England chase clean sweep and No.1 ranking in Sri Lanka finale
England walked out at Old Trafford on Saturday 19 September chasing two prizes at once: a 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka and top spot in the world T20 rankings.
England started the day ranked second in T20 internationals, the 20-overs-a-side sprint format, and a win in the series finale would take them to No. 1. They were already assured of the series after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead The Guardian.
The three-match contest was billed as the Vitality IT20 Series. Play in the decider at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester was scheduled to start at 2:30pm, with Harry Brook leading England The Guardian.
England earned that position with two very different wins. In the opener they piled up 254-4 and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 135 in 19 overs to win by 119 runs. Brook did the bulk of the damage with an unbeaten 114 from 49 balls, hitting 10 fours and six sixes Reuters.
The second match was tighter but still comfortable. England won by six wickets, with Tom Banton and Brook leading the chase after a disciplined bowling display. Dawson was named player of the match Reuters.
That victory stretched England's winning streak against Sri Lanka to 14 consecutive games. It is a run built on power with the bat and control with the ball, and Sri Lanka arrived in Manchester still searching for an answer.
There was a notable watcher in the ground. Stephen Fleming, the new head of England's Test side, was at Old Trafford for the match The Guardian. His presence linked the shortest format to a longer winter, even as Brook's team focused on the job in front of them.
What makes this stand out is the simplicity of the equation. Win, and England take the series without loss and climb to the top of the rankings. Lose, and the streak ends and the table stays as it is. For fans, this means every boundary counts double, because a fast start lifts the total and also squeezes the chasing side's required run rate, the pace it must score to keep up.
Whatever happened in Manchester, there is little pause. The teams meet again in the Metro Bank ODI Series, the 50-overs-a-side format, with the first ODI scheduled for Tuesday 22 September ECB.
