An all-round bowling effort helped England defend a modest target against Sri Lanka in their Super Eights encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.Earlier, Sri Lanka delivered a collective bowling effort to keep England to a below-par 146-9.Opting to bat first, England never truly found momentum after an early setback. Star batter Jos Buttler struggled for fluency and was dismissed for seven off 14 deliveries, falling to Dunith Wellalage inside the powerplay.Phil Salt attempted to anchor the innings, but wickets continued to tumble at the other end. England crawled to 68-4 at the halfway stage, unable to capitalise as Sri Lanka maintained tight lines and applied constant pressure.Sam Curran briefly threatened to accelerate but managed just 11 before Dushmantha Chameera struck.Salt, who had held the innings together with a counter-attacking knock, eventually fell in the following over to Wellalage after scoring 62 off 40 balls, laced with six fours and two sixes.With Salt’s departure, England’s innings lost its backbone. Maheesh Theekshana removed Liam Dawson for six, reducing England to 124-7 in the 18th over.Will Jacks provided late impetus with a 21-run cameo off 14 balls, while Jamie Overton’s unbeaten 10 ensured England batted out their 20 overs.For Sri Lanka, Wellalage was the standout performer, claiming three crucial wickets. Dilshan Madushanka and Theekshana supported him well with two scalps apiece.