England completed a 3-0 clean-sweep with an 89-run win over Sri Lanka in the third T20I at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Put into bat, Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow gave the hosts a rollicking start. They added 105 for the opening wicket.
Malan’s 76 off 48 came at a crucial point, after a string of low scores put his place in jeopardy. Having endured a minor tear in his right calf, Jos Buttler missed the last two games. Chris Woakes made a comeback to T20I cricket after five years: he played two matches.
Sam Curran 9 (M 3, W 5, Ave 9.40, Econ 5.22, R 25, SR 192)
A terrific outing for Curran, who was also adjudged Player of the Series. He picked up five wickets in three games and was very economical. In the third T20I, he conceded just 14 runs and claimed two wickets. He also chipped in with quick runs in the second match.
Jos Buttler 8.5 (M 1, R 68, SR 123)
Buttler made an unbeaten 68 in his only game to guide England to a comfortable victory.
Dawid Malan 8 (M 3, R 87, SR 130)
Malan followed a couple of ordinary performance with a scintillating 76 to silence all critics. He has been roped in as Buttler’s replacement for the upcoming ODI series.
Adil Rashid 8.5 (M 3, W 4, Ave 12.50, Econ 5.55)
Rashid did not give away many runs, and picked up two wickets in each of the first two games. He got only one over in the third.
Mark Wood 8 (M 2, W 3, Ave 17, Econ 6.37)
Wood’s pace and precision proved too hot to handle for an inexperienced Sri Lankan line-up. He picked up three wickets in two games and was rested for the third.
Jonny Bairstow 8 (M 3, R 64, SR 110)
Bairstow did not get many balls in the first match, got a duck in the second, and hit 51 in the third. However, the fluency that one associates with him was missing.
Jason Roy 7.5 (M 2, R 53, SR 136)
Roy made 36 in 22 balls in the first match, adding 80 with Buttler for the first wicket. He made 17 in the second and was ruled out of the third.
Liam Livingstone 7.5 (M 3, R 43, SR 119, W 2, Ave 13.50, Econ 5.40)
If not for Liam Livingstone’s 29, England might have lost the second game after they were 36/4. Livingstone forged an important partnership with Sam Billings for the fifth wicket and Curran for the sixth. He also picked up two wickets.
Chris Woakes 7 (M 2, W 1, Ave 23, Econ 3.28)
Woakes went wicketless in the first game, but conceded just 14 off his three overs. He bettered that in the last game, conceding just 14 from four overs and picking up a wicket.
Sam Billings 6.5 (M 2, R 26, SR 81.25)
Billings’ 54-run partnership with Livingstone led England to the victory in the second game. He got out on 2 in the last game
Chris Jordan 5.5 (M 3, W 3, Ave 24.33, Econ 6.08, C 4)
Jordan got three wickets in as many games. His figures of the third game read 4-1-13-1. He also struck two fours in the last over to drag England to 180 in the third game, and held four catches.
Moeen Ali 5 (M 1, W 1, Ave 3, R 7)
Moeen played a solitary game in which he made 7 runs, bowled five balls and got a wicket.
Eoin Morgan 4 (M 3, R 12, SR 109.09)
Morgan’s ruthless approach came to the fore as a warning to the other teams ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, it has been been some time since he made it big with bat.