Banton blasts maiden ton as England demolish Sri Lanka in ODI decider
Tom Banton hit his maiden international century and Jordan Cox finished strong as England defeated Sri Lanka by a massive margin to seal a 2-1 series victory.
A dysfunctional summer ended on a brighter note for England as Tom Banton’s eye-catching maiden international century and some masterful finishing from Jordan Cox propelled them to a one-sided victory against Sri Lanka in this one-day international decider.
Banton hammered 126 from 105 balls and Cox added 76 from 52 to help put 355 for seven on the board, before Sri Lanka were derailed for 132 all out in 29.1 overs to secure a 2-1 scoreline and England's sixth bilateral series win in limited-overs cricket this year.
“Having not played too much 50-over cricket, you forget how long you have got to bat,” Banton said after bringing up his milestone with a clean stroke off Dunith Wellalage to trigger a standing ovation.
Captain Harry Brook provided further inspiration earlier by cracking 77 from 66 balls before overseeing Sri Lanka’s disintegration with the ball alongside Sonny Baker, Gus Atkinson, and Liam Dawson.
Baker made an immediate impact by forcing Pathum Nissanka to nick off with the second ball of the innings, while Atkinson picked up two wickets in the powerplay and Dawson chipped in with three for 26 from eight overs.
Will Jacks wrapped up the innings by taking the final wicket, sealing a comprehensive victory and earning the player of the series award.