Banton century powers England to 355 for 6 at Adelaide

Tom Banton produced a magnificent 121 from 99 balls to stake his claim for a permanent role at the top of the ODI order, while Jordan Cox and Will Jacks made their own marks at the back-end of the innings, as England bounced back from their drubbing in Perth to post an imposing 355 for 6 in the second outing of their three-match series, in Adelaide.

Joe Root contributed 62 from 68 balls in a second-wicket stand of 137, as he and Banton built a platform from which Cox in particular was primed to leap. With Jacob Bethell and Jos Buttler among England's absentees on this trip, Cox ensured that his name won't be easily expunged from the World Cup discussions with a quickfire 67 from 49, his second ODI half-century.

It was England's highest ODI total in Australia and the first time Australia had conceded 350 on home soil, even though the hosts stuck to their task gamely on a typically true Adelaide Oval surface. There was no Mahli Beardman this time - Australia's six-wicket debutant was rested as a precaution after his exertions at Optus Stadium. But Xavier Bartlett provided a cutting edge with three expensive wickets, including each of England's top-scorers, as well as their early casualty, Ben Duckett, who was constrained by Australia's tight lines before being caught at point for 9.

Banton, however, was the innings' most dominant presence. He picked off England's first boundary with a flick off the pads in the second over, but the key moment arguably came four overs later, when he was struck on the helmet by a sharp bouncer from Spencer Johnson, that dislodged his neck guard and appeared to leave a nasty bruise on his cheek.

Though he was fine to continue, Australia were adamant that they'd identified a weakness in Banton's technique. Instead, on Adelaide's compact square boundaries, the short ball was ripe for the picking. He helped himself to two fours and a six from his next three short balls, and in total, ten of his 16 boundaries were dispatched through the arc from fine leg to cow corner, including all four of his sixes.

The last two of those came from back-to-back bouncers from Bartlett, even though his innings did end immediately afterwards, as a diving Cameron Green clung on well at deep midwicket. As proof of a tactic well executed, however, the moment left something to be desired.

Root, by contrast, was more focused on the front foot, with his balance at the crease the dominant feature of a serene afternoon's work. In his 201st ODI, he cruised through to his 70th score of fifty or more from exactly 50 balls, and as he and Banton brought up England's 150 in the 27th over, a maiden 50-over hundred against Australia seemed to be at his mercy.

On 62, however, Root's innings ended in an uncharacteristically rash flurry. Perhaps, with the platform set and with England's powerful middle-order developing pad-rash, he felt it was his duty to pick up the scoring rate. But he picked the wrong delivery to haul over the leg-side, as Cooper Connolly deceived him with extra bounce, and Liam Scott the sub fielder pocketed a looping top-edge at short cover.

Whatever Root's thinking, Harry Brook was unable to capitalise on his extra time in the middle. He bristled for 11 balls without much impact, before reversing his stance to ramp Riley Meredith into the top of his own middle stump for 5.

It was another self-inflicted departure from England's captain, and another single-figure score after his bearding by Beardman in Perth, and at 175 for 3, Australia had regained some control of the contest. This was thanks in no small part to some smart captaincy from Mitchell Marsh, who at one stage used six different bowlers in the space of seven overs to deny England any fluency through the middle overs.

Banton, however, was undeterred as he marched through to his second ODI hundred, from 86 balls, and his sixth fifty-plus score in his last eight innings. He reached the landmark with a back-foot punch to wide long-off off Adam Zampa, and celebrated with a sigh of satisfaction as he kissed the badge on his helmet, a reflection perhaps of a man who is now seizing his chance to take centre stage, after seven years on the fringes of England recognition.

Cox, similarly, has had to wait for his opportunities, and he made his patience count as England's innings ticked into the final powerplay. Having reached a measured 28 from 28 balls at the end of the 40th over, he went into overdrive as Spencer Johnson returned to the attack. A brutal cover-drive was followed by an expert ramp for four, before a one-handed swat for six off Jack Edwards carried him through to a 39-ball half-century.

Jacks played a proactive second fiddle. He was dropped on 40 by a leaping Zampa at short third - an interception that saved four runs - but finished on 54 not out from 40 balls as Sam Curran and Gus Atkinson joined the back-end acceleration with handy cameos. Atkinson smoked consecutive sixes in Edwards' final over to take England past 350, before Jacks capped the innings with one last boundary, straight down the ground.