Tom Banton stars as England seal ODI series with record win over Sri Lanka

Banton's 126 from 105 balls helped England post 355-7 after being asked to bat first. Harry Brook added 77, while Jordan Cox struck a rapid 76 from 52 balls to give the hosts an imposing total.

The victory secured a 2-1 ODI series win for England and completed a successful summer against Sri Lanka, having already swept the preceding T20I series 3-0.

Banton reached his century from 95 balls before eventually falling for 126, having struck 16 fours and five sixes.

The innings was particularly significant for the 27-year-old, who was once regarded as one of England's brightest young talents after making his international debut in 2019.

After losing his place and spending almost five years away from England's 50-over side, Banton returned to the team this series and followed his 73 in the previous match with a career-best international score.

His partnership with Brook proved decisive. The pair added 150 from 117 deliveries, accelerating England after a relatively cautious opening 25 overs.

Brook survived an early chance when he was dropped on seven, but went on to make 77 from 79 balls.

England were 218-3 when Brook departed in the 35th over, but Jordan Cox ensured the scoring rate continued to rise.

Cox attacked Sri Lanka's pace bowlers in the closing overs, reaching his first ODI half-century and finishing with 76 from 52 balls.

His innings helped England score 247 runs during the second half of their innings, transforming a competitive total into a daunting 355-7.

Sri Lanka's bowlers also struggled in the field, with several chances going down and a number of errors allowing England to maintain their momentum.

The chase never got going.

Sonny Baker struck in only his second delivery to remove Pathum Nissanka, while Gus Atkinson then claimed two more wickets as Sri Lanka slipped to 53-3.

Kusal Mendis offered brief resistance with 36, but Sri Lanka soon collapsed from 53-3 to 82-6.

Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson finished with 3-26 as England bowled Sri Lanka out for just 132 in 29.1 overs.

The 223-run margin was England's biggest ODI victory over Sri Lanka, surpassing their previous record of 128 runs in Perth in 1999.

The result also gives England a third consecutive ODI series victory as they build towards next year's World Cup.

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