England crush Sri Lanka by 10 wickets

Openers Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan smashed 50 runs off five overs as England beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in a compelling climax to the third and final Test at the Old Trafford, Manchester, on Monday.

England won with six balls to spare on the fifth and final day, clinching the series 2-0, after Sri Lanka had followed on 259 runs behind and been dismissed for 308.

The final dramatic act unfolded in gloomy conditions, with Trescothick and Vaughan putting their side firmly on course for success by taking 16 off the second over and 10 off the third despite Sri Lanka having most of their fielders on the boundary.

Trescothick, who hit offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan for six in his unbeaten 23, was matched stroke for stroke by Vaughan, who ended 24 not out in their whirlwind performance.

Sri Lanka, 63 for one overnight, had looked like saving the Test after a battling 109 from opener Russel Arnold, but left-arm spinner Ashley Giles provided a significant turning point when he snapped up the last two wickets off consecutive deliveries.

Opener Arnold turned the match into a personal triumph with the third century of his Test career to follow his first innings score of 62. Promoted from the middle order in the first innings because skipper Sanath Jayasuriya was out of form, Arnold batted 367 minutes, faced 236 balls and hit 13 fours.

Alex Tudor finally prised him out shortly after tea when the batsman edged a delivery that swung away and was caught behind by Alec Stewart.

Arnold led his side's resistance in three successive stands that produced 66 runs with fellow left-hander Kumar Sangakkara, 60 with Mahela Jayawardene and 63 with Aravinda de Silva.

Sangakkara made 32 before he was trapped leg before by Tudor. Jayawardene had contributed 28 when he edged Giles to first slip, having escaped being caught for 18 because of a fielding infringement.

Jayawardene was caught by Hoggard at deep square leg off Andrew Flintoff, but South African umpire David Orchard called no-ball because England had three fielders instead of the permitted two behind square on the leg side.

De Silva stroked 40 from 57 deliveries, a lovely cameo to mark his last Test innings in England at the age of 36. He departed to warm applause after falling to a fine, diving catch by Michael Vaughan running in from long leg.

With paceman Andy Caddick missing the last two days of the Test because of a strained left side and Giles hampered by a back problem, England captain Nasser Hussain used his four specialist bowlers in short spells on a pitch still playing well.

But once the second new ball was taken immediately after tea at 253 for four, the innings began to decline.

Hashan Tillekeratne and opener Marvan Atapattu, batting at number 10 because of a finger injury, held out for 50 minutes, but Giles came back to wrap up the innings abruptly.

He finished with four for 62 while man-of-the-match Tudor ended with three for 44 and a seven-wicket haul in the game.

Mail Cricket Editor