England beat Lanka to clinch series, pacer Malinga likely to miss T20 WC

Tom Banton’s unbeaten half-century and Harry Brook’s explosive knock steered England to a series-winning six-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in a rain-affected Twenty20 clash on Sunday less than a week before the start of T20 World Cup.

Put in to bat first, Sri Lanka posted 189-5, and England faced an adjusted target of 168 in 17 overs after rain held up the match for almost an hour. The visitors won with two balls to spare, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

“It was an outstanding performance. We are gearing up well for the World Cup and couldn’t have asked anything better from the lads,” said England captain Harry Brook.

“Our batting looks good and so is our bowling, especially the spin department as we know spin will be a key factor playing in this part of the world.”

Opener Pathum Nissanka (34 off 22) got Sri Lanka off to a fast start until Jofra Archer (2-42) bowled him, but Kusal Mendis (32 off 17) and Pavan Rathnayake (40 off 22) ensured that the hosts got to a competitive total.

Pacer Matheesha Pathirana (2-47) dismissed England opener Phil Salt in the first over and Jacob Bethell (13) fell to Dasun Shanaka in the fifth over, leaving the twice T20 World Cup winners struggling at 38-2 as Sri Lanka smelled a chance to bounce back after Friday’s loss.

But Banton, in at four, led the charge with captain Brook as England scored double digits in seven overs straight. Brook hit two boundaries and four sixes to score 36 off just 12 balls before he got caught trying to scoop a short delivery over the wicketkeeper’s head.

Banton hit three sixes and four boundaries to score 54 off 33 balls in a player-of-the-match performance, as Sam Curran cleared the long-on boundary to pick up the winning runs, taking England to 173-4.

Sri Lanka’s struggles against spin were exposed in the first T20I, but Rathnayake addressed that Achilles’ heel with nimble footwork and smart placement, offering a glimpse of promise amid familiar concerns.

“Happy with the way we batted and Pavan Rathnayake was very impressive today. I don’t think we finished off well, but we have learned our lessons and we will keep fighting,” Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka said.

Tuesday’s third T20I will now be a dead rubber. England had also clinched the ODI series in Colombo last week with a come from behind win.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka fast bowler Eshan Malinga looks set to miss this month’s Twenty20 World Cup on ⁠home soil after dislocating his shoulder during Sunday’s match against England, the country’s cricket board said on Monday. The 24-year-old, who has taken eight wickets in eight T20 matches for Sri Lanka, suffered the injury during his second over on Sunday, and was unable to continue as England won the 20-over match by six wickets to secure a series win in Kandy.

“Malinga suffered a shoulder dislocation while bowling... he will undergo an MRI scan to assess the extent of the injury and determine the next course of action,” Sri Lanka Cricket posted on Instagram.

Sri Lanka will conclude the series with England on Tuesday, before starting their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland in Colombo on Sunday.

Agencies