England demolish Sri Lanka to secure series sweep

England have powered to a clean sweep in their Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka with a thumping 89-run victory at the Rose Bowl.

Dawid Malan returned to form in the final match of the series with a classy 76 from 48 balls after he’d posted single-figure scores in the back-to-back wins in Cardiff. 

With just one fifty in his previous seven innings, the world No.1-ranked T20 batsman sparkled in a knock containing five fours and four sixes after being promoted to open the batting.

Jason Roy's tight hamstring led to a batting reshuffle and Malan and Jonny Bairstow, who made 51 off 43 deliveries, put on 105 in 11.4 overs before Dushmantha Chameera's career-best 4-17 restricted England to 6-180.

Sri Lanka ultimately capitulated to 91 all out in 18.5 overs as they lost the series 3-0.

In what has been a recurrent theme of the series, Sri Lanka lacked scoring options and England were collectively excellent with the ball, David Willey taking 3-27 while fellow left-armer Sam Curran picked up two wickets.

Sri Lanka had won the toss for the third time and elected to field but Isuru Udana had a forgettable introduction, sending down four wides in a 10-ball over as England racked up 48 in the Powerplay.

Bairstow went to a 41-ball fifty before playing around Udana's yorker as Sri Lanka made a belated breakthrough in the 12th over.

Malan, though, reached his half-century from only 30 deliveries, his 12th 50-plus score in just 27 T20 innings.

He then belted Wanindu Hasaranga for two towering leg-side sixes in a 15th over that yielded 18, but from a position of 1-143, England lost five wickets in 23 legal balls as thoughts of a 200-plus total vanished.

Sri Lanka found boundaries hard to come by in reply after Danushka Gunathilaka was dismissed quickly by Willey.

The visitors lurched to 3-29 in the fifth over when Kusal Mendis tentatively nicked off to Willey.

Sri Lanka did, at least, avoid setting a new benchmark for the lowest T20 score in their history - which remains 82 against India in February 2016 - but any hope of a surprise victory had long since vanished.