Harry Brook led from the front with his second and fastest T20I century as England sent Sri Lanka swirling down the Utilita Bowl with victory by 119 runs in the first T20I.

The limited-overs skipper’s 42-ball effort – quicker than every Englishman bar Phil Salt’s 39 baller almost a year ago to the day against South Africa – took England to 254 for 4, compelling former Test captain Ben Stokes to wax lyrical on social media.

Stokes’ post sounded as confused as Sri Lanka’s bowling plans. But the underlying sentiment was that Brook’s unbeaten 114 showed he possesses more genius than Kevin Pietersen.

It is a sketchy claim. But perhaps tonight, England’s new mentor will happily cede to the 27-year old after his third white-ball century of the year, and second in T20Is after his maiden effort against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup. In reply, Sri Lanka mustered just 21 more than Brook’s new career-best between them, bowled out for 135 with an over to spare.

England’s first innings fell three runs short of the total they made in their last T20I against India on this very  ground. The similarities between this evening and that July afternoon included the opposition skipper – on this occasion, Charith Asalanka – inserting England after winning the toss.

Shreyas Iyer had made that mistake two months earlier, and likewise, he was also made to pay by Brook and Jos Buttler, who this time had to settle for 80 from 44 deliveries, rather than consecutive hundreds.

Captain and former captain combined in a stand of 128 from 60 deliveries, the first part of which included England’s second-highest powerplay of 90 for 1. That was kicked off by a breezy 12 from 5 for debutant Aneurin Donald, who became the first Glamorgan product to feature for England since Simon Jones in 2005.

Things were getting away from Sri Lanka as early as the fifth over when Dunith Wellalage was taken for 30 by Brook. And when Buttler was dropped on 45 three overs later, by Eshan Malinga – over-running a sliced heave down the ground at long off – it was clear, not even a quarter of the way through, that this match was only going one way.

England’s superior power and fitness was never going to be matched. More impressive than their total of 19 fours and 12 sixes were the number of twos. Brook did most of the running; nine of his own along with 12 for his three partners.

Sri Lanka’s chase began with a maiden, bowled by Sonny Baker who went on to take 3 for 12. After struggling on debut across all three formats – including a Test bow earlier this summer against New Zealand – the 23-year old polished his overall numbers with his first limited-overs dismissals at his home ground.

The Hampshire quick got off the mark with a 90mph rasper that beat opener Kamil Mishara, before adding Lahiru Udara four deliveries later when the right-hander’s attempted scoop found Adil Rashid at short backward square. A return from the Pavilion End then saw a 92mph delivery nip away and knock back Theekshana’s off stump.

All six of England’s bowlers registered in the wicket column, feasting on a line-up that – barring Wellalage’s 33 from 21 at No.8 – were all utterly woeful.

In Aneurin Donald, England may well have their answer to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi when it comes to monster strike-rates. Perhaps the quirkiest aspect about that is Donald, as the follower, is technically old enough to be Sooryavanshi’s father.

The 14-year age gap speaks to a difference of cultural attitudes towards the game, particularly in the T20 format: more venerated in India, reluctantly accepted over here. At the age of 29, Donald is England’s oldest T20I debutant in nine years, and was playing his first international match after 112 regular T20s.

With Phil Salt out injured, Donald had big boots to fill, but Brendon McCullum believed he had found the right understudy when watching Donald carve a remarkable 31 from eight deliveries for England Lions at Chelmsford in Sri Lanka’s first warm-up.

The man who capped his assault then – Wellalage – did so here for a more contained 12 off 5. Donald, though, had done his job in his first four balls, closing the the first over of the match by smashing Maheesh Theekshana’s offspin over the midwicket fence, then through cover, and setting England on course for a mammoth score.

The Utilita Bowl is the most criticised of England’s international venues, and it has come under greater scrutiny with the “hows” and “whys” of its allocation of an Ashes Test next year at the expense of Headingley (or anywhere else north of Nottingham).

It is not the easiest ground to get to. And visiting players note how quickly it has aged since opening in 2001. But if there is anyone who will espouse its virtues, it is Buttler.

Following his 131 against India, Buttler now has 211 runs across his last two T20I innings, both in Southampton. By comparison, he had managed a grand total of 212 runs across his first 14 innings in the format at the start of the year.

That run included a torturous T20 World Cup campaign, the kind that made many wonder if we were in the end days for one of English cricket’s most gifted batters.

Budapest glory to airport heartbreak

by Reemus Fernando

‎
Champion javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga has received plethora of support from the Sports Ministry to leading businessmen to replace the competition javelins damaged during his retun flight following his historic triumph at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

‎While the Sports Ministry has moved swiftly to provide him with a new set of high-quality competition javelins to ensure that the unfortunate incident does not disrupt his preparations for forthcoming Asian Games, social media was abuzz with call for support moments after Tharanga revealed that the javelins he used for a series of victories abroad have been damaged.

‎Tharanga discovered the damage to his equipment after arriving at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

‎The 23-year-old was returning with two trophies following his triump at the Diamong League Series final (Brussels) and the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

‎The Sri Lanka Airforce athlete created history by winning the men’s javelin title with a 91.09m effort at the World Athletics newly formed global event the Ultimate Championship on Sunday. It was just a week after the world number one clinched the Diamond League title.

‎The victories he achieved during the Diamond League series, the final and the Ultimate Championship has elevated him to a position where no other Sri Lankan track and field athlete has ever dreamt of reaching and has also earned him a lucrative price bag. He has arguably become the richest track and field athlete in Sri Lanka during his breakthrough season, in which he has established himself as the leading javelin thrower and the number one ranked thrower in the world.

‎The damaged equipment reportedly included javelins used for his outstanding performances beyond the 90-metre mark, including his winning throw in Budapest and his 92.07m effort in Zurich.

‎The damage has been estimated to be more than Rs. 2 million.

‎According to reports Tharanga has lodged a complaint over the incident, while steps are also expected to be taken to seek compensation from the airline responsible for handling the equipment during the journey.

‎The Sports Ministry’s decision to immediately replace the damaged equipment will ensure that the incident does not interfere with his training ahead of the Asian Games which starts later this week.

‎Tharanga’s success under coach Tony Prasanna has elevated Sri Lanka’s profile in world athletics, making the protection and provision of proper competition equipment an increasingly important part of his international campaign.

‎His recent success at international stage has kept the social media abuzz and the reaction to the news of his damaged javelins was overwhelming with pledges of support coming from leading businessmen in the caliber of Dudley Sirisena to general uses of different platforms. A far cry from the days when he had little backing on his journey to the World Junior Championships.

MAS Holdings, the official clothing sponsor for Team Sri Lanka, unveiled and handed over the national contingent’s official kit ahead of the 20th Asian Games, Aichi–Nagoya 2026 last week.

‎The Games will be held from 19 September to 4 October 2026 in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan. Developed in partnership with the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC Sri Lanka), the kits were presented at a press event held last week at the Duncan White Auditorium, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in Colombo.

‎As the official clothing sponsor, MAS will outfit Team Sri Lanka’s athletes across a wide range of disciplines at the Games, including Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Squash, Surfing, Table Tennis, Beach Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Hockey, Basketball, Wushu and Kabaddi.

‎”Each discipline places different demands on movement, fit and comfort, and the kits were developed with these varying performance requirements in mind, while maintaining a consistent Team Sri Lanka identity across the collection,” a statement from the sponsors said.

‎The full collection spans four kit types: Casual, Podium, Travel, and sport specific performance kits covering everything from the team’s travel to Japan and training days to competition and podium appearances.

‎The design draws inspiration from the ocean currents that move around Sri Lanka. The continuous movement and energy of the waves reflect the drive, resilience and momentum of Sri Lankan athletes.

‎”Our design and innovation teams have worked closely with the NOC to build a range of garments that perform well while displaying a strong sense of Sri Lankan identity,” said Arosh Fernando, Director – Product Innovation at Bodywear, MAS Holdings. “The energy of the ocean currents that surround our island felt like a fitting expression of the momentum and resilience our athletes carry into these Games, and we are honored to stand behind them as they represent the country.”

‎As one of the world’s leading sportswear manufacturers, over the years, MAS has extended its expertise to national teams across several sporting disciplines.

‎”Yes, it is about manufacturing capability and expertise, but for us it is also about passion and commitment,” said Rajiv Dharmendra, Chief Executive Officer at Bodywear, MAS Holdings. “As an organisation, we are determined to support local athletes to compete at their best on the international stage. Clothing and performance garments should be an enabler in their achievements, and we are grateful for the opportunity to offer that.”