England and Sri Lanka have shared a competitive rivalry in international cricket, particularly in Test matches and ICC tournaments. While England has traditionally dominated at home, Sri Lanka has produced several memorable performances, especially in subcontinent conditions and global events.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the England vs Sri Lanka head-to-head record across all formats, including venue-wise trends, top performers, and recent form.
Overall Head-to-Head Record
| Format | Matches Played | England Won | Sri Lanka Won | Draw | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 39 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 79 | 38 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| T20Is | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
England hold a clear advantage in Test matches, while the ODI and T20I records show a much more closely fought contest between the two sides.
Format-Wise Records
Test Matches
| Format | Matches Played | England Won | Sri Lanka Won | Draw | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 39 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
England and Sri Lanka have played a total of 39 Test matches against each other. Sri Lanka has won nine out of these 39 Test matches, while England has won 19 games. A total of 11 matches have ended in a draw.
ODIs
| Format | Matches Played | England Won | Sri Lanka Won | Draw | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 79 | 38 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
England and Sri Lanka played their first ODI game back in 1982. Since then, the two teams have played a total of 79 matches. Sri Lanka has won 37 matches, while England has won 38 games. Three matches ended in a no result, while one match ended in a tie.
T20Is
| Format | Matches Played | England Won | Sri Lanka Won | Draw | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20Is | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
England has dominated Sri Lanka in T20Is by a long mile and has won 10 out of 14 matches. Sri Lanka has won the remaining four matches. They last won a game against England in 2014.
Venue-Wise Record
Matches in England
| Format | Matches Played | England Won | Sri Lanka Won | Draw | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 35 | 18 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| T20Is | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
England has dominated Sri Lanka at their home in Test matches with 10 wins in 21 matches. In ODIs, both teams have an equal record in England. England has won 18 out of 35 matches, while Sri Lanka has won 14 matches. Just like ODIs, both teams have a similar record in T20Is. In seven games, England has won four, while Sri Lanka has won three matches.
Matches in Sri Lanka
| Format | Matches Played | England Won | Sri Lanka Won | Draw | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 26 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| T20Is | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In Sri Lanka, England has won nine out of 18 Test matches. Sri Lanka has won five games, while four matches have ended in a draw. In ODIs, Sri Lanka has dominated with 16 wins in 26 matches. In T20Is, both teams have won one game each.
Neutral Venues
| Format | Matches Played | England Won | Sri Lanka Won | Draw | Tie | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODIs | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The two teams have not played a Test match at any neutral venue. In ODIs, England has won 11 out of 18 matches against Sri Lanka. In T20Is, England has won all five matches against Sri Lanka.
Biggest Wins & Memorable Matches
- 2014 Headingley Test: Sri Lanka won the Headingley Test by 100 runs and secured their first Test series win in England.
- 1996 World Cup Quarter-Final Match: Sri Lanka chased down a target of 236 runs in 40.4 overs and won the match by five wickets.
- 2019 World Cup: Sri Lanka defeated the eventual world champions by 20 runs.
- 2023 World Cup: Sri Lanka upset England during the league phase with an eight-wicket win.
Recent Form Comparison
- 6 September 2024 – Sri Lanka won by eight wickets at The Oval after chasing down the target of 219 runs.
- 29 August 2024 – England won by 190 runs at Lord’s. Joe Root made a century in the first innings.
- 21 August 2024 – England chased down a target of 205 runs in the fourth innings and won by eight wickets at Old Trafford.
- 26 October 2023 – England got bundled out for 156 runs in the World Cup. Sri Lanka had a comfortable win by eight wickets in 25.4 overs.
- 5 November 2022 – England won the group stage game at the T20 World Cup by four wickets.
Key Players From Both Teams
England
- Joe Root has been the leading run-scorer for England across three formats against Sri Lanka. He has made 2584 runs at an average of 60.09 in 44 games and has hit eight centuries and 11 half-centuries.
- James Anderson has been one key bowler for England against Sri Lanka across formats. He played 38 matches for England against Sri Lanka and finished with 92 wickets to his name at an average of 23.95.
Sri Lanka
- Pathum Nissanka has been the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka against England across three formats since 2020. He has made 378 runs in eight games at an average of 47.25. Nissanka has hit one century and eight half-centuries against England.
- Asitha Fernando has picked up 19 wickets in seven matches against England since 2020. He is the leading wicket-taker for Sri Lanka during this time.
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What History Suggests
England has a great record against Sri Lanka in all formats at their home and in Sri Lanka. Tests and T20Is are the formats where England has been ruthless against Sri Lanka. However, in ODIs, both teams have an identical record. In ODI World Cups, both teams have won six matches each against each other. Since 2007, Sri Lanka has defeated England in all editions of the World Cup. England last won a game in the ODI World Cup against Sri Lanka during the 1999 edition.
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