England beat Sri Lanka in dramatic finish, clinch series 2-0

Manchester, June 17: England clinched a dramatic victory in the third Test against Sri Lanka on the fifth and final day here at Old Trafford on Monday.

Needing 50 to win from six overs after bowling Sri Lanka out for 308, England got home with six balls to spare.

That gave them a 10 wicket win and the three-match series 2-0 - their first victory in their last five Test series.

Marcus Trescothick was 23 not out and Michael Vaughan 24 not out.

England's openers took eight off the first over from Chaminda Vaas, with 16 coming off the next from Dilhara Fernando.

Brilliant off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan could not halt the runs, 10 coming from his first over with Trescothick sweeping a six.

The Somerset left-hander was dropped off Muralitharan by Fernando on 22 and then a scampered leg bye gave England victory as the light faded.

Sri Lanka, 253 for four at tea, collapsed against the new ball that England took immediately after the interval, losing three wickets for seven runs in 34 balls.

Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles then polished off the innings with three quick wickets removing opener Marvan Atapattu, batting down the order because of a broken finger, and last man Muralitharan in successive balls.

Hashan Tillekeratne was 32 not out.

Fast bowler Alex Tudor, who took four for 65 in the first innings, did the early damage with three for 44, and was made man of the match.

It was a performance again achieved without the support of senior paceman Andrew Caddick who, as on Sunday, was off the field all day with a side strain.

Russel Arnold started the slide in the sixth over after tea.

He was caught behind by wicket-keeper Alec Stewart off a flashing drive against Tudor for 109 after more than six hours of assured resistance.

Vaas followed, plumb lbw to Matthew Hoggard for one, before Eric Upashantha (three) was caught by Stewart off Andrew Flintoff spell.

Fernando (four) resisted for 33 balls before he was lbw to Giles.

Earlier Arnold, promoted to open the innings in this match, batted impressively, his third Test hundred coming in 211 balls including 11 fours.

Veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva, in what seemed certain to be his final Test in England, made 40 before, hooking at Tudor, he was well caught by Michael Vaughan diving foward at deep backward square leg.

Mahela Jayawardene (28) was the first to fall in the second session when, trying to run Giles down to third man, he saw England captain Nasser Hussain take a sharp slip catch.

Jayawardene had been "caught" in the deep before lunch but as England had three fielders behind square on the leg side, rather than the permitted maximum of two, umpire dave Orchard called no-ball.

However, England had a lucky break when Kumar Sangakkara was lbw to Tudor for 32.

Replays suggested that Steve Bucknor, standing in a world record 67th Test as an umpire, had erred with the ball pitching outside leg stump.