If England do want to squeeze the injured Ben Duckett back into their T20 international side, it will not be at the expense of Tom Banton, that is for sure. Banton, at the moment being trusted with the No4 spot above captain Harry Brook, played a magnificent hand in Kandy to propel England to a brutal and comprehensive victory in the second rain-affected match of this series.
Banton, helped by Brook’s explosive 36 from 12 balls, made the target of 168 in 17 overs look indecently easy with an unbeaten 54 from 33 balls. Yes, the ball might have been wet and Sri Lanka lost Eshan Malinga to injury, but this was another demonstration of England’s batting power as they took this T20 series 2-0, to add to two one-day international wins at the end of that series.
Jos Buttler looked in decent nick up top, Brook turbo-charged the chase after a rain break to emphasise that any off-field distractions really do not affect his batting, while Sam Curran again proved a neat finisher, but it was Banton, again reverse-sweeping expertly, who stood out and it may be Jacob Bethell at No3 who is looking over his shoulder at Duckett’s possible return.
“Most of my career I have been opening and I have got a new role with England, which has been really exciting,” Banton said.
One concern for England was the form of the three seamers, Jofra Archer, Curran and Jamie Overton, who conceded 103 from eight overs despite Archer’s two wickets, while the spinners went for 81 from their 12 overs, with a wicket apiece for Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson.
In the first match Rashid and Dawson had squeezed Sri Lanka so much in the middle overs that Curran could return to take a hat-trick, but, after another rapid start here, and even after a mid-innings wobble, Sri Lanka posted what looked an imposing total of 189 for five.
England had won the toss and bowled, the norm in T20, even if this was a used pitch, and as on Friday Curran’s opening over of the innings was expensive, this time with 14 conceded.
Brook hit four sixes on his way to an impressive 36 off 12 balls
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England surely have to revisit this plan of Curran opening up, even if Archer’s first over at the other end was costlier still, going for 21, with both Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara picking up sixes on the leg side.
Brook turned to spin immediately in the third over and was rewarded with a Jacks over only going for four but it was the return of Archer for the final over of the powerplay that brought a first wicket as Nissanka was bowled off inside edge.
Even though Mishara lofted Jacks to long-on, the excellent Pavan Rathnayake helped Sri Lanka to 21 off an Overton over before the home side endured some mid-innings wobbles. Kusal Mendis went instantly, top-edging a sweep at Dawson, and Rashid returned to find extravagant turn, trapping Dasun Shanaka leg-before with a googly in an over in which only two runs were scored.
Rathnayake, fresh from his century in the final ODI, was finally out with two balls remaining, hoicking Archer to deep mid-wicket, but he had been superbly resourceful in making 40 from 22 balls.
England then lost Phil Salt in the first over, slicing a slower ball from Matheesha Pathirana to short third man, but Buttler was clearly picking up Pathirana’s low-slung action much more easily than in the first game and was soon punching elegantly through the off-side off the back foot.
Archer celebrates the dismissal of Nissanka, one of his two wickets
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Dunith Wellalage’s left-arm spin was greeted by Buttler with a reverse-swept four, and even though Bethell edged Shanaka behind, Buttler repeated the trick just after Banton had used the same shot for six, so that England were 51 for two at the end of their powerplay.
Then with 7.2 overs gone, and England at 57 for two, the rain came. It stayed for a while too, but, when the players did reappear, remarkably only three overs had been lost and England’s target was 111 from the remaining 9.4 overs.
There was drama immediately. Malinga’s first ball was a beamer but he injured his left shoulder in the process of bowling it. Off he went, and Janith Liyanage finished his over but went perilously close on two occasions to bowling another above-waist full toss.
It was Wellalage who captured the wicket of Buttler, skying out to deep point when 87 runs were needed from eight overs but Banton showed him how to do it by launching the same bowler over extra cover for six.
Brook could have been out first ball, caught-and-bowled, but smacked his second ball down the ground for four, and was soon tucking into Pathirana to the extent that his team required 61 from six overs.
Rathnayake was Sri Lanka’s top scorer with 40 off 22 balls
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Now Brook pulled Wanindu Hasaranga for six and then launched Pathirana in successive balls over his favourite extra-cover region before an attempted scoop off a bouncer was caught by short third man running behind the wicketkeeper.
Banton’s fifty came off 29 balls with only 11 required to win and Curran brought up the victory in the grand manner with a six with two balls remaining in the final over.
“We still had Will Jacks to come in, who is an opening batter who has dominated on the world stage,” Brook said.
One more match in this series on Tuesday and then on to Mumbai to play Nepal on Sunday for England, who look in fine fettle.