ENG vs SL: England all out for 156, its lowest World Cup total against Sri Lanka

England suffered another batting collapse in the World Cup 2023 and was bundled out for its lowest score against Sri Lanka in the tournament.

England’s captain Jos Buttler walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal. | Photo Credit: AFP

England’s poor run of form with the bat continued as it was bundled out for 156 runs in its World Cup match on Thursday, its lowest total against Sri Lanka in the competition.

The Three Lions’ previous low against Sri Lanka was 212 in the 2019 edition. The first-innings low for England was 229/6 in 2011.

This is also the lowest score a team has been bowled out for at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

LIVE | England vs Sri Lanka ICC ODI World Cup 2023 updates

Winning the toss and opting to bat, England openers Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow got off to a positive start. Sri Lanka, however, pulled back with two wickets towards the end of PowerPlay.

The middle order of Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone too could not stabilise the innings. Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali struck a 37-run partnership to begin a mini-comeback. But Ali offered a catch to the point fielder with the side’s total at 122.

Stokes’ resistance lasted for 15 runs more before he holed out to Dushan Hemantha at deep mid wicket.

For Sri Lanka, Lahiru Kumara starred with the ball, picking three wickets for 35 runs. Angelo Mathews, bowling for the first time since 2020, and Kasun Rajitha picked two wickets each.