Photo: Collected
England have clinched the three-match T20 series with a match to spare by beating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. In the second T20 at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday, the hosts chased down a target of 146 runs in just 12.1 overs. The hero of the win was Tom Banton, who played an unbeaten innings of 52 runs off just 24 balls.
England won the toss and sent Sri Lanka in to bat first. The Lankans got a good start; Lahiru Udara and Pathum Nissanka put on 56 runs for the opening stand. Udara departed after scoring 21 off 20 balls.
Kamil Mishara, coming in at three, was out for zero off the very first ball (a golden duck), he too departing in the same over. Sri Lanka scored 56 runs for 2 wickets in the 6 overs of the powerplay. Nissanka, who held up one end, was on course for a fifty but could not reach it; he departed after scoring 37 off 21 balls. With his dismissal, the team’s scoring rate dropped. Captain Charith Asalanka stayed at the crease for a long time but did not get a big score, making 31 off 31 balls. Kamindu Mendis made 12 off 8 balls. Wanindu Hasaranga took charge towards the end, departing after playing a cameo of 27 runs off 22 balls. Sri Lanka scored 145 runs for 9 wickets in the allotted 20 overs.
For England, Liam Dawson took 3 wickets. Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer took 2 each, while Adil Rashid and Sonny Baker took 1 wicket each. In reply, England moved ahead on the bats of Jos Buttler and Aneurin Donald. The two openers batted aggressively from the start; the opening stand yielded 51 runs. Donald was out after scoring 21 off 13 balls.
Although Buttler scored runs with aggressive batting, he was stopped before the end of the powerplay; he departed after playing a stormy innings of 30 runs off 15 balls. England scored 60 runs for 2 wickets in the 6 overs of the powerplay. Coming in at three, captain Harry Brook also raised a storm, departing after playing a tornado innings of 23 runs off 8 balls. Jordan Cox and Tom Banton then built a partnership. Holding one end, Banton kept hitting boundary after boundary, while Cox gave him company at the other end.
England gradually moved towards victory. Right at the end, Cox was out after scoring 12 off 7 balls. Will Jacks then joined Banton; together the two took the team to the shore of victory. In the meantime, Banton completed his fifty.
Tom Banton remained unbeaten to the end on 52 off 24 balls, while Jacks remained unbeaten on 3 off 6 balls. England secured a 6-wicket win with 47 balls in hand.
For Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga and Tharindu Ratnayake took 1 wicket each.
With this win, England went 2-0 up in the three-match series. The third and final T20 of the series is on 19 September.
