The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sri Lanka goes 2-0 up

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Thursday, Jun 22, 2006

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Sport - Cricket

Sri Lanka goes 2-0 up

Ted Corbett

LONDON: Sanath Jayasuriya appeared to be waving farewell to the Oval crowd after his 20th one-day century on Tuesday on the ground where he made a double hundred to help Sri Lanka gain an incredible victory in 1998.

But Jayasuriya had another couple of shots to play. When England threatened to snatch the game with fifties from Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, they were both clean bowled by his highly effective slow left-arm spin.

Sri Lanka, winner by 46 runs, leads the five-match series 2-0 and as at Lord's 72 hours ago, England was the author of its own disaster.

Bad start

As England set out to chase down 320, 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 could not have encouraged England to believe in a victory chase.

Pietersen received a knock on his knee which slowed him down and after hitting a six and nine fours off 77 deliveries, he was bowled as he tried one big shot too many. Collingwood was just as comprehensively bowled.

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