SOUTHAMPTON, England, 17 June 2006 — Sri Lanka kept their nerve to beat England by two runs at the Rose Bowl here Thursday in what was the tourists’ first Twenty20 international. The visitors, dismissed for 163 after winning the toss, held England to 161 for five from 20 overs.
England’s Paul Collingwood, with four for 22, returned the best figures in the seven-match history of Twenty20 international cricket but it was not enough to give his team a win.
Opener Marcus Trescothick then took England to the brink of victory with 72 off 57 balls including one six and nine fours.
But when he was alertly run out by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, England still needed 12 off eight balls.
That became nine off the final over, bowled by paceman Dilhara Fernando. The target ultimately came down to five off one ball with Tim Bresnan, on his senior England debut, facing.
It was too much for the 21-year-old Yorkshire bowler, who finished on six not out with wicketkeeper Geraint Jones unbeaten on 14.
Sri Lanka, who had been 75 without loss, collapsed after a rapid opening stand between Jayasuriya (41) and Upul Tharanga (34), before Collingwood struck.
The Durham all-rounder, the hero of England’s 100-run win over Australia in the home team’s only previous Twenty20, at the Rose Bowl last year, when he took two for eight and top-scored with 46, saw his return Thursday beat England team-mate Jon Lewis’ four for 24. But it was Jayasuriya who produced the all-round heroics this time, taking two for 32 with his left-arm spin. Sri Lanka’s victory was all the more creditable as they had omitted their two most experienced bowlers in off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and left-arm quick Chaminda Vaas, the heroes of their 1-1 drawn Test series against England concluded earlier this month.
