Curran and Spinners Shine as England Defend 129 to Complete Sri Lanka Whitewash

England defeated Sri Lanka in the 3rd T20I by 12 runs, as Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks produced a spectacular bowling show in the second innings to defend a low total. Earlier, the batting masterclass of Sam Curran helped England to post a respectable total, as other players failed miserably in the first innings.

Batting first, England had a horrible start as they lost 4 wickets inside the Powerplay. Besides Jos Buttler, the top order of England was removed cheaply, as Sri Lanka bowled tight spells in the first six overs. Losing Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell and Tom Banton in quick succession was a huge blow for England, as the team was relying on them to provide a batting foundation.

However, the arrival of Sam Curran at number six stabilized the batting innings of England. He played a stunning knock in 3rd T20I, showcasing his ability to bat under extreme pressure. The allrounder scored a brilliant 58 off just 48 balls, helping England to post a fighting total of 128 at the end of the first innings.

Coming out to chase the target, Sri Lanka started decently but lost the momentum after the Powerplay. The English spinners bowled in combination to put pressure on the home side, which struggled badly during the middle overs. Besides Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, no batter managed to put up any resistance in front of the confident English spin attack.

The performance of the lower middle order was especially disappointing because they gave their wickets away to Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell, who are part-timers in the English attack. As a result, Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 116 runs, handing England a third straight victory in the T20I series. It allowed the visitors to seal the T20I series with a historic clean sweep, showcasing their perfect preparation ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.