England vs Sri Lanka went to a deciding match at The Oval on Sunday, and it turned out to be the most one sided game of the series. Tom Banton made his maiden ODI hundred, England piled up 355 for 7, and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 132 in 29.1 overs. England won by 223 runs and took the three match series 2-1.
Banton was named player of the match for his 126 off 105 balls. Will Jacks was player of the series with 123 runs and six wickets across the three games.
Banton finally gets his ODI hundred
It didn’t start smoothly. Ben Duckett was bowled by Dilshan Madushanka for a five ball duck in the second over after England chose to bat, and Joe Root spent 37 balls over 18 before he was lbw to Janith Liyanage, a decision Sri Lanka won on review. England were 68 for 2 in the 16th over.
Banton survived a Sri Lankan review of his own in the 25th over and took over from there. He reached fifty off 51 balls and his hundred off 95, and in all he hit 16 fours and 5 sixes before holing out to Sachindu Colombage in the 38th over. With captain Harry Brook (77 off 66) he added 150 for the third wicket.
Jordan Cox and the late charge
Jordan Cox, keeping wicket, made 76 off 52 balls, and a 68 run stand with Jamie Overton (21 not out off 14) in the closing overs lifted England past 350. Asitha Fernando took 3 for 64, removing Brook, Cox and Liam Dawson, the last two with the final two balls of the innings.
How the England vs Sri Lanka decider fell apart for the visitors
Needing 356, Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka to Sonny Baker in the second over. Kusal Mendis struck three sixes in a brisk 35 off 26 before Gus Atkinson had him caught by Banton, and from 77 for 3 they lost three wickets for five runs, including Pavan Rathnayake run out by Jofra Archer.
Spin finished the job. Liam Dawson took 3 for 26 from eight overs, and Jacks wrapped it up when Eshan Malinga was caught by Root. Atkinson took 2 for 26, while Baker, Overton and Root chipped in with a wicket each.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 139 led India to victory in the first ODI against West Indies.
