The atmosphere at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was nothing short of electric as Sri Lanka and England faced off in a high-stakes 42nd Match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With a spot in the semi-finals potentially on the line, the Super Eights, Group 2 encounter on February 22 delivered a moment of pure fielding brilliance that has already gone viral. While England’s power-hitters were expected to dominate, it was the veteran Sri Lankan, Dasun Shanaka, who stole the spotlight with a piece of athleticism that defied his years.
Dasun Shanaka’s spectacular direct hit sent Tom Banton packing during SL vs ENG Super 8 clash
The defining moment of the first innings arrived in the 8th over, just as England was looking to rebuild after a shaky Powerplay. Facing Dushmantha Chameera, Tom Banton looked to rotate the strike against an inswinging yorker. Banton tapped the ball toward mid-off and immediately called for a risky single, a decision that proved fatal.
The ball travelled quickly toward Dasun Shanaka, who moved like a predator. Gathering the ball cleanly as the bounce popped perfectly into his palms, Shanaka didn’t hesitate. In one fluid motion, he uncorked a bullet throw that smashed directly into the stumps. Despite a desperate, full-length dive from Banton, the Englishman was caught well short of his crease.
The dismissal left England reeling at 49/3, with Banton departing for a lackluster 6 off 7 balls. The Pallekele crowd erupted as the replay showed the precision of the hit; it was a masterclass in modern fielding that emphasized Sri Lanka’s disciplined approach under pressure.
Here’s the video:
Disciplined Sri Lanka restrict England to a low score in Kandy
Despite the early wobbles and the brilliance of Shanaka, England managed to scratch their way to a competitive, albeit underwhelming, total of 146/9 in their 20 overs. The innings was a story of a lone warrior in Phil Salt, who played a gritty knock of 62 off 40 balls, including six boundaries and a solitary six. Salt was the only English batter to look comfortable against a versatile Sri Lankan bowling attack that used the humid Kandy conditions to perfection.
The spin duo of Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana strangled the middle order. Wellalage was particularly lethal, finishing with figures of 3/26, claiming the massive wickets of Jos Buttler (7) and the dangerous Harry Brook (14). The DRS played its part in Brook’s dismissal, as an umpire’s callon an LBW shout upheld the on-field decision, further dampening England’s momentum.
As the innings break commenced, win probabilities shifted heavily in favour of Sri Lanka, leaving England’s bowlers with a massive task to defend a sub-150 total on a pitch that appeared to be slowing down.
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