Sam Curran became the second England bowler to take a hat-trick in men's T20 internationals as his side beat Sri Lanka by 11 runs on DLS in a rain-reduced series opener in Pallekele.
Curran (3-38), whose first two overs in the 17-over-a-side contest had been collared for a combined 35 runs, had Dasun Shanaka (20 off 16) and Maheesh Theekshana (0) caught off successive balls before then bowling Matheesha Pathirana (0).
The 27-year-old's hat-trick, which came in the 16th over of the innings, matched the feat of Surrey team-mate Chris Jordan, who claimed three wickets in three balls for England during a match against USA in Barbados during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka plummeted from 129-6 to 129-9 during Curran's burst and were then rolled for 133 two balls later when Jamie Overton (2-17) polished off the innings by cleaning up Wanindu Hasaranga (14), with the hosts imploding from 76-1 after seven overs.
Sri Lanka lost five wickets in as many overs, all to the spin of Adil Rashid (3-19) or Liam Dawson (2-31), once Pathum Nissanka (23 off 20) - who looted 52 off 28 balls with Kusal Mendis (37 off 20) for the second wicket - top-edged Rashid behind to Jos Buttler on the England wicketkeeper's record-equalling 401st appearance for his country across the formats, matching James Anderson's tally of matches.
The home side were left to rue that slump and also dropping Phil Salt (46 off 35) on 17 in the chase - Kamil Mishara with a shocking blunder at deep midwicket - as England reached 125-4 from 15 overs before a match-ending downpour, with Tom Banton having muscled 29 from 15 balls, Buttler 17 off 10 and Harry Brook 16no off 18.
Salt and opening partner Buttler clubbed 37 runs in 2.5 overs before the latter was bowled by Eshan Malinga (2-24) having just clobbered four consecutive boundaries, with Malinga also accounting for Jacob Bethell (9 off 11), caught at cover.
England will now look to wrap up a series win with victory in Sunday's second T20 ahead of the final game on Tuesday, before both sides turn their attention to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka from February 7, a tournament live on Your Site.
England's first game is against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday February 8 (9.30am UK), with Sri Lanka opening up against Ireland later the same day in Colombo (1.30pm).
Sri Lanka will need to bat better than they did against England on Friday if they are to go deep at the World Cup, with the hosts wilting after Nissanka - who survived early in his innings when Dawson thudded a ball onto his leg stump but the bail stayed on - Mishara (16 off 9) and Mendis fell following a riotous start.
Curran bowled the first over of the game after England inserted their hosts and was flogged for 15 runs and a leg bye, while his second over - the seventh of the evening - was nailed for 20 prior to Sri Lanka's middle-over implosion looking to slog spin.
The left-arm seamer then ripped through the tail after dismissing home captain Shanaka, paving the way for England to complete victory in the chase.
Salt creamed Theekshana for six first ball and then followed that with successive fours, while Buttler went on a boundary blitz in the third over before falling to Malinga's dipping slower ball, with Sri Lanka's new-ball bowling largely off-line.
Salt missed out on a half-century when he holed out off Shanaka (1-12) at long-on, while Banton was well caught at cover by Charith Asalanka off Pathirana (1-18).
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