England secured a commanding victory over Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in the third T20 match held at Old Trafford on September 19, 2026, completing a clean sweep in the series with a 3-0 record.
The home team had already established dominance by winning the first match by 119 runs and the second by 6 wickets, giving them an unassailable lead. Sri Lanka aimed to salvage some pride with a win in the final match, but their efforts fell short.
Batting first after losing the toss, Sri Lanka struggled, collapsing to 124 runs in just 18.5 overs. Only two players managed to reach double figures, with Pathum Nissanka scoring 36 runs. He and Lahiru Udara contributed a mere 22-run partnership for the first wicket before Udara was dismissed for 10. The team quickly lost three wickets for just 52 runs.
Kamindu Mendis, who scored 35 runs, formed a brief fourth-wicket partnership of 31 runs with captain Charith Asalanka (16), and later added 24 runs with Dasun Shanaka (12). However, Sri Lanka’s innings fell apart, and they could not last the full quota of overs.
For England, Sonny Baker, Jofra Archer, and Will Jacks each took two wickets, while Liam Dawson and Jamie Overton claimed one wicket apiece.
In response, England chased down the target in just 9.4 overs. Jos Buttler made a significant impact, scoring swiftly with Anyrin Donald. They added 22 runs in just 15 balls before Donald was dismissed for 13. Buttler then partnered with captain Harry Brook, putting together 85 runs for the second wicket in 38 balls, propelling the team to 107 runs.
Brook scored 33 runs off 21 balls, hitting four boundaries, before Buttler finished the match alongside Tom Banton, adding 19 runs in just five balls. Sri Lanka managed to take only one wicket, claimed by Tharindu Ratnayake.
Following this T20 series, both teams will face off in a three-match scheduled for September 22, 24, and 27.