Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad shared four big wickets as England ended a 25-year wait with a 65-run win over Sri Lanka in the second one-day international in Dambulla on Thursday.
The pace duo built on man-of-the-match Owais Shah's superb 82 as England dismissed the World Cup runners-up for 169 after posting 234-8 to win their first one-day international in Sri Lanka since 1982.
The victory also helped England level the five-match series 1-1, having lost the first one-dayer by 119 runs at this venue on Monday. The third game will be played in Dambulla on Sunday.
Skipper Paul Collingwood (42 and 2-31) and Graeme Swann (34 and 2-27) also caught the eye with their all-round performances.
"It was very disappointing to lose the first game. The boys showed a lot of character to bounce back. We were fantastic in all departments of the game," said Collingwood.
"Owais played a magnificent innings, to get such a score on a pitch like this and play the shots. It was a good toss to win. We then took early wickets and put them under pressure."
Left-arm paceman Sidebottom (2-23) and Broad (2-42) troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen with pace and movement under lights to reduce the hosts to a paltry 38-4 in the opening 15 overs.
{{/usCountry}}Left-arm paceman Sidebottom (2-23) and Broad (2-42) troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen with pace and movement under lights to reduce the hosts to a paltry 38-4 in the opening 15 overs.
{{/usCountry}}The hosts could not recover from these blows despite defiant knocks from Jehan Mubarak (44 not out), Tillakaratne Dilshan (29), skipper Mahela Jayawardene (23) and last-man Dilhara Fernando (20).