England claimed a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second T20 International to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The match was played at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, where England’s top-order batsmen delivered a strong performance chasing down a target of 146 runs. Jos Buttler opened the innings and scored 30 runs, surpassing Kieron Pollard to become the first player to score 15,000 T20 runs in history. Harry Brook contributed 23 runs and Tom Banton remained unbeaten on 52 as the team finished the game with six wickets in hand. England reached 146-4 in just 12.1 overs with 47 balls remaining.
The win meant England had already secured the series after taking the first match, according to India TV News. After the game, players praised the team’s performance as clinical and effective. Harry Brook said the team had played well from the start and that their ability to drag it back was impressive. Liam Dawson was named Player of the Match after taking three wickets for 32 runs. He said he focused on keeping things simple by bowling good lines and lengths. Dawson noted that the Cardiff pitch had big square boundaries. Brook also praised Dawson’s ability to read the game.
The victory marked a strong showing by England in their ongoing series against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka admitted his team had not performed well ahead of the upcoming one-day international series. He described Sri Lanka’s performance as disappointing and said England had been too good. Asalanka said his team needed to improve because it was not performing at the required level.
England’s success was built on a combination of strong batting and effective bowling throughout the game. The team’s ability to maintain pressure and finish the match with six wickets remaining was highlighted as key to their win. Banton, Buttler and Brook all made important contributions during the chase.
The performance by England’s top order was described as crucial to securing the series. Dawson’s experience and skill were also noted for helping England take wickets at key moments. Dawson took two wickets in two balls during Sri Lanka’s innings as the visitors fell away after reaching 56 without loss in the powerplay.
The victory was England’s 14th consecutive T20 win over Sri Lanka. England has also won 22 of its last 25 T20 internationals. The third and final match of the series is scheduled for Saturday at Old Trafford in Manchester.
IMAGE: England Cricket Team – The Ashes Trent Bridge 2015. Photo: Tim Felce / Wikimedia, taken 2015-08-08, CC BY-SA 2.0