Related Links : England in Sri Lanka 2007/08 : Scorecard
Sri Lanka won the fifth and final ODI at RPS, Colombo by a huge margin of 107 runs. The series however was already won a couple of days back at this same venue with the final score being 3-2 in favour of England. Today’s victory for the home team was scripted by Chamara Silva and Dilhara Fernando.
Batting first after having won the toss, Sri Lanka found themselves in trouble after a rapid start from Sanath Jayasuriya (26 from 18 with a couple of sixes). The veteran added 45 for the first wicket in the first seven overs with the 25-year-old debutant Dilruwan Perera scoring 30 before being the second batsman to be dismissed. Sri Lanka after that lost wickets at regular intervals leaving Chamara Silva to play a responsible knock. At one stage the home team was hopelessly placed at 159 for 7 but could end up at 211 all out in 48.1 overs. Chamara scored a very good 73 with 9 fours which had come in 109 balls.
England were playing Monty Panesar in this match after the injury to off spinner Graeme Swann. Monty bowled well for his 1 for 31 in 10 but the real damage was done by the three fast bowlers. Stuart Broad was the most successful with 3 for 36.
The target for the visitors was the same that they had chased successfully in the fourth ODI. But today the wicket was much slower and Dilhara Fernando struck a great rhythm by mixing up his split finger slower deliveries with his normal ones. England just went on losing wickets in a heap in the Powerplays to find themselves at 78 for 6 by the end of the 20th over. Their innings lasted just the 29.1 overs with just 104 on the board. Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen were the joint top scorers with 25 each. The wicket of Pietersen’s was the turning point of the chase after he was bowled playing all around a Chaminda Vaas delivery.
The Man of the Match was Dilhara Fernando for his destructive spell of 6 for 27 in 8 overs. Vaas and Malinga took a couple of wickets each. Also outstanding among the Sri Lankans was Kumar Sangakkara who took a couple of superb catches. The Man of the Series went England’s way with left armer Ryan Sidebottom getting the honours.