Key events

Righto, that’s it from me for now. Simon Burnton’s match report will be on the site and in here shortly, but otherwise, peace out

And don’t forget England still have Sam Curran to return. It’s just so hard to keep all their batters quiet, while they also have strike bowlers – Archer and Rashid – and all sorts of options alongside.

“A special performance,” says Harry Brook. Sri Lanka got off to a flyer, but the way Dawson reads the game is excellent “awesome bowler”, “great bloke”, “gets the game”. They looked at the stats and saw spin plays a big role on this ground, then went for taller bowlers to hit the deck.

He also has praise for Overton, bowling four overs through, and Buttler, but there’s not much to say really – he’s captain of a really, really good side.

Asalanka is disappointed. His team made a decent start but then lost wickets at regular intervals but he also acknowledges that England are too good. His team aren’t “up to the mark right now,” he admits.

Liam Dawson is player of the match

Bowling good lines and good lengths are the secret, he says. He’s more the defensive option in the spin trio, with Jacks and Rashid more likely to attack. He doesn’t mind bowling at Sophia Gardens because you can bowl into the pitch, and at OT he’ll keep bowling defensively to get wickets.

Also going on:

I hate to say it, because I love Sri Lanka and what they’ve given to this thing of ours, but the sad truth is that, at this point in human history, they’re not in England’s league. In fairness, not many teams are, the strength ind epth in both departments an outrage. The Lankans’ problem is that they lack a matchwinner or two in either department, which is why they’re struggling even to make the contests close, never mind win them,

England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets with 47 balls to spare, winning the the three-match series with one still to play

12th over: England 146-4 (Banton 52, Jacks 3) Malinga begins with a wide, and this is very scrappy now, then Jacks turns into the on-side and England have beaten Sri Lanka 14 times on the spin in T20s.

11th over: England 144-4 (Banton 52, Jacks 2) Chameera returns and cedes a single off each of his first two deliveries, then Banton lifts over the infield towards the pint fence; they run three and that’s his fifty, off 24 balls – the quickest of his five for England. Five required off 51, but Chameera does just enough to make sure they don’t come off his bowling, three dots completing the over … oh, but the last of them is called as a no ball, meaning a free hit with four required for the win, Jacks on strike. Ach, and keen to escape unpunished, this time, Chameera sends down a wide; three required. So he goes again, Jacks reaches for it, and should be caught down the ground … but Hasaranga drops it, though it coujldn’t be out. They run one, which means England need two off 48 deliveries.

The flames erupt for Tom Banton’s half century. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters

WICKET! Cox c Udara b Hasaranga 12 (England 136-4)

Cox goes flat to the short long-off boundary, but picks out the man on it – for all the difference it makes, with 10 runs required from 54 deliveries.

11th over: England 136-3 (Banton 48, Cox 12) In comms, Sanga and Nasser agree a bowler shouldn’t have to declare which hand he’s using, and I’m pleased because i was thinking the same but seeking rationale for why I’m a idiot. Anyhow, it’s Hasaranga bowling the next over and after one to Banton, Cox decides he wants in, flowing six over square leg. It’s not often, not often at all, you get a line-up where all of them are outrageous talents and all of them are in outrageous form, but that’s England right now and, after a single and a wide, Banton lashes four low through midwicket the target 11 in 56 deliveries.

10th over: England 122-3 (Banton 42, Cox 5) The extent of this batting order is quite something, Malinga finishing the over with a yorker which Banton digs out off his tootsies for one.

10th over: England 121-3 (Banton 41, Cox 5) Malinga returns but even the original couldn’t rescue this – though the England he played against could definitely ruin it. A single opens the over, then another, before Cox swings a beautiful connection over mid-on, only for the ball to plug. That’s a right nause for the fielder who has to chase it as they run three, then Banton gets low to get at a bouncer, helping it over deep backward square as the commentators duck, the ball crashing into the wall of the indoor school. Gosh, and six more follow, Baton going again but this time down the ground, a second ball into the Taff, and England are charging to the finish line; they take drinks while a new ball is found. In the meantime, with one delivery to come in the over, the requirement is 25 off 61.

9th over: England 104-3 (Banton 28, Cox 1) Hasaranga returns and Banton dismisses his first ball, a short googly, back over his head for four. A two follows, then a one and a leg-bye before, after a dot, Banton knucks six over that same wide long-on, deep midwicket area. England need 42 from 66, and they’re playing with such confidence now; they know they’re going to win, it’s just a matter of enjoying that inevitability to the fullest.

8th over: England 90-3 (Banton 15, Cox 1) Rathnayake into the attack and, with two righties batting, he starts lefty. Banton takes his first ball to long-on for two them, after a dot, the bowler switches arm and Banton turns to midwicket for one. Oh man, I’d love to be able to do this, but after Cox takes a further single – it’s left-arm to him – a drag-down right-armer is annihilated over long-on by Banton. If you bowl like that, it doesn’t really matter how you do it, and a single to the last ball means England need 56 from 72.

WICKET! Brook c Malinga b Hasaranga 23 (England 79-3)

But! Brook goes again, of course he does, but this time Malinga, at deep square, sees the ball zooming past him and says not today, diving improbably to hold a screamer. I can’t believe he’s taken that, even now I’ve seen a replay.

7th over: England 79-2 (Brook 23, Banton 5) That said, England won’t want to lose Brook at this point … but the man himself isn’t that bothered, waiting for Hasaranga before hauling over square-leg for six, the third of the innings; Sri Lanka managed two in their full allocation of overs. Then, after a dot, Brook goes again, moving feet to clear the front pad and schmeissing another six over wide long-on. Goodness me, this is a violation now Brook again waiting, this time feet still, and he dematerialises a third six over midwicket!

6th over: England 50-2 (Brook 5, Banton 4) One brings two, both openers now gone, but can Sri Lanka keep up the pressure? England need 91 off 88 balls, but they’re not going to try getting them in singles … though they do add two, before Banton goes hard at a bouncer, his pull landing safe and they run two more. A further single follows, and that’s the end of the powerplay; England will be satisfied because unlike Sri Lanka, despite being two down, they’ve loads of batting to come.

WICKET! Buttler c Mishara b Chameera 30 (England 55-2)

Buttler looks to pull but the ball skids on and he top-edges to short third where the keeper announces it as his and claims.

Off plods Jos Buttler. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters

5th over: England 51-1 (Buttler 30, Brook 4) In comes Malinga and Brook brooks no nonsense, swaying back to ease away four through third man; that is absurd behaviour, a touch-shot like that first up, but it’s also what we’ve become used to with this freakish genius.

WICKET! Donald c Hasaranga b Malinga 21 (England 51-1)

Ohhh, well bowled, another slower one tossed wide of off, and Donald chases it, flaying high to mid-on where Hasaranga pouches.

5th over: England 51-0 (Buttler 30, Donald 21) At this stage, Sri Lanka were 38-0, and Malinga is next to be ravaged, Buttler now level with Kieron Pollard on 14,999 T20i runs … and he pokes to point for one, going out alone as the highest run-scorer in history. Well batted, Joseph. Donald then goes hard at a slowerb all but hits nothing, before top-edging a bumper between fielders for two.

4th over: England 48-0 (Buttler 29, Donald 19) Hasaranga into the attack; good luck, old mate. His first three balls go for singles, the fourth is a dot … then Buttler goes back to a short one … and devastates it down and out of the ground, splish-splosh into the river. This is some beautiful violence, and a single from the final ball means eight more to the total.

3rd over: England 38-0 (Buttler 21, Donald 17) Buttler waits for one, leaning into it and stroking Madushanka for four inside of mid-on’s dive. Then, the bowler sees Buttler preparing to scoop, pulls back his pace … and is reverse-scooped for four morel the speed of eye, the speed of hand, the speed of thought are frankly indecent. You don’t envy these bowlers, all the less so when Buttler shimmies down and punishes a cover-drive to the fence, in glorious oneness with his game, then cross-bats the next delivery over deep-backward; it looks like another boundary but plugs when it hits the ground, so England make do with two. A dot follows, but it’s brief respite, Buttler making room to slam four more over the top and to wide long-off. Sri Lanka need about 300 fielders here, and that’s 18 from the over, all of them to the most softly-spoken assassin you’ve ever seen.

2nd over: England 20-0 (Buttler 3, Donald 17) Chameera opens from the other end and Donald, having punished him in the warm-up game, steps away to off, then flips over his own head for six; pressure for the bowler. More pressure! Donald cuffs over a head again, this time Chameera’s, and though he doesn’t get all of it, he gets enough, given the short boundary, to add four; that’s 10 off two … soon 14 off three, again not middled but muscled through midwicket for four more. In the field, Asalanka is already chasing the ball with his placings, Donald then stepping away and missing before helping a ball around the corner to fine leg and running one; Buttler dabs the final delivery into the off-side for one more, and that’s 16 off the over.

Aneurin Donald flips the ball over his head for six! Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters

1st over: England 4-0 (Buttler 2, Donald 2) Madushanka has the ball and Buttler dabs his loosener into the ground for one; he’s finding some bounce, his second ball contacting Donald’s splice, before a cut to backward point adds another single and sets him away. Buttler then turns into the on-side, coming down the track, before Shanaka turns none into one, shying at the stumps for no reason and ceding buzzers.

Out come Buttler and Donald, the Welshman playing on his home ground. What a moment this is for him and his family; can he honour it with a telling contribution?

Things changed when Liam Dawson came on in the fifth over; the two wickets he took changed the flow and from there, his teammates capitalised. We’ll see how the reply goes, but England are a decent outfit these days and it’s unfortunate for them that there’s no World Cup until 2028.

A decent job from England, the bowlers bowling well and Harry Brook managing them with enterprise and intelligence. Sri Lanka started well, but once they started losing wickets, they just didn’t have the ability to get going again.

England need 146 to beat Sri Lanka and secure the three-match series

It’ll take an almighty effort from the tourists to save themselves from here.

WICKET! Ratnayake c Brook b Archer 4 (Sri Lanka 145-9)

Mid-on is up, a good call from the captain, who’s there to benefit when Ratnayake picks him out.

20th over: Sri Lanka 149-8 (Ratnayake 4, Malinga 0) Malinga tries a run-down but misses and Buttler first misfields then misses with his shy; he won’t be happy with that. Next, when Ratnayake flays high, Baker is too slow to run in, unable to dive into the catch; one ball to go.

WICKET! Chameera b Archer 0 (Sri Lanka 142-8)

Full, straight, and far too good for Chammera, who loses his middle peg. From 55-0 to 142-8, and this is another disappointing knock from the tourists.

20th over: Sri Lanka 142-7 (Ratnayake 1, Chameera 0) Archer begins with a dot, then Rathnayake just about forces a yorker to third man for one.

19th over: Sri Lanka 141-7 (Ratnayake 1, Chameera 0) Baker is taking his chance superbly, sending down two dots before Chameera slices to Jacks on the 45 … the ball bouncing just shy of fingers sliding underneath it. Another dot follows, and Baker finishes with a wicket maiden and 1-15 off his four. That’s terrific work, the challenge laid down in the fight for places, and Sri Lanka badly need to go big off Archer’s final over.

WICKET! Hasaranga c Dawson b Baker 27 (Sri Lanka 141-7)

Hasaranga goes hard at more of the same, sending the ball an epoch into the air at cover. It’s up for a while but Dawson takes responsibility for a minger, shooing away his teammates to hold a decent catch on the fall.

Liam Dawson takes the catch to dismiss Wanindu Hasaranga. Photograph: David Davies/PA

19th over: Sri Lanka 141-6 (Hasaranga 27, Ratnayake 1) Baker, who’s been excellent, continues, and the Lankans have struggled with his pace-off back-of-a-length balls; Hasaranga misses the first of them.

18th over: Sri Lanka 141-6 (Hasaranga 27, Ratnayake 1) Two dots, the ambidextrous Rathnayake trying to switch-hit his second ball and barely tickling it. Hasaranga then cuts to Archer at point and runs; had Archer not misfielded, the run out was on. Instead, they run one, the final delivery also costs just one, and Sri Lanka need to assault these last two overs need to set something challenging.

WICKET! Asalanka c Overton b Rashid 31 (Sri Lanka 139-6)

Even on this ground, Rashid is the man you want at the death and Asalanka, looking to hit over the top, doesn’t get enough of him, offering up to Overton coming in from long-off.

18th over: Sri Lanka 138-5 (Asalanka 31, Hasaranga 26) Rashid returns and his first ball costs one.

17th over: Sri Lanka 138-5 (Asalanka 31, Hasaranga 25) Baker returns and after ceding a single, tries a slower one at cost of a leg-bye. Hasaranga then middles a drive so runs, but he’s picked out Dawson at mid-off and here comes the shy, gone by aeons if it hits … it misses. Asalanka then goes after a cutter and doesn’t get anywhere near enough of it, a top-edge dropping shot of deep backward square. Baker then slips in his delivery stride – he’s fine – then Hasaranga flays and manages to land the ball between two converging fielders. That yields just one, then a dot completes the over, Asalanka unloading the suitcase at a quick one that bounces, hammering fresh air into oblivion. Good over, five from it.

16th over: Sri Lanka 133-5 (Asalanka 30, Hasaranga 22) Dawson returns and Asalanka has waiting long enough, playing the anchor because he’s had to, but now he goes down on one knee to flay four through square-leg. He goes again next ball too, but this time picks out Cox at midwicket and they run one; no matter. Hasaranga skips down towards leg, opening the space to free his arms and swing six to long-on, Banton running around the fence unable to do anything. This is more like it, is this, the next ba walloped over the bowler’s bonce and down the ground for four; the comeback is decent, two singles – no, a single and a two because Cox misfields – completing an over that yields 18. Sri Lanka needed that, but they also need another like it, and another.

15th over: Sri Lanka 115-5 (Asalanka 23, Hasaranga 11) Now Archer returns; there’s not much respite out there. But after two dots, Hasaranga uses the pace to uppercut over the man at 45 for four, then forces uppishly down the ground for two more; two singles follow, making it eight off the over, and even another 60 or 70 from here wouldn’t feel like enough on a good pitch.

14th over: Sri Lanka 107-5 (Asalanka 22, Hasaranga 4) On the one hand, Sri Lanka badly need to up the tempo but, on the other, they need to see out the 20 overs. Three singles start the returning Rashid’s second over, a wide and three further singles following. We’ll see how it goes, but with England’s firepower, it’s hard not to see them making light work of whatever target they’re set from here.

13th over: Sri Lanka 101-5 (Asalanka 20, Hasaranga 1) Asalanka top-edges a pull … but it eludes the diving Donald, dropping short of him and running away for four. Two dots follow, then a turn into the leg-side for one, then another dot then a bump down the ground for a further single. Overton finishes with 2-23 off his four overs.

12th over: Sri Lanka 95-5 (Asalanka 15, Hasaranga 0) Another good over from Dawson, four runs and a wicket from it.

WICKET! Shanaka c Donald b Dawson 4 (Sri Lanka 95-5)

Shanaka heaves high and there’s plenty of time for Donald, underneath it, to swallow the vomit up his insides as he contemplates a second drop of the over. But, on the run, he hangs on, just about, trapping ball between thumbs for relief and redemption all mixed. This match is running away from Sri Lanka now.

12th over: Sri Lanka 95-4 (Asalanka 15, Shanaka 4) Dawson back into the attack and his first ball sits up, so Shanakaflays into the on side, Donald is running in … and he misjudges the flight so has to dive forward … grassing a chance he made harder than it needed to be. They run two, and two singles follow.

11th over: Sri Lanka 91-4 (Asalanka 14, Shanaka 1) A wide welcomes Shanaka to the crease, then he bumps to midwicket and is off the mark with a single.

WICKET! Mendis b Overton 12 (Sri Lanka 89-4)

Slower-ball cutter cramps Mendis who thinks he’s got room. He doesn’t, and his run-down runs into his off-stump. Wickets are coming quickly now.

There goes Mendis! Photograph: David Davies/PA

11th over: Sri Lanka 89-3 (Asalanka 14, Mendis 12) Overton resumes and Asalanka hauls him wide of mid-off for one, then Mendis slashes a short one, both feet off the ground, to the fence for four.

10th over: Sri Lanka 84-3 (Asalanka 13, Mendis 8) Just what Sri Lanka need, Rashid into the attack. His first three balls go for one, but then Mendis lowers on to one knee and watches the ball well, a step ands a reverse turning the delivery into a half-volley for four. Next, a well-run two, then a drive down the ground that Overton cuts off on the fence; they run two more, making it nine from the over; that’s drinks.

9th over: Sri Lanka 75-6 (Asalanka 12, Mendis 0) Brook was behind that dismissal, instructing Oberton not to bowl full, thereby inciting the batter to take him on down the ground. He did, but he couldn’t.