Having virtually sealed their qualification after a thumping victory over the Old Enemy on Saturday, England will eye a fourth victory on the trot when they take on Sri Lanka in the ongoing T20 World Cup on Monday.
The Englishmen were at their decisive best against arch-rivals Australia, whom they will meet again for the Ashes that starts a little over a month from now. The bowlers were on the money from the word go after England opted to field as the two Chris’ — Woakes and Jordan — set about dismantling the Aussie top order to restrict them to 21/4 in the seventh over.
While a late fightback from skipper Aaron Finch (44) and Ashton Agar (20) lent some respectability to the Aussie batting performance as they eventually managed 125, stopped the explosive England batting unit from comfortably chasing down a modest target like this was always going to be a challenge. And even though they lost a couple of wickets along the way, Jos Buttler’s fiery 71 not out ensured the 2016 runners-up got home with more than eight overs to spare.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, suffered their second straight loss that has suddenly has made their chances of making it to the last four of the mega event very difficult. Dasun Shanaka’s men, coming off an eight-wicket loss against the Aussies, were bundled out for 142 thanks to another disciplined bowling effort from South Africa with opener Pathum Nissanka (72) fighting a lone battle against the Proteas attack.
In reply, South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals and were looking down and out after Wanindu Hasaranga completed a hat-trick — the second of this tournament. David Miller and Kagiso Rabada found themselves staring at a tricky position in the 18th over, but managed to keep their calm in the pressure cooker situation. Rabada released the pressure with a six off Dushmantha Chameera in the penultimate over, before Miller went berserk the next over with back-to-back sixes off Lahiru Kumara. Rabada then hit the winning boundary to seal the Proteas’ second win on the trot.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming fixture:
When will the Group 2 match of the T20 World Cup 2021 between England and Sri Lanka take place?
The match between England and Sri Lanka will take place on 1 November 2021.
What is the venue for England and Sri Lanka match?
The match will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium
What time will England and Sri Lanka match start?
The match will begin at 7.30 pm IST. The toss will take place at 7 pm IST.
Which TV channels will broadcast England and Sri Lanka match?
The match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network. The live streaming of the match will also be available on Disney+ Hotstar. Besides, you can browse Firstpost.com for live updates and over-by-over commentary.