England Won by 51 Runs – Will Jacks Stars as Sri Lanka Collapse in T20 WC 2026 Super 8
Nobody saw this coming. England, dismissed for a modest 146/9 batting first, turned around and skittled Sri Lanka for just 95 in 16.4 overs to win by 51 runs in the 42nd Match of the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8, Group 2 at Pallekele. Will Jacks was the man of the moment — 21 runs with the bat, then 3 wickets for 22 with the ball — earning the Player of the Match award in one of the most stunning turnarounds of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 so far. England get 2 Super 8 points, Sri Lanka get nothing.
Sri Lanka bowled brilliantly to restrict England to 146, and at innings break were 69% favourites to win. Ninety minutes later, they were all out for 95. Cricket is a cruel, beautiful game.
England Batting – Phil Salt’s 62 the Foundation
England’s innings was almost entirely built on Phil Salt. Losing Buttler in the third over for 7 off 14 balls was a brutal start — the powerplay limped to 37/2 — but Salt refused to panic and constructed one of the innings’ defining knocks.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | 62 | 40 | 155.00 | c Hemantha b Wellalage |
| Jos Buttler | 7 | 14 | 50.00 | lbw b Wellalage |
| Harry Brook (c) | 14 | 7 | 200.00 | lbw b Wellalage |
| Will Jacks | 21 | 14 | 150.00 | c Wellalage b Madushanka |
| Sam Curran | 11 | 11 | 100.00 | c Mishara b Chameera |
| Jamie Overton | 10* | 10 | 100.00 | not out |
Salt’s 62 off 40 balls was the difference between a competitive total and an embarrassing one. When he fell in the 14th over, England were 106/6 and looking at something closer to 130. Will Jacks’ late 21 off 14 — four boundaries in the death — pushed England to 146, which turned out to be enough and then some.
Dunith Wellalage was the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, taking 3/26 from 4 overs including the prized scalps of Buttler, Brook, and Salt. Theekshana (2/21) was miserly throughout. What looked like a fine bowling performance at innings break became completely irrelevant within ten overs of Sri Lanka’s chase.
Sri Lanka Batting Collapse – All Out for 95
This is where the match completely flipped. Sri Lanka’s chase began in catastrophe and never recovered. Losing 5 wickets inside the first 6 overs for just 34 runs destroyed any hope of chasing 147.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | SR | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | 9 | 8 | 112.50 | c Overton b Archer |
| Kamil Mishara | 6 | 11 | 54.54 | c Overton b Archer |
| Kusal Mendis | 4 | 4 | 100.00 | c & b Jacks |
| Pavan Rathnayake | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | c Banton b Jacks |
| Dunith Wellalage | 10 | 10 | 100.00 | c Brook b Jacks |
| Kamindu Mendis | 13 | 11 | 118.18 | c & b Dawson |
| Dasun Shanaka (c) | 30 | 24 | 125.00 | c Banton b Rashid |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | b Rashid |
Jofra Archer drew first blood, removing both openers with sharp, seaming deliveries in his opening spell. Then Will Jacks took over — three wickets in his 4-over spell including Kusal Mendis caught and bowled and Pavan Rathnayake first ball — and at 22/4 inside five overs, Sri Lanka’s chase was effectively dead.
Dasun Shanaka’s captain’s knock of 30 off 24 balls provided the only resistance, threatening briefly to give Sri Lanka a glimmer of hope. But Adil Rashid ended that with a brilliant 3.4-over spell — 2 wickets for just 13 runs at an economy of 3.54. Sri Lanka were all out for 95 in the 17th over.
Will Jacks – England’s Unexpected Match-Winner
If you’d listed England’s most likely match-winners before this game, Will Jacks might not have been in your top three. Phil Salt would be. Jofra Archer would be. Adil Rashid maybe. But Jacks — with bat and ball on the same day — turned in the kind of all-round performance that defines knockout cricket.
His bowling figures of 3/22 from 4 overs were built on sharp variations and clever use of the Pallekele surface. Jacks bowled with pace, flight, and precision — catching Sri Lanka’s batters at exactly the wrong moment when they were under maximum pressure. His catches and fielding contributions were immense too, including involvement in the relay catch to remove Shanaka in the 14th over.
Cricinfo’s MVP rating gave him 104.99 points. The Player of the Match was never in doubt.
England Bowling – A Collective Effort
Every England bowler contributed in the chase. None was expensive. The collective dismantling of Sri Lanka was clinical.
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jofra Archer | 3 | 20 | 2 | 6.66 |
| Will Jacks | 4 | 22 | 3 | 5.50 |
| Liam Dawson | 4 | 27 | 2 | 6.75 |
| Adil Rashid | 3.4 | 13 | 2 | 3.54 |
| Jamie Overton | 2 | 13 | 1 | 6.50 |
Rashid’s economy of 3.54 stood out — barely five runs an over in the death stages when Sri Lanka were desperately trying to accelerate. Liam Dawson picked up 2 wickets including Kamindu Mendis, arguably Sri Lanka’s most technically gifted batter in the middle order. England used five bowlers and all five took wickets. That’s bowling depth.
What This Result Means in the Super 8 Table
England’s win puts them in a powerful position in Super 8 Group 2. They take 2 points from this match while Sri Lanka sit on zero. See how the Super 8 Group 2 table is shaping up on the ICC T20 WC 2026 Super 8 points table.
For Sri Lanka, this was their worst possible start to the Super 8 stage. A team that beat Australia in the group stage — one of the biggest upsets of the tournament — now find themselves needing wins from their remaining Super 8 games just to stay in contention for a semi-final place. Check the full Super 8 fixtures and upcoming matches to see what’s left for both sides.
England’s semi-final hopes are now firmly back in their own hands. If they maintain this form — particularly with the bowling unit firing collectively — they are a genuine threat in this tournament. Browse all competing teams’ squads and form guides ahead of the next round of Super 8 fixtures.
FAQs – England vs Sri Lanka T20 WC 2026 Super 8 Result
Q1. What was the result of England vs Sri Lanka in T20 WC 2026 Super 8? England won by 51 runs. England posted 146/9 batting first, then bowled Sri Lanka out for 95 in 16.4 overs.
Q2. Who was Player of the Match in England vs Sri Lanka? Will Jacks won the Player of the Match award for scoring 21 runs off 14 balls and taking 3 wickets for 22 runs — a stunning all-round performance.
Q3. How many wickets did Will Jacks take vs Sri Lanka? Will Jacks took 3 wickets for 22 runs from 4 overs, including the dismissals of Kusal Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, and Dunith Wellalage.
Q4. What was Sri Lanka’s lowest score in their T20 WC 2026 Super 8 chase? Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 95 in 16.4 overs while chasing 147 — a collapse of 10 wickets for 95 runs that handed England a 51-run win.
Q5. Who top-scored for England vs Sri Lanka in T20 WC 2026? Phil Salt top-scored with 62 off 40 balls at a strike rate of 155.00, including 6 fours and 2 sixes.
Q6. How does this result affect Super 8 Group 2 standings? England move to 2 points in Super 8 Group 2 while Sri Lanka remain on zero, putting England in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals.
