A one-handed six from Jos Buttler sealed the deal and a delighted Harry Brook said yes, it absolutely did feel like he was in charge of the new No 1 T20 side in the world.
“Everything is running so smoothy, especially in the field,” the captain said after England’s eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka. “Lads are taking it upon themselves to make sure they’re in the right spots, buying into everything we’re talking about in the outfield especially, putting 100% in and that is all you can ever ask for.”
He acknowledged that holding on to the crown after leapfrogging India may be a little more difficult: “We got to stay motivated, try and keep that spot as long as possible. We probably don’t play as much T20 as other nations, especially India who play a hell of a lot, so keeping that might not be as easy as it sounds, but every opportunity we get we try and dominate whether the conditions are in our favour or not. And we’re getting really good at, when the conditions are not in our favour, still managing to scrape a win.”
The conditions were in England’s favour at Old Trafford, where an unchanged side did what they had done twice before, and seven times this year: beat Sri Lanka with a flourish. Brook’s 23rd win in 26 completed matches since he became captain was an exhibition match: a win with more than 10 overs to spare, leaving the good-natured crowd in the autumn sun looking around for more entertainment as the ground packed up around them.
Such was England’s dominance that the huge expanse seemed to shrink when they were fielding. In their mismatched navy blue trousers and royal blue (and red) tops, they were everywhere, long-legged praying mantises patrolling the damp ground. Here Liam Dawson avoiding Jofra Archer’s footwork for a neat run-out of Eshan Malinga; there a double-handed diving effort by Brook at short midwicket to get rid of the dangerous Pathum Nissanka. And there the giant form of Jamie Overton blocking Kamil Mishara’s attempt to clear the rope.
England’s bowlers ran smoothly through their paces. Sonny Baker continued the fantastic impression he had given this series with two for 17 from his 3.5 overs – Brook calling him “awesome” – while Overton’s miserly four overs, one for 15 may cheer up his brother, Craig, whose County Championship ambitions were near-ended by Yorkshire on Friday.
With the bat, it was business as usual. There were three stinging fours by Aneurin Donald, but he missed the chance to ink his name on a winter tour after advancing with ambition at Tharindu Ratnayake, and turning round to find he had been stumped. That brought Brook and a throaty cheer, and he wasn’t hanging around. Twenty-one runs came off Nuwan Thushara’s over, a wristy flick for six followed immediately by a wide spray through the keeper’s gloves for five wides and then another four clipped off the boots and an extra cover carve.
Take your pick of the rest: Buttler flaying Malinga without moving his boots for four down the ground; or swatting him for six, like a September wasp in the kitchen, to bring up his fifty off 30 balls. Sri Lanka’s effort was a comedy of errors, wides and misfields, though they did manage to run out Brook before the close as he gambled on a quick single and was beaten by Wanindu Hasaranga with a nimble turn-and-throw, for 33.
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Sri Lanka’s lowest score of the series did come with a bit of panache. There were seven sixes, including Nissanka’s slog-sweep off Dawson’s first ball. But all the best intentions fizzled under pressure, with two run-outs and a freakish hit wicket as Hasaranga swung so hard that he ended up on one knee knocking off one of his own bails.
The watching Stephen Fleming, who had been unveiled in his first press conference as Test coach, was seen out in the middle as England warmed up, chatting happily with Brendon McCulllum, his white-ball counterpart and red-ball predecessor. Test coach he may be, but he has a long history of coaching franchise cricket and will have liked what he saw. And there are three one-day internationals to come.
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