England’s long – and at times difficult – summer ended on a high as a maiden international century for Tom Banton set up a crushing 223-run win over Sri Lanka.There were runs too for Jordan Cox, who hit a sparkling 76 off 52 balls as Jos Buttler’s injury replacement, plus a contender for the ball of the season from Sonny Baker, who found Pathum Nissanka’s outside edge in the second over of the chase with an unplayable delivery that swung and took off as if from a trampoline.Above all, England were able to breathe more freely after blowing their run-chase at Headingley on Thursday, a meltdown which raised the possibility that the white-ball progress made under Harry Brook might be undermined at the last.Instead, Brook – who contributed a typically effervescent 77 – could celebrate a third successive ODI series win, England’s first such sequence since 2023, when their opponents included Bangladesh and Ireland. Since replacing Buttler as captain last year, he has presided over 33 white-ball victories and only 11 defeats, with England’s T20 form especially hot.But the next World Cup, starting in southern Africa in just over a year’s time, is a 50-over affair, and Brook must be quietly thrilled not only that the talk is once more about the actual cricket rather than off-field misadventure, but that options are starting to emerge after some fallow years for the one-day team.Banton is chief among them, having taken his chance to stand in for the injured Jacob Bethell with aplomb. After making 73 three days earlier, he looked in no mood to miss out on three figures, using his height and power to launch five sixes in a blistering 105-ball 126 that will ensure Bethell’s return is no gimme. Tom Banton hit a series of superb boundaries in his innings of 126 as England posted 355-7 Banton was able to celebrate his first century in style as he helped England to a series win His first six, an uppercut off Dilshan Madushanka, showed off his hand-eye coordination. Later, he pulled Madushanka for six more, then deposited his next ball over long-off with exquisite timing.‘To get over the line is a feeling I can’t explain,’ said Banton. ‘There are times when you’re sat there in your room wondering if that chance with England will ever come again. It’s been an amazing day.’All the while, Brook was moving through the gears after a sticky start against the left-arm spin of Dunith Wellalage. After labouring to 10 off 24 balls, including a bad drop at wide slip by Nissanka on seven, he smashed 67 off his next 42, before slapping seamer Asitha Fernando to mid-off.It meant Brook finished the international summer with 10 scores of at least 50 from 23 innings, but only one century. And yet his cross-format average is 50, and his strike-rate 114 – remarkable when you consider 11 of those innings have been in Tests. Ominously for opponents, it feels as if there is room for improvement.The icing on England’s cake was provided by Cox. As Bethell’s stand-in at No 3 in the Test side, he took three half-centuries off Pakistan. Here, he made light of Buttler’s absence as 104 came from the last 10 overs. Until now, Cox’s ODI career had consisted of three underwhelming appearances in the Caribbean in late 2024. He had not made a one-day fifty of any kind. On this evidence, he looks hard to ignore.‘I thought that was near perfect,’ said Brook. ‘Everyone chipped in beautifully. We’re building towards a squad where, if someone does go down, someone else can come in and perform. Coxy was exceptional, and I was really proud of the way Bants played.’It was a less fruitful day for two more experienced players. Ben Duckett was bowled for a duck by a beauty from Madushanka, while Joe Root made just 18 before he fell lbw to Janith Liyanage. Of his 13 dismissals in the three international formats this season, nine have been leg-before. Harry Brook capped off an eventful cricketing summer on a high with a 2-1 series victoryFor only the second time in his career, he has gone through a home summer without a hundred for either England or Yorkshire. Since the only other instance came in 2020, when Covid limited him to 11 knocks for England and none at all for his county, 2026 is very much the outlier.Sri Lanka had never knocked off more than 322, so a target of 357 looked beyond them even before the irrepressible Baker undid Nissanka and celebrated his first ODI wicket with a characteristic leap and punch of the air.Gus Atkinson bounced out both Mendises – Kamindu and Kushal – and Jofra Archer’s direct hit did for Pavan Rathnayake. Cox had dislodged the bails with his gloves before the ball arrived, but the fact that Archer’s deadeye throw uprooted the stump meant Cox’s blunder went unpunished.The rest was a procession, with Liam Dawson – preferred to Rehan Ahmed – hoovering up three wickets, and Sri Lanka were all out for 132 with more than 20 overs of their innings unused. An anti-climax, perhaps, but England weren’t complaining.