England battle to tense victory

7 October 2007, Dambulla

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THIRD ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL, Dambulla:
England 164-8 beat Sri Lanka 164 by two wickets
Match reduced to 48 overs per side, England target 164

England won a tense, low-scoring match in Dambulla to take a 2-1 lead in the one-day series against Sri Lanka.

They needed just 164 in 48 overs, but had major problems when reduced to 47-4 and 107-7 on an ultra-slow wicket.

However Graeme Swann, who had earlier bowled brilliantly, hit a brave 25, and with six wanted from nine balls Stuart Broad drove Lasith Malinga for four.

The next ball was clipped for two over square leg, and England had won by two wickets with seven balls remaining.

Broad finished unbeaten on 20 to go with his 2-26 and was engulfed by a Ryan Sidebottom embrace when scoring the winning runs.

Earlier, spinner Swann (4-34) excelled as Sri Lanka were bowled out in 41.1 overs.

They were the best figures by an England spinner since Michael Vaughan took 4-22 against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in 2002.

All nine wickets to fall to bowlers were taken by Nottinghamshire men, with a run-out completing the haul.

Paul Collingwood would not have been thrilled after losing the toss, given how easily each side defended their totals batting first in the earlier matches.

But England never allowed Sri Lanka to get away from them, and once again Sidebottom's left-arm swing bowling was bang on target. He took 3-19 in 8.1 overs.

Sidebottom defeated Upul Tharanga's forward prod to bowl him through the gate, then watched Swann dive to take a good catch at fine leg to dismiss Sanath Jayasuriya.

Broad tasted immediate success when his opening delivery was flogged by Mahela Jayawardene straight to point.

And the youngster grabbed another fortunate wicket in his next over thanks to Kumar Sangakkara's noble gesture.

The Sri Lankan number three gave Phil Mustard a faint edge, but neither England's wicket-keeper nor Broad appealed for the catch.

However, Sangakkara was already walking back to the pavilion, sportingly giving himself out to leave the score 42-4 in the 15th over.

Swann, never afraid to give the ball air and turn it as much as possible, provided a cutting edge in the latter half of the innings.

Chamara Silva was caught off his own boot as a sweep shot went wrong, before two mesmerised batsmen gave Swann easy return catches.

Ravi Bopara ran out Chaminda Vaas with some excellent work and Sri Lanka were finally bowled out in the 42nd over.

Only Dilshan had come to terms with the wicket, in an innings featuring some confident pulls and drives. The next best score was Tharanga's 15.

But if England were hoping to ease to a comfortable victory, they were in for a harsh reality check.

Alastair Cook's woeful run continued when he nibbled at a ball from Vaas he could easily have left and had to depart for a duck.

Mustard hit two eye-catching boundaries but then dragged a short ball from Farveez Maharoof (3-34) onto his stumps.

And when Kevin Pietersen - who has made no impact at all on the series - fell lbw to a big Maharoof inswinger the score was 44-3.

Ian Bell looked in good form. But when he got out too, playing a risky shot off Maharoof for Dilshan to take a stunning catch at point, England were really up against it at 47-4.

A painstaking stand worth 47 between Collingwood and Owais Shah got the tourists back into the mix.

But despite a required run rate of only 3.5 an over, Shah eventually lost patience and was bowled, attempting a huge drive off Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya then made the critical breakthrough to remove Collingwood, and it looked to be game over once Bopara fell lbw to a Lasith Malinga yorker.

But there were to be some further twists in store.

Swann and Broad conjured up a confident, phlegmatic partnership of 40 for the eighth wicket to put the pressure back on the Sri Lankan fielders.

With only 17 wanted, Dilhara Fernando found a perfect yorker to re-arrange Swann's stumps.

But Broad and Sidebottom had enough nous to get England past the winning-post, the match finishing at 11.24pm local time.

Source: BBC Sport