SL VS ENG - Only T20I, England tour of Sri Lanka, 2018

The skipper - Morgan - collects the trophy and joins his team-mates. Time for the photographs as they pose behind the CHAMPIONS board. All smiles. England braved the weather to win the ODI series 3-1 and now a comprehensive win in the shortest format. The biggest challenge will be in the Tests. Are Root and Co. ready for it? The 3-match Test series starts on November 6 after a couple of warm-up fixtures. That should be fun and more competitive. Do join us there. Until then, it's goodbye.

Eoin Morgan: Considerable improvement in all three facets of the game. Our batting unit did really well, backed up by the bowlers and in the field. The white-ball players will go home happy. We played him (Malinga) a lot better, guys got used to playing him more. It was an outstanding comeback from Joe Denly. Guys find difficult when they come back, hats off to him. This year in County, he's done absolutely everything and he's been a big threat with the new ball. I think there is (room for improvement). It's nice to tick the boxes. We have done well against the mystery spinners as well.

Thisara Perera: It's sad that we lost the game. Had we not lost wickets, we could have won the game. Last match, we fielded well. We can't give excuses. We need to adapt to any conditions. Normally, SL players bat well against spinners, but that wasn't the case this time. Normally, that is my batting position. That wasn't batting order mistake. We are going in the right direction. Hopefully, we can do better in the future series.

Joe Denly: It's been quite a while since I have been in England's colors. Delighted to be back and contribute in a win. Few nerves were there, but more excitement, than anything. It's a new experience (to play Malinga), one of the best bowlers in the death. It was tricky, I managed to contribute a little bit. I land my leg-spinner pretty well. Being predominantly a batter, I get a good sense of what the batter tries to do. Being able to bowl will certainly help my case. Couple of warm-up games, hope I perform well there.

Joe Denly is Man of the Match

The players shake hands. A convincing win for England. Denly, back into the T20I side after nine years, started it all with the ball. With the new ball, he cleaned up both the Sri Lankan openers in two overs. After the powerplay, it was England's top-ranked bowler who did the damage. Adil Rashid accounted for the three set batsmen in the middle overs and ended up registering his career best figures - 3/11 in four overs. Skipper Thisara Perera fought a lone battle and raised a fifty, but ended up on the losing side. Credit to the England pacers too - specially Chris Jordan who flew all the way to the Island nation for just this one-off encounter and boy, he bowled well. He nailed his yorkers - coupled with the slower deliveries and ensured that Sri Lanka never got anywhere close to the target. Denly, who picked the first two wickets, was asked to bowl the last overs and he added two more to his tally and finished with figures 4-0-19-4. Earlier, England rode on Jason Roy's 'charmed yet entertaining' knock to post an above-par score. Stay tuned for the presentations.

Denly to Malinga, out Bowled!! Fourth wicket for Denly. It was floated up at 87kph, Malinga stepped out of his track and moved leg-side to go for the big hit downtown. Misses the leggie and the ball shatters into the sticks. England win by 30 runs! Malinga b Denly 5(7)

Denly to Malinga, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Denly to Sandakan, 1 run, tossed up delivery, Sandakan presses forward and pushes it towards extra cover

Lakshan Sandakan, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Denly to Perera, out Caught by Roy!! England's catching has been very good today. Perera falls to Denly's full toss. Cleared his front leg to smash it over deep mid-wicket and ended up mis-hitting. Jason Roy moves acrosss to his right to snaffle that. Perera c Roy b Denly 57(31) [4s-1 6s-6]

Denly to Perera, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Denly to Perera, SIX, Perera goes downtown and he's connected that well. Tries to bowl another one in the blockhole does Denly and ends up bowling a half-volley, Perera clubs it over the bowler's head

Denly to Perera, no run, wide yorker, Perera can't put bat on ball

Denly to Malinga, leg byes, 1 run, drifting down leg and a backing away Malinga misses the big heave. The ball rolls towards third man off his pad. Buttler went up for an lbw appeal, definitely missing leg

Joe Denly [3.0-0-12-2] is back into the attack

39 needed off the last over and Morgan gives the ball to Denly.

Tom Curran to Perera, SIX, full toss, Perera gets underneath it and bludgeons it over long-on. Good shape and that brings up Thisara's third T20I fifty. Held his pose after the stroke for the photographs

45 off 7..

Tom Curran to Perera, no run, drills this very full ball to long-on