Joe Root and Jos Buttler set up England’s 122-run victory over Sri Lanka

Joe Root and Jos Buttler laid the platform for England’s dominant 122-run win over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final one-day international in Cardiff.

Joe Root and Jos Buttler laid the platform for England’s dominant 122-run win over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final one-day international in Cardiff on Saturday.

England players celebrate winning the series.(Reuters Photo)

Root top-scored with 93 as England made 324 for seven.

Together with man-of-the-match Buttler, who made a typically rapid 70, he put on 109 for the fifth wicket.

Sri Lanka’s chase never got going and they were bowled out for 202 with more than seven overs to spare.

That gave England a convincing 3-0 series win, with one tie and one no result.

It was further proof of the progress England ha made in ODI cricket since their humiliating first-round exit from last year’s World Cup, which included a nine-wicket thrashing by Sri Lanka in Wellington.

Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, opted to bowl first Saturday after winning the toss on a green-tinged pitch.

Man-of-the-series Jason Roy, who scored a superb 162 on his Surrey home ground during England’s six-wicket win at The Oval on Wednesday, again looked in good touch with a run-a-ball 34.

But there was to be no third hundred this series after his 112 not not out at Edgbaston, with Roy hoisting paceman Suranga Lakmal to deep square leg.

Sri Lanka's Dasun Shanaka is stumped by England's Jos Buttler during the fifth and final match. (AP Photo)

James Vince, opening in place of the injured Alex Hales, marked his maiden ODI innings with a stylish fifty before carelessly getting himself stumped after charging at off-spinner Danushka Gunathilaka.

His exit left England 108 for two.

England captain Eoin Morgan made 20 that included a soaring six over long-on off leg-spinner Seekkugge Prasanna.

However, the left-hander also fell to Gunathilaka when he sliced the off-spinner to cover sweeper Kusal Mendis.

It was the 21st successive innings in all international cricket where the Irishman had failed to make a fifty.

Gunathilaka, best known as a batsman, took an ODI best three for 48.

Buttler, scooping fours and launching Lakmal for a spectacular six over long-off, added fresh impetus.

His 45-ball innings ended when he was bowled by debutant Chaminda Bandara for the left-arm seamer’s first international wicket.

Root then reverse-swept a Bandara full toss for four to bring up 300.

At the start of the last over, Root -- dropped on 90 -- was 93 not out.

But there was to be no ninth ODI century for the Yorkshireman, as the first delivery of the 50th over saw him bowled by Pradeep to end a 106-ball knock including six fours.

England’s James Vince in action. (Reuters Photo)

Sri Lanka were soon nine for one at a sunny Sophia Gardens when Kusal Perera was lbw to David Willey.

Gunathilaka, in a good all-round effort, made 48 before he too was lbw, to Liam Plunkett.

Mathews defiantly drove Plunkett down the ground for four but next ball the fast bowler knocked his stumps over to the joy of a crowd where many fans were still celebrating Wales’s shock 3-1 Euro 2016 football quarter-final win over Belgium in Lille on Friday.

Plunkett, continuing his good form this series, took three for 44.

Sri Lanka’s 105 for four became 105 for five when Upul Tharanga was bowled by leg-spinner Adil Rashid for a golden duck.

Willey ended the match with three wickets in seven balls.

Nine wickets were shared by Yorkshire bowlers with the other Sri Lanka dismissal seeing their county colleague Jonny Bairstow run out Kusal Mendis in conjunction with Lancashire wicket-keeper Buttler.

Sri Lanka will have one last chance for a win on either English or Welsh soil this tour when they face England in a lone Twenty20 international at Southampton on Tuesday.