SL vs ENG | Twitter chuffed as Curran announces himself before World Cup with hattrick to break Lanka

Sri Lanka could only manage a paltry 133 in the first T20I against England, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, after showers before the encounter reduced it to a 17-overs-a-side affair. The hosts were well placed at 76/1 after seven overs when a slew of wickets pegged them back, but in Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga the Lions found a capable pair of providing the team an explosive finish. The skipper seemed to be on his way too with two maximums struck and was determined to add more in the penultimate over, when Sam Curran decided to script history.

On the fourth ball of the 16th over, Curran went full angling to Shanaka's pads and the all-rounder could only whip him as far as the 30-yard circle where Harry Brook held onto a simple catch. Maheesh Theekshana walked in next and like his captain decided to go for a big heave, but the result was the same as Jamie Overton at long-on made no mistakes to afford Curran the opportunity at a hat-trick. Between him and the record books stood Matheesha Pathirana, who could do little against a ferocious yorker aimed at the stumps by Curran. The tailender was beaten all-hands up, the stumps were scattered, and aloft when Curran's arms in celebration on what had so far been a difficult day for the two-way player. Curran thus became just the second Englishman to register a T20I hat-trick, after Chris Jordan had managed the feat against the United States of America in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Twitter was enthused, to say the least.

Incredible!

Sad

As usual

I was'nt

Very poor

Hatrick time

Fair play

Wow

LOL

He gets it!