Graeme Swann and Chris Tremlett bowled England to an extraordinary innings-and-14-run victory as Sri Lanka collapsed in a barely believable 24.4 overs on the final day in Cardiff. The pair shared eight wickets before Stuart Broad bounced out the last two batsmen to secure one of more extraordinary wins in recent memory considering the amount of time lost to rain. Sri Lanka was shell-shocked and couldn't handle the pressure, losing eight wickets in the final session.
When Andrew Strauss declared two overs into the day, having given Ian Bell chance to reach his hundred - after play was delayed until 3pm by heavy morning rain - the summit of England's ambitions appeared to be taking some emotional points to Lord's on Friday. However, Tremlett removed both openers before tea to set the nerves jangling, and when Mahela Jayawardene became his third at the start of the final session, panic was start to set in the Sri Lankan ranks.
Only when they were eight down did the visitors try to erase England's benefit with any haste as Thisara Perera and Ajantha Mendis put bat to ball, but wickets were never far away against a pumped-up bowling attack. It didn't matter that Strauss only had three frontline options, with James Anderson suffering a side strain. Tremlett preyed on the batsmen's insecurities against the short ball, Swann found turn to force exhausted minds into playing loose shots, and then Broad hustled through the final resistance with 26 overs still to play.
Score Details: England 496 for 5 dec (Trott 203, Cook 133, Bell 103*) beat Sri Lanka 400 (P Jayawardene 112, Paranavitana 66, Anderson 3-66, Swann 3-78) and 82 (Swann 4-16, Tremlett 4-40) by an innings and 14 runs
When Andrew Strauss declared two overs into the day, having given Ian Bell chance to reach his hundred - after play was delayed until 3pm by heavy morning rain - the summit of England's ambitions appeared to be taking some emotional points to Lord's on Friday. However, Tremlett removed both openers before tea to set the nerves jangling, and when Mahela Jayawardene became his third at the start of the final session, panic was start to set in the Sri Lankan ranks.
Only when they were eight down did the visitors try to erase England's benefit with any haste as Thisara Perera and Ajantha Mendis put bat to ball, but wickets were never far away against a pumped-up bowling attack. It didn't matter that Strauss only had three frontline options, with James Anderson suffering a side strain. Tremlett preyed on the batsmen's insecurities against the short ball, Swann found turn to force exhausted minds into playing loose shots, and then Broad hustled through the final resistance with 26 overs still to play.
Score Details: England 496 for 5 dec (Trott 203, Cook 133, Bell 103*) beat Sri Lanka 400 (P Jayawardene 112, Paranavitana 66, Anderson 3-66, Swann 3-78) and 82 (Swann 4-16, Tremlett 4-40) by an innings and 14 runs
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