England stretched their T20I winning streak against Sri Lanka to 14 matches with a six-wicket victory in Cardiff on Thursday.
The final game of the series takes place on Saturday at Old Trafford, where England thrashed South Africa by 146 runs in September 2025.
England v Sri Lanka Third T20I Tips Summary
Best Bet - Harry Brook to hit most sixes for England @ 12/5
Alternative Bet - Wanindu Hasaranga to be Sri Lanka top batter @ 20/1
Bet Builder - England to make highest score in first six overs, Sonny Baker 2+ wickets & Jos Buttler over 28.5 runs @ 17/4
England v Sri Lanka Third T20I Prediction
Best Bet: Harry Brook to hit most sixes for England @ 12/5
England have hit a rich vein of T20I form under Harry Brook's captaincy and they have been too good for Sri Lanka in the first two games of this series.
The bad news for the tourists is that the third T20I is at Old Trafford, where England beat New Zealand by 95 runs, South Africa by 146 runs and world champions India by four wickets in their last three matches.
Brook smashed 67, 41 not out and 39 in those games, hitting nine sixes, and he returns to Manchester in imperious form.
His promotion to number three has paid off handsomely and he should be backed to hit the most sixes for England in the series finale.
He scored a century against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup in February, another in the opener of this series, and has cleared the ropes 24 times in his last six T20Is.
Alternative Bet: Wanindu Hasaranga to be Sri Lanka top batter @ 20/1
Sri Lanka's number eight Dunith Wellalage top-scored with 33 in the first T20I and Wanindu Hasaranga threatened to repeat the feat from number seven in Cardiff.
The all-rounder was dismissed for 27 from 22 balls – opener Pathum Nissanka made 37 – and Hasaranga is worth chancing at a big price to top-score at Old Trafford.
His last innings before this series was 45 off 25 deliveries for St Kitts and Nevis against Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League.
That came in a total of 118, when the next-highest score was 24, and Hasaranga may be needed to bail out Sri Lanka's top order in Manchester.
England v Sri Lanka Third T20I Bet Builder Tip
- England to make highest score in first six overs
- Sonny Baker 2+ wickets
- Jos Buttler over 28.5 runs
Pays 17/4
England raced to 90-1 in the first six overs of the first T20I, when Sri Lanka crawled to 32-3 in the Powerplay, and it could be a similar story in game three.
Fast bowler Sonny Baker took four wickets for just 27 runs in the first two T20Is. Baker knows Old Trafford well after two seasons playing for Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred.
Jos Buttler also plays his domestic cricket in Manchester and his last three T20I innings were 131 against India and 80 and 30 against Sri Lanka.
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Key Match Stats
- England have won 19 of their last 21 T20Is
- Adil Rashid has taken 19 wickets in 14 T20Is against Sri Lanka
- England scored their highest T20I total of 304-2 against South Africa at Old Trafford last summer
- Pathum Nissanka has reached 50 in only two of his last 19 T20Is
- Sri Lanka have lost their last 14 T20Is against England
- The Lankans have hit only nine sixes in the first two matches of the series
Tactics, Form and Team News
England are missing the injured Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran.
Jofra Archer was rested for the first T20I but returned to action in game two. Fellow fast bowlers Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Saqib Mahmood are also hoping for an opportunity.
Predicted England XI: 1 Jos Buttler (wk), 2 Aneurin Donald, 3 Harry Brook (c), 4 Tom Banton, 5 Jordan Cox, 6 Will Jacks, 7 Jamie Overton, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Sonny Baker.
Sri Lanka spinner Tharindu Ratnayake made his debut in Cardiff and should be given another opportunity.
Kusal Mendis and Binura Fernando are injured and Maheesh Theekshana could replace Dilshan Madushanka in the bowling attack.
Predicted Sri Lanka XI: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Lahiru Udana, 3 Kamil Mishara (wk), 4 Charith Asalanka (c), 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Tharindu Ratnayake, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Eshan Malinga.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
