[Banton Power Storms to End England’s Series Triumph]
England 355 for 7 (Banton 126, Brook 77, Cox 76) beat Sri Lanka 132 (Mendis 35, Dawson 3-26) by 223 runs
Tom Banton thumped a maiden ODI hundred, Harry Brook motored to 77, and Jordan Cox took the death overs by the collar with his 76 off 52. Up against a target of 356, Sri Lanka promptly rolled out one of their abject collapses, which have been routine on this tour. They nosedived early and nosedived hard, slipping from 53 for 3 to 77 for 5 to 132 all out inside 30 overs. Only one batter made more than 20.The margin of England’s victory was 223 runs, and they now claim the ODI series 2-1, having already trounced Sri Lanka in the T20Is. Sri Lanka lost all but one of the six internationals on tour.
The centrepiece of England’s batting was a 150-run third wicket stand between Banton and Brook that came off 117 deliveries, with both batters launching repeated, successful assaults through the middle of the innings. Cox, arriving at 218 for 3 after 34.4 overs, merely continued the plunder, with plenty of England batters on hand, and Sri Lanka’s bowlers rarely able to string two quiet overs together in the back half of the innings. All five of their main bowlers traveled at more than 6.8 runs an over.
England made 108 for 2 off the first 25 overs, Banton and Brook biding their time, before exploding from overs 25 to 34 – the final overs which both balls are available (after the 34th over the fielding team picks just one of those balls to continue with, and that older ball becomes softer, and more difficult to hit, or so the theory goes). Across the whole second half of their innings, they reaped 247 runs – a scoring rate of nearly 10 an over.
In response to this mammoth score on an Oval surface offering a little turn, and a little movement for the quicks, Sri Lanka’s top order succumbed with extraordinary meekness. Only Kusal Mendis showed even a modicum of spunk, hitting three sixes and two fours in his 35. It was all about England’s bowlers though – Gus McGrath and Sonny Baker took down Sri Lanka’s top three, before the spinners hauled in their own wickets, Liam Dawson claiming 3 for 26 with his slow left-arm.
Sonny Baker struck second ball for his maiden ODI wicket•Philip Brown/Getty Images
The scene had started when Banton and Brook set the tone. Banton opened with rapid authority, hitting multiple boundaries within the powerplay and accumulating fours by the end, setting a formidable atmosphere. Brook followed closely, initially struggling but quickly escalating his strike rate, particularly against spin, while also pulling apart Dilshan Madushanka with two sixes and a four. This was indeed Brook’s best performance in ODIs this season, building upon his 73 from the previous encounter in Leeds, pushing past 70 for a distance.
By Brook’s third wicket, England had established a towering platform. His 77 came in as he chased Mahinda Daharana’s run, and before England secured the victory target of 356, Sri Lanka’s collapse became inevitable—one of several unfortunate turns this tournament has presented to them on this circuit. The island nation fell deep early, retreating steadily until they reached the low nineties, eventually tucking away inside three wickets with one man out.
Prior to England tightening the screws, Banton and Brook orchestrated a sublime third-wicket partnership. Their 150-run anchor remained resolute across 117 deliveries as each unleashed sharp attack, penetrating the pitch effectively. Cox emerged later, climbing steadily from near 100 to reach a comfortable 218 after 34.4 overs. With several English specialists still in play, he executed the closing phase masterfully, excelling particularly on the leg side with powerful strikes—both hooking sixes and collecting half of his marks off fours delivered there. It marked his first fifty in an ODI and displayed remarkable flair throughout these decisive overs, notably hitting a reverse scoop for four off Eshan Malinga as the finish approached.
Sri Lanka exhibited dreadful composure. Beyond consigning Brook and Jacob Liyanage, Dhulwal Singh dropped Wasis Majeed on three runs. Then Jamie Overton languished at a disappointing tally, ultimately producing 21 not out after fourteen deliveries. Minor miscues toward the ambush came from Joe Root himself; caught against a loose delivery by winger Pathum Nissanka in gully, he later dismissed against Liyanage after three more runs from fifteen balls—a brief rally wasted entirely because bowlers created insufficient opportunities and fielders offered minimal conversion.
While Asitha Fernando posed dangerous challenges to Cox and Dawson in his final spell, taking three for sixty-four from nine overs, and Philip Brown anchored at 2 for 71, Sri Lanka’s interior attack proved woefully deficient. Issues persisted with both sides—if anything, bowlers offered inadequate swing and spin control, delivering too few attractive targets, while field placement failed to capitalize on potential gains.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at Cricinfo. @afidelf
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