Banton bashes maiden ton as England demolish Sri Lanka to take ODI series 2-1

England 355 for 7 (Banton 126, Brook 77, Cox 76) beat Sri Lanka 132 all out (Dawson 3-26) by 223 runs

A dysfunctional summer ended on a notably brighter note for England as Tom Banton's eye-catching maiden international century and some masterful finishing from Jordan Cox propelled the hosts to a one-sided victory over Sri Lanka in the one-day international series decider.

England piled up 355 for seven on a grey September morning, with Banton's 126 from 105 balls the centrepiece and Harry Brook contributing a typically inspiring 77 from 66. Sri Lanka's chase never got going, the tourists derailed for 132 all out in just 29.1 overs as England sealed a 2-1 series scoreline — their sixth bilateral series win in limited-overs cricket this year.

The neurosis around the English summer had chiefly centred on the Test team, with Brendon McCullum relieved of only half of his duties as head coach in July. But the sight of two rookies thriving on the job said plenty about what is coming through: Banton, who before this match had played just three List A games in five years, and Cox, who arrived having only appeared in 10 matches in the format.

Banton's innings was a masterclass in tempo management. He matched his captain stroke for stroke in a 150-run third-wicket stand, ransacking 16 fours and five sixes overall. His half-century came off 51 balls and his hundred just 44 more, the milestone reached when he danced down the track to spinner Dunith Wellalage and creamed him through extra cover to trigger a deserved standing ovation.

"Having not played too much 50-over cricket, you forget how long you have got to bat," Banton said. "The tempo, hitting a few boundaries but going up and down the gears – there were periods they bowled well and I had to respect that.

"It's been an amazing few hours. I got close the other day [73 at Headingley] and got out at an important time. I came here today committed to what I have been doing. To finally get over the line with a hundred is difficult to put into words."

Cox, arriving at 218 for three in the 35th over after Brook mis-timed his latest attempt to clear deep midwicket, initially took a look before accelerating at the death to finish 76 from 52 — his first half-century in List A cricket. Like Banton, whose strong wrists produced a reverse-swept six, Cox was full of innovation, collecting six fours and two sixes on a pitch already offering turn.

It was a raw England team by the end. With Jos Buttler absent through a hamstring injury and Jacob Bethell unfit, Joe Root was the only player north of 50 one-day caps — and the stand-in opener endured the dismissal that has haunted his summer, trapped lbw by a medium-pacer in Janith Liyanage. Nine of Root's 13 dismissals this summer have involved the ball thudding into his pad, a glitch he will ponder during a six-week break before the white-ball tour of Australia.

Others struggled too: Ben Duckett endured a fifth-ball duck, bowled by a Dilshan Madushanka delivery that swung away and nipped in, and the fielding side were briefly caught up in a third-umpire drama when Jofra Archer's direct hit ran out Pavan Rathnayake. The big screen initially flashed "Not Out" before third umpire Adrian Holdstock reversed the call, clocking that Archer's shy had knocked the stump clean out of the ground — a correct decision under Law 29.2.

With the bat, Brook's side were well served by the ball. Sonny Baker, in for the rested Josh Tongue, finally claimed his maiden ODI wicket with a beauty of a second ball that forced Pathum Nissanka to nick off, having been shellacked on debut last summer. Gus Atkinson added two wickets in the powerplay, both Kamindu and Kusal Mendis sending top edges high into the inner ring, before Liam Dawson — in for the dropped Rehan Ahmed — winkled out three for 26 from eight overs. Will Jacks claimed the final wicket and was named player of the series.

It may have been something of a non-event in the end, but for England, reaching the finish line of a turbulent summer with five successive series wins across formats, the ODI decider was very much welcome.