England won the three-match series with a thrilling six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a rain-hit SL vs ENG match. Thanks to an unbeaten 54 off 33 deliveries by Tom Banton and a scintillating cameo by Harry Brook, England chased a revised target of 168 with two balls to spare, taking an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.
Sri Lanka Start Strong After Being Sent In
Sri Lanka, batting first, started off aggressively in the SL vs ENG match. Pathum Nissanka started off the innings aggressively, hitting three boundaries in the first over. He continued to attack Jofra Archer, who was hit for sixes by both openers.
Although the English spinners momentarily held back the Sri Lankan batsmen, Archer struck back towards the end of the power play, sending back Nissanka with a delivery that deflected onto the stumps.
Middle-Order Blitz Pushes Sri Lanka Forward
Sri Lanka continued to move ahead in the middle overs with a brisk partnership between Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake. The pair focused on England’s pace attack, especially Archer and Jamie Overton, to keep the run rate high.
But England staged a strong comeback with Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid, who caused a mini-collapse, leaving Sri Lanka at 131 for 4 in the 14th over.
Late Push Takes Sri Lanka to 189
Rathnayake gave a late boost to the team by launching an attack on Sam Curran in the death overs, but the absence of runs from the other end restricted the acceleration of Sri Lanka. They finally managed to put up a competitive total of 189/5 in the rain-hit SL vs ENG encounter.
Buttler and Bethell Give England Fast Start in Chase
England began their chase with a fast start as Jos Buttler struck four boundaries in the first ten overs. Even after losing Phil Salt early, England did not let their pressure ease off the Sri Lankan team, with Jacob Bethell continuing the aggressive play. But Sri Lanka regrouped well in the second half of the powerplay, restricting England to 51 runs in that phase.
Rain Break Adds Drama to SL vs ENG Contest
Rain interrupted play when they were 57 for 2 in 7.2 overs, 12 runs short of the par score. This resulted in a delay of over an hour, during which three overs were lost. This increased the tension when play resumed.
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Banton and Brook Turn the Match on Its Head
However, after the restart, England came back with renewed purpose. Buttler did not last long, edging a Dunith Wellalage delivery, but Tom Banton took charge of the pursuit. He was accompanied by Harry Brook, who unleashed a ferocious attack on Matheesha Pathirana, hitting three sixes. Harry Brook’s blistering 36 off only 12 balls turned the tides firmly in England’s favor in the SL vs ENG match.
Hasaranga Taken Apart as England Take Control
In a season where spinners generally performed well, Wanindu Hasaranga had a bad day, conceding 44 runs. A very important 14th over, which featured three boundaries, helped England cross the required pace and turn the tide in their favor.
Calm Finish Seals England’s Victory
Sri Lanka fought back towards the end with Dasun Shanaka and Pathirana, taking the game to the final over. However, with only three runs required, there was no scope for error. Sam Curran finished the game in style, hitting a length ball over long-on for a six.
SL vs ENG: Match Summary
Sri Lanka: 189/5 in 20 overs
(Pavan Rathnayake 40, Kamil Mishara 36; Jofra Archer 2/42)
England: 173/4 in 16.4 overs
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(Tom Banton 54, Harry Brook 36; Matheesha Pathirana 2/47)
Result: England won by 6 wickets
Series: England lead 2-0
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