England vs Sri Lanka Match 39: Win This Match and Secure the Semi-Finals Berth

• England lead the head to head record against Sri Lanka by 9 wins to 4. 

• Sri Lanka haven't defeated England in the last seven T20 clashes.

• England need to win this match to reach the semi-finals. 

England vs Sri Lanka Odds

England vs Sri Lanka Prediction and Pick

The two teams have faced each other in 13 T20 internationals, with England dominating the scoreline. England have won nine games whereas Sri Lanka have claimed four. The Lankan lions haven't been able to defeat England in T20Is since 2015. We predict England to win this match on Saturday.   

Predicted XI

England: Alex Hales, Jos Buttler (c/wk), Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Pramod Madushan

A Win Takes England Through but Sri Lanka More Than Capable of Spoiling the Party

England and Sri Lanka will take on each other in the final Group 1 fixture at Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, November 5th. The equation for England is simple - win this match and secure the semi-finals berth.

England five points to their credit after four group games and have their future in their own hands, playing last. They're coming off a 20-run victory over New Zealand in the previous match on Tuesday. 

Jos Buttler and Alex Hales put on an 81-run stand for the first wicket. Hales made 52 off 40 while Buttler went on to smash 73 off 47 to propel the total to 179/6. Defending the target, they were in trouble with Glenn Phillips going berserk for New Zealand. But Sam Curran, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes bowled exceptionally to clinch the game. 

Sri Lanka have four points from four games, having won two and lost two. They needed both Australia and New Zealand to lose their games but Friday's results have ended their hopes. In the previous game, they defeated Afghanistan by six wickets. 

Wanindu Hasaranga starred with the ball, snaring 3 for 13 in four overs while Lahiru Kumara bagged two scalps to restrict Afghanistan to 144/8. Dhananjaya de Silva then played a magnificent knock of 66 not-out in 42 balls to steer the team to victory. 

Team News

England have fielded the same playing XI in three games and there's no reason for them to tinker with it, except for late injuries. The opening duo of Jos Buttler and Alex Hales getting back among runs will be a huge relief for them. The batting unit also has Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali and Harry Brook. England have struggled against spinners and Sri Lanka have three of them. The outcome of the match could well depend on how they tackle this issue. In the bowling attack, Sam Curran, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes have done well but Adil Rashid's form remains a concern.

Sri Lanka made one change in their previous fixture, bringing in a specialist bowler Pramod Madushan for all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne. After several injury blows, their bowling attack now comprises Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga alongside all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva. They have done an excellent job so far and can trouble England batters. In the batting department, Dhananjaya was superb in the previous game while Kusal Mendis has played a few impactful knocks. They also have Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka.  

Key Players 

Sam Curran has transformed into a very reliable death overs bowler for England in the last couple of months. He has used yorkers, bouncers and slower deliveries to a great effect in recent times. The left-arm pacer has been terrific in the ongoing tournament, picking 9 wickets from just three games at an economy of 6.28 while striking at every 7.1 balls. 

Wanindu Hasaranga has been in outstanding form and will be a key player for Sri Lanka in this fixture. Sydney is a venue where long boundaries and a bit of help off the pitch helps spinners. Hasaranga has taken 13 wickets from seven games in the tournament at 6.51 rpo and is coming off 3 for 13 versus Afghanistan. 

How to Watch England vs Sri Lanka

• Star Sports Network/Disney+ Hotstar (India)
• SportsMax (Caribbean)
• Fox Sports & Channel 7 (Australia)
• Sky Sport NZ (New Zealand)
• SuperSport (South Africa)
• Willow TV (USA)
• Sky Sports Cricket (United Kingdom)