England thrashed by 157 runs as Sri Lanka ripped through their batting line-up for 99 in the second one-day international at Chester-Le-Street.
Tilakaratne Dilshan scored 88 and Ashan Priyangan chipped in with a quick 43 as the Asian outfit posted 256-8 after standing skipper for the injured Alistair Cook, Eoin Morgan elected to bowl first.
The chase never really materialised for the hosts, Nuwan Kulasekara picked up three early wickets before spinner Sachithra Senanayake polished the innings off with figures of 4-13 to bowl England out for their fifth lowest score in the 50-over format.
Earlier in the day, James Anderson struck removing Lahiru Thirimanne caught at second slip.
Dilshan was confident from ball one, piercing two beautiful drives off Harry Gurney before hitting another boundary off Chris Jordan. Kumar Sangakkara played a strong role putting on a 96-run stand in 21 overs with Dilshan, the partnership ended in rather strange fashion when the left-hander skied James Tredwell for 40.
Mahela Jayawardene was run-out for 2 and Dilshan continued to show true quality required for English conditions, his well-composed innings of 88 included seven fours.
When the opener was cleaned bowled by Jordan, England were handling the proceedings well at 159-4 inside the 38th over.
Priyanjan (43) cashed in greatly against Tredwell, the spinner’s ninth over went for 16 including two sixes – the second one when over midwicket. A stroke of cleverness came when he reverse-lapped Jordan.
Alongside a partnership of 66 between Priyanjan and Angelo Mathews in last 10 came a clatter of wickets. Gurney (3-59) had Mathews (30) caught at cover by Bopara and Anderson (2-38) eventually removed Priyangan as Sri Lanka finished on 255-8.
England’s chase only looked good for 15 deliveries as Michael Carberry and Ian Bell swiftly moved the score to 19 before disaster struck. Carberry edged Kulasekara behind and in the next over Bell nicked a cut shot to a diving Sangakkara.
Kulasekara’s figures read 3-11 in 11 deliveries as he added Gary Balance onto his list before Lasith Malinga pegged Joe Root’s off stump back as England collapsed to 29-4.
Immediately after the fourth dismissal, Sri Lanka turned their attention to spin as Senanayake made most of the chance to turn the ball, firstly getting rid of Bopara (7) before bamboozling Jordan leg before.
In between Mathews’ had Jos Buttler, Tredwell gifted Senanayake another scalp, Morgan gave it his best effort, launching a pair of sixes to take England past their score of 86 before falling to Dhammika Prasad.
Senanayake collected a fourth victim bowling out Anderson to make sure England were skittled out one short of the hundred mark.
A crushing 157-run mauling for Moores men now leaves the series level at 1-1 before the third ODI on Wednesday at Old Trafford.
Source: DSG
