Jos Buttler produced a blistering unbeaten half-century as England completed a 3–0 Twenty20 series whitewash over Sri Lanka with an emphatic eight-wicket victory at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The result lifted England back to the top of the T20 world rankings, moving ahead of India after the two sides had exchanged the No. 1 position several times in recent months.
Chasing a modest target of 125, England needed only 9.4 overs to reach 126 for two, with 62 balls still remaining.
Buttler led the charge with an unbeaten 62 from 32 deliveries, striking sixes at crucial moments before finishing the match in style with a one-handed six.
He shared an 85-run partnership with captain Harry Brook, who contributed 33 from 21 balls before being run out shortly before England completed the chase.
Sri Lanka had earlier been bowled out for 124 in 18.5 overs after struggling to cope with England’s bowling attack and their own errors in the field.
Pathum Nissanka top-scored with 36 from 24 balls, while Kamindu Mendis added 35 from 28. However, the visitors lost wickets regularly after making a reasonable start.
Sonny Baker, Jofra Archer and Will Jacks claimed two wickets each as England’s bowlers shared the workload.
Sri Lanka also conceded nine wides, with several additional mistakes in the field making it difficult for them to build pressure during England’s chase.
The victory extended England’s winning streak against Sri Lanka in T20 internationals to 15 matches. It also continued a remarkable run under Brook, with England recording 23 wins from their last 26 completed T20 internationals.
Brook was named player of the series after another strong performance across the three matches. He scored an unbeaten 114 in the opening game, which England won by 119 runs, before contributing again in the second and third matches.
For Buttler, the performance came shortly after he became the first player to reach 15,000 career T20 runs, adding another milestone to his record in the shortest format.
England’s return to the top of the rankings provides further evidence of their strong recent form in T20 cricket, while Sri Lanka will have to regroup quickly before the two teams meet again in a three-match one-day international series.
The ODI series begins in Durham on Tuesday, with further matches scheduled for Leeds and London.
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