ENG vs SL: Tom Banton produced a sensational maiden ODI century as England crushed Sri Lanka by 223 runs in the third and final ODI at The Oval, clinching the three-match series 2-1 with a dominant all-round performance.
England, after winning the toss and opting to bat, posted a formidable 355/7 in 50 overs. Their innings got off to a poor start when Ben Duckett was dismissed for a duck in the second over, while Joe Root struggled for fluency before falling for 18 off 37 balls.
Banton, however, anchored the innings brilliantly before shifting gears. The opener smashed 126 off 105 balls, striking 16 fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 120. He found an excellent partner in Harry Brook, with the pair adding 150 runs for the third wicket.
Brook continued his impressive white-ball form with a fluent 77 off 66 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. Jordan Cox then provided the late acceleration, hammering 76 from just 52 deliveries with six fours and two sixes. Jamie Overton’s unbeaten 21 off 14 balls helped England finish with a daunting total.
Sri Lanka’s chase unravelled almost immediately. Pathum Nissanka departed for one, and although Kusal Mendis briefly counter-attacked with 35 off 26 balls, wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
Sri Lanka slipped from 36/1 to 82/6, with England’s bowlers exploiting the pressure created by the massive target. Pavan Rathnayake made 18, but there was little resistance from the lower order. The visitors were eventually bowled out for just 132 in 29.1 overs.
Liam Dawson was the pick of England’s attack with 3/17, while Gus Atkinson claimed 2/26. Asitha Fernando had earlier taken three wickets for Sri Lanka but conceded 64 runs.
The emphatic victory sealed England’s 2-1 series triumph, while Banton’s 126 earned him Player of the Match honours. Will Jacks was named Player of the Series after contributing 147 runs and nine wickets across the series.
Brief score: England 355/7 (Banton 126, Brook 77, Cox 76; Fernando 3/64) beat Sri Lanka 132 (Kusal Mendis 35; Dawson 3/17, Atkinson 2/26) by 223 runs.
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