England
Sri Lanka
England will enter the third T20I at Old Trafford with the series already secured after taking a 2-0 lead over Sri Lanka. They will look to maintain their unbeaten run, having won each of their last 7 T20Is. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will need a much better performance after losing 6 of their last 7 T20Is.
England will have dominated both matches so far. They posted 254/5 in the first T20I before winning by 119 runs, while the second match will have seen them chase 146 inside 13 overs. Their batting depth and bowling options will again put pressure on Sri Lanka.
The head-to-head record will also favour England, who will have won all 7 of their last 7 T20I meetings against Sri Lanka. 4 of those wins will have come while defending and 3 while chasing.
England’s batters have scored significantly more runs in the series, with Harry Brook leading at 137 runs and Jos Buttler at 110 compared to Sri Lanka’s highest of 49.
The betting tip is...
Top Batter's Team - England
64 %
36 %
EnglandSri LankaAneurin Donald made his T20I debut in the first match, with the right-hander opening alongside Jos Buttler. Donald had scored 12 off 5 balls and 21 off 13 balls in the second match, while Buttler had made 80 off 44.
Harry Brook remained unbeaten on 114 off 49 balls and 23* off 8 balls; Tom Banton scored 52* off 24 in the chase. Brook had also maintained a strong record in his last 10 T20Is for England, scoring 490 runs at an average of 81.67 with a strike rate of 200.
Liam Dawson led England’s wicket-takers with 5 wickets in two innings, while Sonny Baker and Jamie Overton took 4 wickets each. Baker also recorded the best bowling economy at 3.38.
Buttler, Brook and Banton are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Aneurin Donald, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Sonny Baker and Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka had struggled in both departments across the first two T20Is. No Sri Lankan batter had crossed the 50-run mark in the series, with Pathum Nissanka leading the scoring with 49 runs from two innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 153.12. Kusal Perera had also managed only 41 runs at an average of 20.50, while Kusal Mendis had not provided a major contribution.
With the ball, Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga and Pramod Madushan Chameera had taken two wickets each. Hasaranga had returned figures of 1/34 in his best spell, Malinga had recorded 1/27, and Chameera had taken 1/29. Sri Lanka had therefore lacked a standout performance with either bat or ball in both matches.
Nissanka, Asalanka and Shanaka are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara (wk), Lahiru Udara, Charith Asalanka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera and Eshan Malinga.
England will have the edge with the bat and ball again at Old Trafford after dominating Sri Lanka in the first two T20Is.
Their top order will have more consistency, with Harry Brook scoring 137 runs at a strike rate of 240.35 across the series and Jos Buttler adding 110 runs at an average of 55.00. England will also have the advantage of home conditions and greater batting depth, whereas SL batters have struggled.
Sri Lanka’s batters will need a major improvement after Pathum Nissanka’s 49 runs remain their highest series tally. England have more players capable of scoring quickly and clearing the boundary, giving them a strong chance of producing the match’s leading run-scorer once again in this match.
