England snatch surprise tour win

Tour match, Colombo (day three): England 134 & 247-5 beat Sri Lanka Board XI 298-9d & 81 by five wickets

Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen hit half-centuries as England won their final warm-up match in Sri Lanka.

James Anderson recovered from his ankle knock to take the final wicket, and bowl the Board President's XI out for 81, setting England 246 to win.

Cook (58) and Michael Vaughan (28) put on 50 for the first wicket, before Cook and Pietersen (59) added 65.

The five-wicket victory in Colombo came after England were bowled out for 134 on Monday to concede a 154-run lead.

Matthew Hoggard was the only specialist seamer operating when the President's XI began their second innings after tea on Monday, with Anderson and Steve Harmison out of action.

Anderson wrapped up the innings in the first full over of the day when a bouncer to Chanaka Welegedara was gloved to Matt Prior.

Cook and Vaughan then gave England a fast start.

But it was a shame Vaughan was not able to produce a more substantial innings after collecting three boundaries in one over from Sujeewa de Silva, including an exquisite back-foot drive.

With the team half-century posted as early as the 10th over, home team skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan was forced to turn to the part-time medium pace of Jehan Mubarak.

The change worked, as an over-confident Vaughan advanced down the track and sliced to backward point.

Ian Bell lasted just 19 balls, perishing as he tried to hit off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan over the infield, only to pick out mid-on.

His lack of runs were a worry given that he was one of many batsmen to fail in the first innings.

But Pietersen was in even more desperate need of some time in the middle after scores of four and one in his two previous innings.

He hit an early boundary to be 10 not out in the lunchtime score of 88-2, and expanded his repertoire in the afternoon session.

Soon after Cook had reached his half-century, Pietersen reverse-swept a six over point off the off-spinner Dilshan.

The off-spinner timed the ball impressively, hitting five other boundaries in a polished 59.

He eventually departed when under-edging a cut at Chamara Kapugedera, shortly after Cook's own demise - leg-before sweeping for the second time in the contest.

Their departures left Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara in tandem with 79 required, and the pair battling it out for the number six spot in the first Test.

By tea they had wiped another 29 off the equation with Bopara lofting Mubarak for a straight six and Shah also tucking into boundaries.

In the rush to finish the job, Bopara hit a catch back to Mubarak to give the bowler his third wicket, leaving Shah and Matt Prior to take England past the winning line.

Bopara made 21, Shah 33 and Prior 27.

England's run chase was made easier by the absence of leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi.

He is expected to be out of action for two months after undergoing an operation on his dislocated right index finger - an injury sustained while attempting to take a return catch off Bopara on Monday.

Source: BBC Sport