ENGLAND secured their first win of the year and ensured they would start the summer on top of the world rankings as they defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the second Test yesterday. Chasing 94 to end a four-match losing streak, England did not allow memories of their fourth-innings capitulation for 72 against Pakistan earlier in the year affect them.
Captain Andrew Strauss did fall for a duck in the first over, but Alastair Cook hit a fluent 49 not out and Kevin Pietersen made an explosive 42 not out, hitting a match-winning six midway the final afternoon at the P Sara Stadium.
Graeme Swann had earlier taken two wickets, finishing with six in the innings and match figures of 10 for 181.
Play resumed with Sri Lanka 33 ahead on 218 for six, with England eventually claiming the final four wickets for 60 runs.
It took the entire morning session and there was no shortage of talking points – with dropped catches, a DRS reprieve for Mahela Jayawardene and a frustrating last-wicket partnership that added 28 to the England chase.
Sri Lanka opened with spin at both ends and Strauss’ mood nosedived when he was bowled for a six-ball duck by Tillakaratne Dilshan. The off-spinner had also dismissed Strauss in the first innings and, having answered his critics with a gutsy 61 in that knock, his frustration here was palpable.
Nerves were tested when Jonathan Trott survived an lbw appeal – and a subsequent referral – against Rangana Herath before he and Cook got the scoreboard moving with a series of singles.
Cook picked up the pace with three boundaries in the space of seven deliveries but Trott was gone lbw for five when Herath gambled on a second review and won.
That left England on 31 for two, with first-innings centurion Pietersen next up and he produced his swashbuckling best to remove any nerves.
With three needed to win, Pietersen whipped Dilshan into the on-side for a second six to end a disappointing winter programme for England on a celebratory note.

SRI LANKA first innings 275 (M. Jayawardene 112)
England first innings 460 (K. Pietersen 151, R. Herath 6-133)
SRI LANKA second innings (o/n 218-6)
D. Prasad c Bresnan b Finn 34
L. Thirimanne c Strauss b Anderson 11
T. Dilshan c Anderson b Swann 35
K. Sangakkara c Prior b Swann 21
M. Jayawardene c Cook b Swann 64
T. Samaraweera b Swann 47
S. Randiv b Swann 0
A. Mathews c Strauss b Finn 46
P. Jayawardene b Swann 2
R. Herath c Anderson b Patel 2
S. Lakmal not out 4
Extras: (b-4, lb-6, w-2) 12
Total: (all out, 118.5 overs) 278
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-64, 3-104, 4-125, 5-215, 6-215, 7-238, 8-242, 9-251.
Bowling: Anderson 20-6-36-1, Finn 15.5-1-30-2 (w-1), Swann 40-1-106-6, Bresnan 14-5-24-0 (w-1), Patel 25-7-54-1, Pietersen 4-0-18-0.

ENGLAND second innings
A. Strauss b Dilshan 0
A. Cook not out 49
J. Trott lbw b Herath 5
K. Pietersen not out 42
Extras: (lb-1) 1
Total: (two wickets, 19.4 overs) 97
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-31.
Bowling: Dilshan 7.4-1-43-1, Herath 9-0-37-1, Randiv 3-0-16-0.