Sri Lanka vs England: Tom Banton’s unbeaten half-century secures six-wicket win in DLS chase in second T20 International in Pallekele

It is encouraging for England on the eve of the T20 World Cup in the Indian subcontinent, that their spin department is holding up well.

Their total of 12 overs yielded three wickets for 81 runs at an economy rate of 6.75, a return that underlined their increasing control and reliability.

Rashid remains the best in the group, capable of stifling momentum and making breakthroughs in crucial moments.

The experienced leg-spinner’s movement may have been well-studied by opposition players, but it remains a powerful weapon, as Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka discovered when he was trapped by a pound-for-pound leg-spinner.

Dawson’s left-arm spin provided much-needed control through the middle, slowing his pace to the left-hander versus the right-hander, while Jack continues to mature as a bowling option, and has used his angles well.

Brock has plenty of options to fall back on even when the football isn’t getting much going on.

The slight worry for England, with just under a week to go before the major tournament, was that their bowling wasn’t quite on target.

The warning comes with the acknowledgment that the surface at the Pallekele International Cricket Ground was in use, providing little margin for error.

However, Jamie Overton struggled with his length, while Curran, fresh off a costly hat-trick in his T20 opener, surprisingly lacked conviction after conceding 14 off his first over.

Archer fared little better, picking up two wickets despite being targeted early, as Nissanka fired him from the ground in his opener.

However, Archer recovered well to bowl effectively at the death as Sri Lanka pushed to a total of over 200.

More to follow.