BBC Radio 5 Live set for England v Sri Lanka T20 as Stephan Shemilt covers Old Trafford clash

Match date: 19 September 2026

England v Sri Lanka in the third Twenty20 International at Emirates Old Trafford on Saturday, 19 September 2026 is scheduled for a 14:30 BST start, with BBC Radio 5 Live listed for coverage and Stephan Shemilt reporting from the match.[1][9][11][19]

The fixture arrives after England have already taken control of the three-match series, winning the first T20 by 119 runs in Southampton and the second by six wickets in Cardiff to seal the contest with a match to spare.[2][4][5][7][10] That makes the Manchester game less about the result and more about England’s final chance to fine-tune combinations before the next phase of their white-ball calendar.[2][7][10]

Stephan Shemilt is one of the BBC’s most familiar cricket journalists, regularly fronting coverage of England internationals across digital and broadcast platforms.[2][10][19] His presence on radio underlines how the BBC continues to play a central role in cricket coverage even when live television rights sit elsewhere.[2][15][17]

For British listeners, the key takeaway is straightforward: BBC Radio 5 Live is the named outlet in the information provided, while the match is also part of the BBC Sport fixtures and live-coverage ecosystem for this tour.[2][9][19] The BBC’s live score and fixtures pages confirm the Manchester fixture, and its coverage of the series has already tracked England’s heavy win in the opener and series-clinching success in Cardiff.[5][9][10][19]

In cricketing terms, the series has been dominated by England’s batting depth and attacking intent. Harry Brook struck an unbeaten 114 in the opener, while Jos Buttler continued his prolific T20 record with a major contribution in the same match and later became the first batsman to reach 15,000 career T20 runs in the Cardiff game.[4][7] Reuters reported that England posted 254-4 in Southampton before bowling Sri Lanka out for 135, while the second match ended with England chasing down 146 with ease.[4][7]

Brook’s rise to the captaincy and his continued preference for fearless strokeplay have been a defining theme of the tour.[3][4] Buttler, meanwhile, remains one of England’s most established white-ball figures, and his landmark T20 milestone in Cardiff reinforced his status as one of the format’s modern greats.[7] England’s combination of experienced power and emerging pace options, including Sonny Baker in the first match and Liam Dawson in the second, has given the hosts complete control.[4][7]

The match is being staged at Old Trafford, a ground with a long international history and one of the most recognisable venues in English cricket.[1][11][13] ESPN’s match details list the game as the 3rd T20I of the Sri Lanka tour of England and confirm the scheduled local start time of 14:30.[11][13]

For viewers outside the UK, broadcast rights differ by territory. In India, the series is being carried by the Sony Sports Network with streaming on SonyLIV, while in South Africa the rights are listed with SuperSport.[17][18] That makes the Old Trafford fixture accessible across major cricket markets even though the UK radio audience will be following through BBC Radio 5 Live and Stephan Shemilt’s reporting.[17][18]

Sri Lanka will be hoping for a much tighter showing in Manchester after being outplayed in both completed matches so far.[4][7] England, by contrast, will be looking to preserve their momentum and give more game time to players who may be important in future limited-overs series.[2][7][10]

For more on the venue, see Emirates Old Trafford.

Article generated: 19 September 2026, 14:31 GMT