England’s dominance in the T20 format continued as they defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the second match of their series in Cardiff, the win ensures England leads the series 2-0 and secures the trophy with a game to spare.

Banton’s Unbeaten 52 Seals Victory

Tom Banton’s unbeaten 52 off 24 balls ensured England chased down Sri Lanka’s below-par total of 145 with ease, reaching the target in just 12.1 overs. His aggressive approach included four sixes as England maintained their unbeaten run in the shortest format this summer.

Jos Buttler and Aneurin Donald opened the innings with an aggressive 51 in just 4.3 overs, but both fell quickly, Buttler for 30 and Donald for 21. The middle order continued the intensity, with captain Harry Brook nearly breaking Tilak Varma’s record of 336 T20 international runs without being dismissed; However, Brook was brilliantly caught by Eshan Malinga after hitting three sixes off eight balls.

Sri Lanka’s Struggles Continue

Sri Lanka managed only 145-9 after being bowled out for 135 in the first match of the series. Despite a strong start, reaching 55-0 after five overs, Sri Lanka lost momentum when Liam Dawson took two wickets in the final over of the powerplay. The middle order could not recover, losing 9-90, while adding just 12 runs from the last four overs.

Dawson finished with 3-32, while Jamie Overton took 2-23 and Sonny Baker impressed with 1-15, including a wicket maiden in the 19th over, as Sri Lanka managed only two sixes in their innings, compared to England’s 10, highlighting the gulf in form between the two sides.

Pathum Nissanka led Sri Lanka’s batting with 37 off 21 balls but could not carry his side to a higher total — the tourists’ batters struggled against England’s spinners, with Wanindu Hasaranga conceding 42 runs off just three overs and two of those balls clearing the boundary.

England’s T20 Mastery

Under Brendon McCullum’s leadership, England have now won 22 of their past 25 completed T20s since the start of last summer, a win percentage of 88%. India is the next best among full-member nations, with a 73% win rate.

The series concludes at Old Trafford on Saturday, followed by three one-day internationals; England’s well-balanced line-up, led by Brook, has barely broken sweat in securing the 2-0 lead. The team’s fluency and aggressive batting have contrasted sharply with Sri Lanka’s struggles at the crease.

Donald’s strike rate of 161.54 was the lowest of England’s top five batters, while Banton, who had missed a big score in the first match, made the most of his opportunity in this match. England have set themselves up nicely to finish the summer with an unbeaten record in T20s after earlier thrashing India 4-0 earlier this year.