England vs. Sri Lanka prediction, lineups, pitch report for 1st T20 as Harry Brook’s side chase more dominance

England's Harry Brook-led side enters their first T20 against Sri Lanka in September, aiming to continue their dominant streak of three consecutive Test victories over Pakistan. The momentum looks firmly in England's favor, as they've won five out of their last five T20Is, while Sri Lanka have struggled, losing ten of their 15 completed T20Is in 2023. Kevin Pietersen will serve as mentor to Brook, who is in excellent form with 229 runs across his last four T20I innings at an average of 114.50.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are coming off a poor build-up, losing both their warm-up fixtures against an England Lions side. Their head-to-head record against England is also not encouraging, with Sri Lanka losing 14 out of the 18 T20Is played between the two sides. Key player Adil Rashid poses a significant threat to Sri Lanka with 17 wickets against them at an economy rate of just 5.48.

The pitch at the Utilita Bowl, located in Southampton, has been batting-friendly recently. England has won 17 out of 25 matches in which they batted first, and the average 1st innings score is 169. The lowest total recorded was 79/10, while the highest total was 257/3. For Sri Lanka, the average 2nd innings score is 140, with the lowest total being 140/6.

The visitors will be hoping to capitalize on their pace spearhead, Dushmantha Chameera, who is still recovering from a groin issue and has been struggling with inconsistency.