England vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20l 2021 is going to be played at Southampton where the recent World Test Championship was held. The conditions there were very bowler-friendly but we do not think the same is going to be the case for this T20 international. England has already won the series and is looking for a clean sweep. Its dominance in white-ball cricket is something to behold and it is very hard to stop in home conditions. Sri Lanka was not competitive at all in the first two matches and to expect something drastically different in this match may be wishing for too much. Who should you bet on?
England vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20l 2021
Teams’ strengths & weaknesses
England has a lot of options available for selection in its squad. It is going to give a few more players some chances in this match but that is not something that we see as a negative. The team has built up such a large pool of quality players that even five or six of the first team can be replaced without losing anything in terms of potency.
The weakness could be a lack of form of the players in the middle order. Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan have been struggling for quite some time now and they must be feeling the pressure going into this game.
Sri Lanka has too many weaknesses and not enough strengths to speak of at the moment. It was strange to see an international side struggle to hit a single boundary till the first 7 overs of the game. That just does not happen in international cricket and shows how much of a struggle batting has been. The team will have to bring in some new faces to try and arrest this rot.
A lack of runs and boundary scoring ability are the two most obvious weaknesses at this time. A slightly improved performance by the bowlers would have raised some hopes in the Sri Lankan camp and that can be counted as a positive moving forward.
Players in form
Sam Curran has been in terrific form with the ball and whatever chances he has got with the bat. His all-around skill adds so much to the England team and makes him one of the most valuable players in their setup. He has not been given opportunities to bat up the order so far but that may be around the corner in this last match as well.
Sri Lanka does not really have any good performers to speak of but Wanindu Hasaranga certainly won some hearts with his bowling in the previous match. Wrist-spinners have traditionally done very well against England in the past and he will take a lot of confidence from the wickets that came his way. Hasaranga is also a useful batsman that can contribute down the order.
Match conditions
Southampton is expected to be cold and wet during this match. The pitch here is fast and bouncy, and will offer some help to the pacers. This is not good news for Sri Lanka who struggled against the fast-bowlers in both matches so far.
Game statistics
- Willey, Woakes, Livingstone, and Rashid all have an economy rate of under 6.00 this series
- Rashid has taken the most wickets for England so far
- Not a single top-order batsman from Sri Lanka has a strike rate of over 120 so far
Prediction
Sri Lanka is really up against it in this England vs Sri Lanka 3rd T20l 2021. England is just too strong at home in conditions where spin is not expected to play a large role. Difficult to see anything but a 3-0 scoreline at this stage.
Prediction: England to win (1.18)
