England secured a T20 series victory over Sri Lanka with a straightforward six-wicket win in Cardiff.
After Tuesday’s 119-run victory romp in Southampton, this was another one-sided contest as England hunted down Sri Lanka’s 145-9 in brutal fashion.
Tom Banton top-scored with an unbeaten 52 from 24 balls – his power hitting producing two fours and four sixes – as England coasted home with 7.5 overs to spare and claim a 14th consecutive T20 win over Sri Lanka.
England now have an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of Saturday’s third rubber at Old Trafford.
Sri Lanka failed to build on a flying start that saw them reach 56 without loss in the powerplay. The innings fell away badly as England got on top, with Liam Dawson the pick of the bowlers with 3-32.
Jamie Overton took 2-23, and Sonny Baker’s variety earned him the economical figures of 1-15 from his four overs.
The suspicion was that Sri Lanka’s total was well below par and so it proved as England hit 10 sixes to their opponents’ two.
Openers Aneurin Donald and Jos Buttler put on a quickfire 50 before the former chipped Eshan Malinga to mid-on for 21.
Buttler’s cameo saw become the first player in to reach 15,000 T20 runs, but he mishit Dushmantha Chameera as his explosive 16-ball effort came to an end on 30.
Harry Brook was in the mood to repeat his brutal 114 not out the south coast, dispatching three sixes off Wanindu Hasaranga.
Although Brook departed for 23 to a sprawling catch in the deep and Jordan Cox went for 12, Banton steered England home with his fifth, and fastest, international T20 fifty.
England made one change to their line-up with Jofra Archer replacing Josh Tongue. It allowed Derbyshire’s Welsh batter Donald to win his second cap on home soil – the first Glamorgan product to feature for England since Simon Jones in 2005.
Ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake was handed his first cap by Sri Lanka after their Southampton hiding, which saw them bowled out for 135 after slumping to 34-5 in the powerplay.
They made a better fist of it in Cardiff as Pathum Nissanka and Lahiru Udara went on the attack on a wicket that had both pace and bounce.
Boundaries came thick and fast as Archer went for 23 runs in two overs and Will Jacks conceded 17 in his first.
The brake was applied by Dawson as Udara tried to launch him over long-on. Udara’s shot might have beaten a taller man, but the 6ft 5in Overton took a good catch above his head.
Kamil Mishara then sent his first ball straight back to Dawson, and Asalanka had to defend a hat-trick ball from the Hampshire spinner.
Sri Lanka were 56-2 at the end of the powerplay, but it was Dawson’s introduction that proved crucial as the scoring rate dipped.
Nissanka bowed to the pressure by pulling Overton to Brook at mid-on, the opener having hit four fours and a six in his 21-ball 37.
Sri Lanka’s slide continued as Kamindu Mendis chopped on to Overton for eight. Dasun Shanaka was dropped on one by the diving Donald in the deep, but the home favourite made no mistake moments later as Dawson collected his third wicket to leave Sri Lanka 95-5.
Dawson was punished in his final over with 18 runs given up, as Asalanka pressed the accelerator to give Sri Lanka.
But Asalanka went for a run-a-ball 31 by finding Overton on the long-on boundary off Adil Rashid, and England finished strongly.
Baker grabbed the wicket he deserved as Dawson took a steepling catch to end the resistance of Hasaranga, who made 27 from 22 balls. Archer bagged a couple of wickets in the final over as Sri Lanka’s tail failed to wag.
