England vs Sri Lanka LIVE: T20 World Cup result and reaction
Follow live reaction after England made it four wins from four at the World Cup
Follow live reaction from England vs Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup.
England maintained their 100 per cent record in the tournament, having seen off the West Indies, Bangladesh and Australia in a dominant start, with a superb 26-run win in Sharjah.
Opener Jos Buttler was the star of the show last time out against Australia and went one better this time around with an unbeaten 101, a first international T20 century.
Assisted by 40 from skipper Eoin Morgan, England posted 163 from their 20 before two wickets from Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Chris Jordan eventually saw Sri Lanka fall 26 runs short despite a dogged chase.
The win leaves England all but into the semi-finals ahead of their final Super 12 match, against South Africa on Saturday.
Sri Lanka 103-5: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Wanindu Hasaranga knows Sri Lanka need to get a move on here and he sees Mills coming before slapping him back over his head for half a dozen to open the 14th.
That was a 91 metre hit - the longest we’ve seen today from either side.
Four more off Shanaka’s glove as Buttler dives despairingly and Sri Lanka are into three figures.
Mills has a problem here and it looks like injury is going to force him from the field.
Chris Woakes is on to bowl the remaining three balls of the over that Sri Lanka take a further two from.
One of these overs has to go for 20-25 plus if they are to have a chance but this one - surely Mills’ last - was expensive nonetheless.
Sri Lanka 89-5: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Livingstone returns for his second over to bowl the 13th.
Wanindu Hasaranga is flying high after a good afternoon with the ball and he starts well with the bat too carving a wide one through point for four.
After the boundary off the first ball it’s a good response from the England allrounder as a couple of singles mean he gets out conceding just seven.
Sri Lanka need 75 from seven overs. Where’s your money?
Sri Lanka 82-5: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Adil Rashid back on to finish off his four.
As so often for England he has been excellent, not only taking wickets but doing so without conceding hardly any runs.
It’s more tidy stuff from the Yorkshireman with Sri Lanka taking just five off him.
He ends with 2-19. Phenomenal.
Sri Lanka 77-5: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Chris Woakes back for into the attack for a second over after a somewhat expensive first.
Rajapakse loves it there and a back of a length ball is hammered into the square leg stand for a maximum.
And that’s four more as Woakes errs fuller and is punished through the covers.
Pressure on the England bowler... but he gets the last laugh as Rajapakse goes boundary hunting again only to hole out in the deep to a diving Jason Roy.
Good grab that diving forwards and the dangerous Rajapakse is gone for 26. Sri Lanka five down.
Sri Lanka 66-4: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Skipper Dasun Shanaka is at the crease now for Sri Lanka and they’re in desperate need of some kind of partnership with still north of 100 to get.
Tymal Mills is on as England look to up the pace of matters in these middle overs.
Mills is a genuine wicket-taker in this phase of the game with his slower and change of pace deliveries likely to be effective on this Sharjah surface.
He fires one into Rajapakse’s pads but nothing doing as it’s far too leg side.
That one isn’t great though as a wider ball is steered past backward point for four by Shanaka.
End of 10 and at halfway Sri Lanka are 66-4 chasing 164.
Sri Lanka 58-4: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Jordan continues from the other end after going for just the six off his first over.
Some brilliant Jonny Bairstow saves a certain four in the deep and the very next ball Fernando is trapped in front.
Full and straight, that one is about as plumb as you’re ever going to see. Knocking all three out. He goes for 13.
A fourth wicket to fall and this Sri Lankan chase is beginning to stall under the weight of that 163 total from England.
Sri Lanka 54-3: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
The super economical Rashid back for his third over as England look to strangle this chase before it gets off the ground.
In these conditions he shows so much control and rarely gives you anything as a batter.
Rajapakse sends one high in the air with Chris Woakes underneath it... but he shells it. Poor from the England allrounder in the deep.
Stick that one in a museum - Woakes letting England down. The ultimate rarity.
Eight gone now. Sri Lanka 54-3 and need another 110 to win.
Sri Lanka 50-3: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Liam Livingstone on now as England use a third spinner of the innings so far.
One of the most dominant batters in world cricket, he’s also a sneaky effective bowler in this format and took wickets against Australia with a combination of off and leg-spin.
Rajapakse doesn’t mind which way that one is turning though as he steps into a full-ish delivery and slaps it down the ground over Livingstone’s head for a big six.
Sri Lanka 40-3: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Adil Rashid continues and - you know what I’m about t say - it’s another wicket and another with a googly.
Kusal Perera gets it all wrong and sends a miscue skyward with a grateful Eoin Morgan waiting underneath it to take it.
A third wicket in the powerplay for England and the second to go to Rashid.
Bhanuka Rajapakse is the next man in for Sri Lanka and he grabs his first boundary of just his second ball with a slightly streaky but well hit strike over mid-off. Four runs.
Sri Lanka 34-2: Sri Lanka chasing 164 to win
Chris Jordan into the attack now as Eoin Morgan switches back to pace.
New batsman Avishka Fernando needs a score in this tournament and that’s a good start as he climbs into one and drives a slightly wide delivery through the covers for four to open his account for the evening.
A couple of singles to round off the over and Sri Lanka are 34-2 after five.
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