STILL GOING STRONG: Sanath Jayasuriya, who is in the winter of his career, came up with yet another ODI century on Tuesday. - PHOTO: AP

LONDON: England took its grand total of wides to 42 in two matches as it conceded 319 to Sri Lanka in the second one-day international at the Oval on Tuesday. The England bowling was at its worst even though in the middle of the mayhem that passed for its outcricket Steve Harmison produced figures of 10-2-31-3; a spell that would be considered outstanding if Sri Lanka had been bowled out for 150.

From the moment Liam Plunkett was edged for three fours in his first over it was obvious that Sri Lanka led by that pugnacious batsman Sanath Jayasuriya would set a formidable target.

Hapless Sajid

Its final score was a new record for Sri Lanka against England, its batsmen smashed 80 runs from the hapless Sajid Mahmood — the candidate for Simon Jones's Test place as the reverse swing specialist — and seven bowlers were used as Andrew Strauss tried to stem the flood of runs.

Four more runs and Mahmood would have taken away Derek Pringle's 18-year-old England record from a World Cup tie. He and the wicketkeeper Geraint Jones are the only non-bowlers in the England line-up but he must have been tempted to turn his arm over as the ball headed for the boundary repeatedly.

Needless to say, Jayasuriya led the way with 120, his 20th one-day century and his 80th score of more than fifty. He made his name to a large extent by his double hundred at the Oval in 1998 in one of the most amazing games of cricket many of us have ever witnessed but now, in the autumn of his career, he ought not to be able to belabour an attack as he beat up England's today.

He needed just 136 balls to complete his innings with two sixes and 15 fours.

It took a diving forward catch by the young Tim Bresnan to get rid of Jayasuriya and a smart piece of fielding by Ian Bell to run out Mahele Jayawardene for 66 but the rest of the England fielding was poor. A team full of young players should indicate sharp catching, groundfielding and throwing; not in this side.

Poor fielding

There has been a serious deterioration in fielding since England began its fall from grace as indicated by the nine dropped catches in the Lord's Test. On a good surface, like the one made at the Oval for this match, good fielding is essential. So is accurate bowling and, sadly, England could not provide either today.

As England set out to chase down 320 — its best effort in the past has been 304 to beat Pakistan in Karachi in 2000 — it lost Marcus Trescothick in the second over with only ten on the board. At that point it looked as if a catastrophe was on the cards. Six overs brought 27 runs but one ball from Lasith Malinga crept through ankle high, which cannot have encouraged England to believe in a victory chase. At 48 Strauss lobbed a catch to Muttiah Muralitharan at long on.

We will have to wait to see if Duncan Fletcher, the coach, and the selectors can find a way to boost the team but so far this summer they have not found the right answers.

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