Lanka to 97 for six in the 16th over.

Bethell took three wickets in the 18th over, and with Sri Lanka needing 14 to win from the last over, Theekshana’s attempt to hit Bethell for six got him caught as the host was all out with three balls remaining.

“Great win to be part of, the way the boys kept fighting to the end... the World Cup is here, so when we have the opportunity to play here we have the experiences to carry over,” Brook said.

England, twice world champion in the format, will fly to Mumbai to begin its T20 World Cup campaign against Nepal in Group C on Sunday, the same day Sri Lanka faces Ireland at Colombo in Group B. Agencies

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