England’s Sam Curran produced a sensational hat-trick to inspire a hard-fought 11-run victory over Sri Lanka in a rain-shortened first T20I at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (PICS), days ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Curran’s triple strike, dismissing Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, and Matheesha Pathirana in consecutive deliveries, made him only the second English male cricketer to achieve a T20I hat-trick, joining Chris Jordan.
Sri Lanka had started strongly in a truncated 17-over contest, racing to 75 for 1 in the first seven overs. However, England’s spinners, Adil Rashid (3/19) and Liam Dawson (2/31), orchestrated a stunning middle-order collapse, reducing the hosts to 100 for 6. Curran then capitalised on the pressure, sweeping through the tail to wrap up the innings at 133, leaving England with a revised DLS target of 114.
England’s reply was steadied by Phil Salt (46) and Tom Banton (29), who countered early blows from Eshan Malinga and the returning Matheesha Pathirana. Despite a powerplay wobble with Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell dismissed cheaply, Salt’s composed innings guided the visitors to 125 for 4, sealing victory under DLS conditions.
Curran, who had been battered in his opening overs, reflected on his dramatic turnaround:
“Pretty cool to say I’ve got a hat-trick… T20 is such an up and down thing. A fantastic win, we take a lot of confidence from our first T20 win ahead of the World Cup.”
His performance underlined his enduring importance to England, following his Player of the Tournament exploits in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Jofra Archer also impressed on his early comeback, clocking 91mph while showing no signs of rust despite a recent side strain. Jamie Overton’s tidy two-wicket spell (2/17) complemented Curran’s heroics, ensuring England had control across all phases of the rain-affected match.
With two more T20Is scheduled at Pallekele before the World Cup, England will be buoyed by their all-round display, a blend of clinical spin, incisive pace, and Curran’s match-turning brilliance, setting the tone for their campaign in India and Sri Lanka.
