England vs Sri Lanka Head to Head Record and Stats
Covers 99 matches between England and Sri Lanka from Jun 2002 to Sep 2026 (Tests, ODIs and T20Is with ball-by-ball records).
Fourteen straight T20I wins for England is the run that stands out in the England vs Sri Lanka head to head, a record built from 99 games between Jun 2002 and Sep 2026. Overall England are 51-37 up.
Look closer and the formats disagree. Sri Lanka hold a 27-23 edge in ODIs, while England are 12-6 ahead in Tests and 16-4 in T20Is. Cardiff hosted the most recent match on 17 Sep 2026, a 6-wicket England victory.
England vs Sri Lanka Stats in Each Format
Since Dec 2003 there have been 25 Tests: England 12, Sri Lanka 6, and 7 drawn. England strung together seven wins in succession from Nov 2018 to Aug 2024, opening with a three-nil sweep in Sri Lanka. That sequence ended at The Oval on 6 Sep 2024, where Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets in the last Test on record.
One-day cricket is the only format where Sri Lanka have the upper hand, 27 victories against 23 in 54 ODIs, with a tie and 3 no results as well. The fixture’s most frequent host is the R Premadasa Stadium: 12 games in Colombo, and an 8-4 Sri Lankan advantage. England did take the two most recent ODIs on that ground in Jan 2026.
The shortest format is England’s. They have 16 wins in 20 T20Is since Jun 2006, and Sri Lanka’s 4 victories all came before the English run of 14 straight wins began.
England vs Sri Lanka Head to Head Record by Format
Format
Matches
England won
Sri Lanka won
Tied
Drawn
NR
First match
Latest match
Tests
25
12
6
0
7
0
18 Dec 2003
6 Sep 2024
ODIs
54
23
27
1
–
3
27 Jun 2002
27 Jan 2026
T20Is
20
16
4
0
–
0
15 Jun 2006
17 Sep 2026
All formats
99
51
37
1
7
3
27 Jun 2002
17 Sep 2026
England vs Sri Lanka in Tests
Tests in this record book: 25, from Dec 2003 to Sep 2024.
Most Runs in England vs Sri Lanka Tests
Batter
M
Inns
Runs
HS
Avg
SR
100s
50s
DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka
14
25
1,469
213*
61.21
48.72
6
5
JE Root England
13
24
1,376
228
62.55
64.15
6
2
AN Cook England
16
28
1,290
133
53.75
45.94
3
7
AD Mathews Sri Lanka
14
27
1,128
160
43.38
49.56
3
7
KC Sangakkara Sri Lanka
14
25
1,114
152
44.56
47.69
3
6
KP Pietersen England
11
19
874
158
51.41
69.98
3
2
IR Bell England
10
17
812
119*
58.00
57.18
2
8
TM Dilshan Sri Lanka
9
15
675
193
45.00
61.59
1
5
JM Bairstow England
6
10
651
167*
81.38
62.66
3
0
FDM Karunaratne Sri Lanka
11
22
620
83
29.52
51.37
0
5
Most Wickets in England vs Sri Lanka Tests
Bowler
M
Inns
Wkts
Best
Avg
Econ
5w
JM Anderson England
14
26
58
6/40
22.19
2.68
5
M Muralitharan Sri Lanka
7
13
50
8/70
18.38
2.29
4
HMRKB Herath Sri Lanka
11
19
43
6/74
33.28
2.88
3
SCJ Broad England
12
23
33
4/21
36.67
2.92
0
GP Swann England
5
10
28
6/82
22.79
2.84
2
MJ Leach England
5
10
28
5/83
26.43
2.92
2
MDK Perera Sri Lanka
5
10
27
5/75
29.44
3.03
2
MM Ali England
8
15
23
4/66
34.87
3.56
0
MJ Hoggard England
5
9
22
4/27
26.09
2.87
0
LE Plunkett England
5
10
22
5/64
28.59
3.35
1
Highest individual scores
Batter
Score
Balls
4s
6s
Date
JE Root England
228
321
18
1
14 Jan 2021
DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka
213*
411
25
0
18 Dec 2007
IJL Trott England
203
409
17
0
26 May 2011
JE Root England
200*
298
17
0
12 Jun 2014
DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka
195
422
16
1
9 Dec 2007
Best bowling in an innings
Bowler
Figures
Overs
Date
M Muralitharan Sri Lanka
8/70
30.1
2 Jun 2006
L Embuldeniya Sri Lanka
7/137
42
22 Jan 2021
JM Anderson England
6/40
29
22 Jan 2021
CT Tremlett England
6/48
20
16 Jun 2011
M Muralitharan Sri Lanka
6/55
35
1 Dec 2007
Highest team totals
Team
Total
Overs
Against
Venue
Date
Sri Lanka
628/8
181.5
England
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
18 Dec 2003
England
575/9
130.3
Sri Lanka
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
12 Jun 2014
England
551/6
143
Sri Lanka
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
11 May 2006
Sri Lanka
548/9
186.4
England
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
9 Dec 2007
Sri Lanka
537/9
199
England
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
11 May 2006
Lowest all-out totals
Team
Total
Overs
Against
Venue
Date
England
81
30.5
Sri Lanka
Galle International Stadium, Galle
18 Dec 2007
Sri Lanka
82
24.4
England
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
26 May 2011
Sri Lanka
91
36.4
England
Headingley, Leeds
19 May 2016
Sri Lanka
101
43.3
England
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
27 May 2016
Sri Lanka
119
35.3
England
Headingley, Leeds
19 May 2016
Biggest wins
Result
Format
Venue
Date
Sri Lanka won by an innings and 215 runs
Test
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
18 Dec 2003
England won by an innings and 88 runs
Test
Headingley, Leeds
19 May 2016
England won by an innings and 14 runs
Test
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
26 May 2011
England won by 211 runs
Test
Galle International Stadium, Galle
6 Nov 2018
England won by 190 runs
Test
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
29 Aug 2024
Sri Lanka won by 134 runs
Test
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
2 Jun 2006
England won by 9 wickets
Test
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
27 May 2016
England won by 8 wickets
Test
P Sara Oval, Colombo
3 Apr 2012
Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
Test
The Oval, London
6 Sep 2024
Latest results
Date
Venue
Result
6 Sep 2024
The Oval, London
Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
29 Aug 2024
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
England won by 190 runs
21 Aug 2024
Old Trafford, Manchester
England won by 5 wickets
22 Jan 2021
Galle International Stadium, Galle
England won by 6 wickets
14 Jan 2021
Galle International Stadium, Galle
England won by 7 wickets
23 Nov 2018
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
England won by 42 runs
14 Nov 2018
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
England won by 57 runs
6 Nov 2018
Galle International Stadium, Galle
England won by 211 runs
9 Jun 2016
Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
Drawn
27 May 2016
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
England won by 9 wickets
England vs Sri Lanka in ODIs
ODIs in this record book: 54, from Jun 2002 to Jan 2026.
Most Runs in England vs Sri Lanka ODIs
Batter
M
Inns
Runs
HS
Avg
SR
100s
50s
KC Sangakkara Sri Lanka
34
34
1,520
134*
54.29
79.46
4
10
JE Root England
29
29
1,425
121
67.86
84.97
3
11
DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka
32
32
1,172
144
40.41
86.43
3
7
TM Dilshan Sri Lanka
30
30
896
108*
33.19
82.20
2
4
AD Mathews Sri Lanka
23
23
867
85*
51.00
83.69
0
7
EJG Morgan England
29
29
854
92
35.58
89.05
0
8
AN Cook England
22
22
809
119
40.45
75.05
1
4
ST Jayasuriya Sri Lanka
17
17
719
152
44.94
103.30
3
1
LD Chandimal Sri Lanka
18
18
702
105*
43.88
84.99
1
7
WU Tharanga Sri Lanka
15
15
659
120
50.69
81.56
3
3
Most wickets in ODIs
Bowler
M
Inns
Wkts
Best
Avg
Econ
5w
SL Malinga Sri Lanka
29
29
47
5/44
26.49
5.30
1
JM Anderson England
21
21
30
4/18
27.03
4.58
0
CR Woakes England
20
20
30
6/47
28.63
5.26
1
CRD Fernando Sri Lanka
12
12
26
6/27
20.65
5.32
1
CJ Jordan England
12
12
23
5/29
25.26
5.53
1
AU Rashid England
17
17
22
4/36
32.73
4.98
0
DJ Willey England
9
9
21
4/34
21.05
5.62
0
TM Dilshan Sri Lanka
23
23
21
3/37
34.43
4.97
0
RAS Lakmal Sri Lanka
13
13
19
4/30
28.21
5.92
0
WPUJC Vaas Sri Lanka
15
15
15
3/15
40.93
4.80
0
Highest individual scores
Batter
Score
Balls
4s
6s
Date
JJ Roy England
162
118
13
3
29 Jun 2016
ST Jayasuriya Sri Lanka
152
99
20
4
1 Jul 2006
DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka
144
150
15
0
1 Jul 2011
HDRL Thirimanne Sri Lanka
139*
143
13
2
1 Mar 2015
HC Brook England
136*
66
11
9
27 Jan 2026
Best bowling in an innings
Bowler
Figures
Overs
Date
CRD Fernando Sri Lanka
6/27
8
13 Oct 2007
CR Woakes England
6/47
8
10 Dec 2014
CJ Jordan England
5/29
8
28 May 2014
S Randiv Sri Lanka
5/42
10
9 Jul 2011
SL Malinga Sri Lanka
5/44
10
13 Oct 2018
Highest team totals
Team
Total
Overs
Against
Venue
Date
Sri Lanka
366/6
50
England
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
23 Oct 2018
England
357/3
50
Sri Lanka
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
27 Jan 2026
Sri Lanka
324/2
37.3
England
Headingley, Leeds
1 Jul 2006
England
324/7
50
Sri Lanka
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
2 Jul 2016
England
321/7
50
Sri Lanka
Headingley, Leeds
1 Jul 2006
Lowest all-out totals
Team
Total
Overs
Against
Venue
Date
Sri Lanka
67
24
England
Old Trafford, Manchester
28 May 2014
England
88
46.1
Sri Lanka
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
18 Nov 2003
England
99
26.1
Sri Lanka
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
25 May 2014
England
104
29.1
Sri Lanka
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
13 Oct 2007
Sri Lanka
121
27
England
The Oval, London
28 Jun 2011
Biggest wins
Result
Format
Venue
Date
Sri Lanka won by 157 runs
ODI
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
25 May 2014
England won by 122 runs
ODI
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
2 Jul 2016
Sri Lanka won by 119 runs
ODI
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
1 Oct 2007
Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets
ODI
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla
18 Nov 2003
Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets
ODI
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
26 Mar 2011
England won by 10 wickets
ODI
Old Trafford, Manchester
28 May 2014
Latest results
Date
Venue
Result
27 Jan 2026
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
England won by 53 runs
24 Jan 2026
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
England won by 5 wickets
22 Jan 2026
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sri Lanka won by 19 runs
26 Oct 2023
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4 Jul 2021
County Ground, Bristol
No result
1 Jul 2021
The Oval, London
England won by 8 wickets
29 Jun 2021
Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
England won by 5 wickets
21 Jun 2019
Headingley, Leeds
Sri Lanka won by 20 runs
23 Oct 2018
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Sri Lanka won by 219 runs (DLS)
20 Oct 2018
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
England won by 18 runs (DLS)
England vs Sri Lanka in T20Is
T20Is in this record book: 20, from Jun 2006 to Sep 2026.
Most Runs in England vs Sri Lanka T20Is
Batter
M
Inns
Runs
HS
Avg
SR
100s
50s
JC Buttler England
15
15
583
101*
53.00
146.48
1
4
EJG Morgan England
11
11
253
57
28.11
120.48
0
1
AD Hales England
6
6
236
116*
47.20
160.54
1
1
DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka
5
5
213
89
53.25
136.54
0
2
HC Brook England
7
7
211
114*
42.20
206.86
1
0
P Nissanka Sri Lanka
8
8
206
67
25.75
147.14
0
1
MD Shanaka Sri Lanka
14
14
203
50
14.50
102.01
0
1
AD Mathews Sri Lanka
6
6
194
73*
48.50
132.88
0
2
BKG Mendis Sri Lanka
10
10
193
39
19.30
124.52
0
0
NLTC Perera Sri Lanka
6
6
182
57
60.67
185.71
0
1
Most wickets in T20Is
Bowler
M
Inns
Wkts
Best
Avg
Econ
5w
AU Rashid England
14
14
19
3/11
14.89
5.82
0
CJ Jordan England
9
9
17
4/28
14.94
7.06
0
PVD Chameera Sri Lanka
9
9
15
5/24
19.27
8.46
1
LA Dawson England
7
7
14
3/27
14.07
7.30
0
SL Malinga Sri Lanka
7
7
13
5/31
14.85
7.15
1
SM Curran England
7
7
9
3/38
16.89
8.00
0
PWH de Silva Sri Lanka
9
9
9
3/21
30.44
8.06
0
WG Jacks England
5
5
8
3/14
12.25
6.53
0
KMDN Kulasekara Sri Lanka
4
4
7
4/32
15.43
7.20
0
J Overton England
6
6
7
2/17
16.71
8.16
0
Highest individual scores
Batter
Score
Balls
4s
6s
Date
AD Hales England
116*
64
11
6
27 Mar 2014
HC Brook England
114*
49
10
6
15 Sep 2026
JC Buttler England
101*
67
6
6
1 Nov 2021
DPMD Jayawardene Sri Lanka
89
51
11
3
27 Mar 2014
JC Buttler England
80
44
8
3
15 Sep 2026
Best bowling in an innings
Bowler
Figures
Overs
Date
PVD Chameera Sri Lanka
5/24
4
3 Feb 2026
SL Malinga Sri Lanka
5/31
4
1 Oct 2012
JG Bethell England
4/11
3.3
3 Feb 2026
PVD Chameera Sri Lanka
4/17
4
26 Jun 2021
JL Denly England
4/19
4
27 Oct 2018
Highest team totals
Team
Total
Overs
Against
Venue
Date
England
254/4
20
Sri Lanka
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
15 Sep 2026
England
190/4
19.2
Sri Lanka
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram
27 Mar 2014
Sri Lanka
189/4
20
England
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram
27 Mar 2014
Sri Lanka
189/5
20
England
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
1 Feb 2026
England
187/8
20
Sri Lanka
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
27 Oct 2018
Lowest all-out totals
Team
Total
Overs
Against
Venue
Date
Sri Lanka
91
18.5
England
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
26 Jun 2021
Sri Lanka
95
16.4
England
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
22 Feb 2026
Sri Lanka
116
19.3
England
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
3 Feb 2026
Sri Lanka
133
16.2
England
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
30 Jan 2026
Sri Lanka
135
19
England
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
15 Sep 2026
Biggest wins
Result
Format
Venue
Date
England won by 119 runs
T20I
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
15 Sep 2026
England won by 89 runs
T20I
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
26 Jun 2021
England won by 51 runs
T20I
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
22 Feb 2026
Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets
T20I
County Ground, Bristol
25 Jun 2011
England won by 8 wickets
T20I
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
5 Jul 2016
England won by 8 wickets
T20I
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
23 Jun 2021
Latest England vs Sri Lanka T20I Matches
Date
Venue
Result
17 Sep 2026
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
England won by 6 wickets
15 Sep 2026
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
England won by 119 runs
22 Feb 2026
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
England won by 51 runs
3 Feb 2026
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
England won by 12 runs
1 Feb 2026
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
England won by 6 wickets (DLS)
30 Jan 2026
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
England won by 11 runs (DLS)
5 Nov 2022
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
England won by 4 wickets
1 Nov 2021
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
England won by 26 runs
26 Jun 2021
The Rose Bowl, Southampton
England won by 89 runs
24 Jun 2021
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
England won by 5 wickets (DLS)
England vs Sri Lanka Players With Most Match Awards
In Tests, Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) tops the batting with 1,469 runs, averaging 61.21, and he collected 8 player of the match awards, a record for the rivalry. Joe Root (England) has 1,376 at a marginally better 62.55 plus the rivalry’s top Test knock, 228 in Galle during Jan 2021. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) heads the ODI table on 1,520, with Root second on 1,425.
The Test bowling list is headed by two bowlers with very different workloads. James Anderson (England) needed 14 Tests for his 58 wickets; Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) took 50 in just 7, including 8/70 in Jun 2006, the best figures of all. Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) sits first among one-day bowlers on 47.
Jos Buttler (England) has 583 T20I runs at 53.00, and Adil Rashid (England) 19 T20I wickets at 14.89. Harry Brook (England) smashed 114 not out from 49 deliveries at the Rose Bowl in Sep 2026 as England piled up 254/4 for a 119-run margin.
Toss, Chasing and Record Margins
Neither approach has a real edge. Of the ODIs with a winner, 26 went to the team that batted first and 24 to the chaser, around an opening innings of 253 on average, and the T20Is divide exactly 10 and 10. Calling right has paid off less than you might expect, with toss winners taking exactly half the decided ODIs (25), only 7 T20Is out of 20, and 8 Tests from 18 with a result.
Sri Lanka’s widest ODI win, 157 runs at Chester-le-Street in May 2014, was followed within days by their collapse to 67 at Old Trafford, the lowest total in the fixture. The biggest Test margin is Sri Lanka’s win by an innings and 215 runs in Colombo in Dec 2003, after they made 628/8. England’s low point is 81 all out at Galle in Dec 2007. Wider numbers live on the Sri Lankan side’s records page and the England team page.
Questions about England vs Sri Lanka
Does England or Sri Lanka have more wins in this rivalry?
England, 51 against 37 from the 99 games logged since Jun 2002. Tests favour England 12-6 and T20Is 16-4; Sri Lanka’s lone format advantage is 27-23 in ODIs.
Which batters have scored most runs in England vs Sri Lanka games?
Kumar Sangakkara in ODIs (1,520), Mahela Jayawardene in Tests (1,469) and Jos Buttler in T20Is (583). Joe Root is runner-up in Tests and ODIs alike.
What is the top score in an England vs Sri Lanka match?
Joe Root’s 228 at Galle on 14 Jan 2021 leads the Tests. Jason Roy made 162 at The Oval on 29 Jun 2016 for the best ODI score, and Alex Hales hit 116 not out at Chattogram in Mar 2014 for the T20I best.
When did Sri Lanka last beat England in a T20I?
Not at any point in England’s run of 14 straight wins. All 4 of Sri Lanka’s T20I wins in the data came earlier, including a 9-wicket win at Bristol in Jun 2011.
What was the most recent England vs Sri Lanka game?
A T20I at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on 17 Sep 2026, which England took by 6 wickets. The latest Test, at The Oval from 6 Sep 2024, was Sri Lanka’s by 8 wickets.