England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Sam Curran took a hat-trick as England made an impressive start to their T20I series with Sri Lanka, prevailing by 11 runs in Pallekele.
Having won the ODI series 2-1, England leant on spinner Adil Rashid and all-rounder Curran as they skittled Sri Lanka for 133 in a match shortened to 17 overs owing to soggy conditions. England reached 123-4 before the rain brought a premature end to proceedings with captain Harry Brook’s men ahead on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
Kusal Mendis (37) top scored for the hosts, who saw a promising start undone by Rashid and fellow spinner Liam Dawson.
Indeed, Sri Lanka slumped from 76-1 to 98-6 in just over four overs, Rashid claiming the key wicket of Mendis, who heaved the Yorkshireman to Craig Overton at long-on.
Dasun Shanaka (20) and Wanindu Hasaranga (14) mounted something of a fightback for Sri Lanka with a seventh-wicket partnership of 31 from 24 balls.
But Curran removed Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana in successive deliveries, going round the wicket to dismiss Pathirana for his hat-trick with a full delivery that clattered into middle and off stump.
Overton ended Hasaranga’s spell to bring Sri Lanka’s innings to a close and, though Eshan Malinga claimed the wicket of Jos Buttler (17) relatively cheaply, the tourists rarely looked in danger of failing to chase 134.
Phil Salt did the bulk of the heavy lifting for England with 46 off 35 balls, while Tom Banton hit 29 off 15 deliveries.
Salt was the last England wicket to fall when he slogged Shanaka to long-on, but by that point the hard work had been done.
England face Sri Lanka again at the same venue on Sunday as they aim to clinch the three-match series.
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