England began their third and final one-day international against Sri Lanka with a strong opening, reaching 6-0 after the first over of the innings.
Fast bowler Asitha Fernando tested the English side early by lodging an LBW appeal against opener Tom Banton, but the umpire turned it down. The delivery pitched just outside leg stump and appeared to be swinging away, though it would have been plumb if it had hit the stumps.
Banton responded by playing a pristine cover drive off an outswinger to bring up the match’s first boundary, prompting praise from former England captain Nasser Hussain on commentary, who described the shot as “classic” and “perfection.”
The decisive encounter, scheduled to start at 10:30 am BST, remains level heading into this final contest, with live updates being provided alongside matches in South Africa, Australia, and county cricket as the domestic season reaches its climax.
Sri Lanka need to bowl tighter if they want to stay in this match.
What a start! Banton’s cover drive was absolutely beautiful to watch.