Sam Curran shines versus SL, hammers his second T20I fifty
What's the story
England were restricted to a meager 128/9 in the third and final T20 T20I of the series against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. While Dushmantha Chameera headlined the innings with his five-wicket haul, Sam Curran scored a vital fifty for the Brits. This was his second fifty in the T20I format, and a timely one. Here are further details.
Knock
Curran rescues England from dismal position
England's top order crumbled under the pressure of Sri Lankan bowlers as four of their top-five batters bagged single-digit scores. The visitors were reduced to 60/6 at one stage, threatening their chances of a competitive total. However, Curran and Liam Dawson (14) steadied the ship with a crucial 47-run partnership. Curran's knock of 58 off 48 balls was instrumental in giving England a fighting chance. The southpaw eventually fell to Chameera in the final over.
Stats
Curran races past 500 T20I runs
Curran clocked six fours and a maximum en route to his 48-ball 58. With his second fifty in the format, the all-rounder has raced to 529 runs from 67 T20I matches at an average of 19.59, as per ESPNcricinfo (SR: 130.61). Overall, in T20 cricket, Curran now has 33 fifties and a ton. He has completed 5,429 runs from 322 games at 25.97.
Hat-trick
Curran's hat-trick in first T20I
With the ball, Curran claimed a hat-trick in the opener of the ongoing series. The left-arm seamer became the second Englishman to claim a T20I hat-trick, having joined veteran pacer Chris Jordan. Overall, Curran boasts 60 T20I wickets at an average of 27.21. This includes an economy of 8.64.