Sri Lanka Stay At The Receiving End

England's domination of Sri Lanka continued beyond the Test series as the hostsregistered a thumping 44-run victory in the opening match of the triangular one-day seriesat Trent Bridge last night.

England scored an imposing 293 for six in their allotted 50 overs after electing to bat in the day-night encounter andthen restricted Sri Lanka to 249 for nine in a fine all-round performance that saw Andrew Flintoff excel with the bat aswell as the ball.

Flintoff hammered 50 off just 28 balls after comeback men Alec Stewart, whotop scored with 83 and Ronnie Irani (39) hadlaid a strong foundation for England.

Flintoff capped his batting efforts with three wickets for 48 runs to as Sri Lanka, who lost the Test series 0-2,struggled to keep pace with the climbing asking rate.

The Sri Lankan run chase became a victim of some splendid catching and ground fielding by England and the fight was allover when Russel Arnold (29) and Kumara Sangakkara (22) fell in quick succession immediately after crossing the200-run mark.

Sri Lanka lost their captain Sanath Jayasuriya with the total only on 19 when Nasser Hussain took a spectacular divingcatch off the bowling of Matthew Hoggard. Jayasuriya could manage only 12 runs.

But wicketkeeper batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana and Marvan Atapattu added 72 runs in 15 overs to keep Sri Lankan hopesalive.

It was Flintoff who broke the partnership, with Irani, coming back to the national squad after five years, takinganother brilliant catch to dismiss Atapattu three runs short of his half-century.

Kaluwitharana and Mahela Jayawardene sought to rebuild the innings with a 58-run third wicket stand before PaulCollingwood, who earlier in the day had produced 10 runs off the last three balls of the England innings, snared twowickets in as many overs.

Kaluwitharana was superbly caught by Graham Thorpe for 52 while Jayawardene was clean bowled for 29 to leave Sri Lankain trouble at 152 for four in the 30th over.

Arnold and Sangakkara put up a good partnership but with the asking rate climbing with every over, pressure began toshow on the Sri Lankans who lost their last five wickets for only 24 runs.

Naveed Nawaz remained not out on 15 while Dilhara Fernando was unbeaten on four. Sri Lanka however deniedEngland a bonus point which the hosts would have won had they restricted the Lankans within a total of 235.

Earlier, veteran wicketkeeper Stewart claimed a place back in the national squad with a solid knock. He put on 95for the fifth wicket with Irani to stabilise the England innings after a couple of quick wickets had left the home teamin some sort of problem. Their partnership was England's highest for the fifth wicket against Sri Lanka.

Openers Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight gave England a good start scoring 39 in quick time. 

Sri Lanka's most experienced bowler Chaminda Vaas provided the breakthrough when he had Trescothick caught bySangakkara for 26. Soon Knight was also dismissed, trapped leg before wicket to Nuwan Zoysa for 20.

Captain Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe put on 46 for the third wicket before Fernando gave the English a doubleblow by clean bowling both the batsmen. Hussain was out for 32 while Thorpe scored 18.

England slipped to 104 for four and a big total looked an improbabletask. But enter Stewart and Irani, and England's hopes revived once again. The duo scored easily against an attack thatlacked the sting in the absence of off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who has returned home after aggravating ashoulder injury.

The two batted sensibly collecting their runs mostly through singles and twos with occasional boundary also comingalong.

Arnold, who was taken for 41 runs from his six overs, produced the breakthrough by having Irani caught byJayawardhane at the mid-wicket boundary at the score of 199.

But the dismissal brought disaster for Sri Lanka as Flintoff made life miserable for the bowlers with his lustyhitting. The burly all-rounder was in an explosive mood as he hit five fours and two sixes to reach his fifty in no time.His effort enabled England to score 89 runs from the last ten overs to set up a huge total.

PTI