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Banton's Blitz Powers England to Series Win Over Sri Lanka in Rain-Hit T20I

England secured the T20I series with a 2-0 lead after a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka via the DLS method. Tom Banton anchored the chase with a brilliant 54, supported by a explosive 36 from Harry Brook. Sri Lanka posted 189/5, boosted by Pavan Rathnayake's 40, but Jofra Archer's bowling and England's batting depth proved decisive. The teams will now play a final dead rubber before focusing on the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Key Points: England Clinch T20I Series vs Sri Lanka with DLS Victory

  • England chase 169 via DLS
  • Tom Banton scores 54 off 33
  • Harry Brook blasts 36 off 12
  • Jofra Archer takes 2 wickets
  • Series win ahead of T20 World Cup
2 min read

Banton's brilliance guides England to 6-wicket win over Sri Lanka as Brook & co. take 2-0 unassailable lead

Tom Banton's 54 and Harry Brook's cameo guide England to a 6-wicket win, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

"Banton's finishing cameo of 20 runs off 14 balls sealed the win for the Three Lions with two balls to spare. - Match Report"

Pallekele Februar, y 2

England secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, chasing down a revised target of 169 in the rain-affected second T20I. The series win comes after England's 2-1 win against Sri Lanka in the ODI series earlier.

In a rain-interrupted match, Tom Banton's 33-ball 54 and Harry Brook's 12-ball 36, along with contributions from Jos Buttler and Sam Curran, proved to be the difference between the two sides as England defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets via the DLS method.

After a disappointing outing in the first T20I, Sri Lanka's batting unit showed significant improvement. After being put in to bat first, the hosts posted a formidable 189/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

The highlight of the innings was Pavan Rathnayake, whose rapid-fire 40 off just 22 balls injected late momentum into the innings. England's Jofra Archer emerged as the standout performer for the visitors with the ball, returning figures of 2/42 in 4 overs.

England's chase began on a shaky note as Phil Salt fell early to Matheesha Pathirana and Jacob Bethell followed soon, courtesy of Dasun Shanaka. However, the veteran Jos Buttler (39 off 29) and Tom Banton stabilised the ship with a 43-run partnership defined by calculated aggression.

Despite Buttler's wicket, Banton struck 54 off 33 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes. When Pathirana returned to remove Harry Brook (36 off 12), there was a flicker of hope for the home fans, but Sam Curran quickly extinguished it. Curran's finishing cameo of 20 runs off 14 balls sealed the win for the Three Lions with two balls to spare.

Sri Lanka and England will meet for the third match of the series on February 3, which will mark both sides' last T20I ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Good to see Sri Lanka putting up a fight with 189! Pavan Rathnayake's innings was brilliant. They just need to find a way to close out games. The Asia Cup showed they can beat anyone on their day. Hope they take some confidence into the final match. 🤞
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Arjun K
Harry Brook - 36 off 12 balls! That's just pure destruction. Reminds me of the kind of hitting Rinku Singh or Hardik Pandya can do. The 2026 World Cup is still far, but England are building a very dangerous team. DLS can be cruel to the bowling side sometimes, but England were clearly ahead.
P
Priyanka N
As an Indian fan, I watch these matches with one eye on how it affects our World Cup chances. England winning is fine, but I'm more concerned about Sri Lanka's form. We have a good record against England in recent T20s, but Sri Lanka in a knockout match is always tricky. Good practice for both teams.
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Vikram M
Respectful criticism: The article mentions the DLS method but doesn't explain the revised target calculation clearly for casual fans. 169 in how many overs? That context matters. Otherwise, good summary of the match. Sam Curran is such a clutch player under pressure.
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Karthik V
Pathirana taking wickets but going for runs is the story of modern T20 bowling. Even Bumrah and Arshdeep have those days. The game is just stacked in the batter's favour now. Exciting for fans, tough for bowlers! 🏏

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