Rookie English all-rounder Jacob Bethell proved his worth, however, not with the bat, but with the ball this time, as she spun England to complete a clean sweep over Sri Lanka, with his four-wicket haul in the final T20I in Pallekele on Tuesday (Feb 3). While Bethell returned with four wickets, his fellow spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks picked three to floor Sri Lanka. These three-match T20Is served as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
With Sri Lanka closing in on the run chase, needing 21 off just 18 balls with four wickets remaining, Bethell’s over turned the game upside down, as he snared three wickets in a dramatic over to skittle Sri Lanka on 116, picking up his career-best four for 11.
Earlier, England had mustered only 128 for nine but showcased their depth and nous, defending a total that looked well below par on a surface offering turn and bounce. After just four overs from the quicks, the spinners took centre stage and wove a web around the Sri Lankan batters, much as they had throughout the tour. The spinners had been pivotal in England’s ODI series triumph in Colombo last week and again proved the ace up their sleeve.
Meanwhile, England head to India to launch their T20 World Cup campaign with momentum at their backs, while Sri Lanka have plenty of soul-searching to do with their frailties against spin brutally exposed.
Bethel found able allies in Will Jacks, who bagged three wickets, while fellow tweakers Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson chipped in with one apiece to keep the hosts on a tight leash.
Sam Curran, England’s hero in the opening game with a hat-trick, showed his all-round pedigree in the dead rubber, carving out a career-best 58 from 48 balls to rescue the side that had slipped to 60 for six.
Returning quick Dushmantha Chameera, back after a groin injury, was a rare bright spark for Sri Lanka, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in T20Is. His five for 24 are the best figures in England-Sri Lanka contests and the third-best ever at Pallekele.
“Very disappointing. We need to address a few areas, especially the options we take against spin bowling,” said Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka. “I thought we had addressed that issue in the last game, but the old problems resurfaced again.”
Both sides begin their World Cup campaign next Sunday, with Sri Lanka hosting Ireland in Colombo while England face Nepal in Mumbai.
