COLOMBO (Reuters) – England overcame spirited late resistance from the hosts to seal a first 3-0 series sweep in Sri Lanka when the tourists wrapped up a 42-run victory shortly after tea on the fourth day of the third and final Test on Monday.

Chasing an improbable 327-run target, Sri Lanka’s last six batsmen combined well to get to within less than 50 runs of what would have been a remarkable triumph after they resumed on 53 for four at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Kusal Mendis (86) and Roshen Silva (65) set the tone with a dogged 102-run sixth-wicket stand in an exemplary display of defiance spread over 30 overs as Sri Lanka sought to end a disappointing series on a high.

After Mendis was run out, Malinda Pushpakumara (42 not out) survived a sickening blow to the helmet to add 58 runs with Suranga Lakmal for the final wicket to give England some jitters before the tourists secured victory in the first over after tea.
“I’m proud of everyone,” England captain Joe Root said. “Brilliant performance from the whole squad, it’s been a real team effort which has made it even sweeter.”

England moved to number two, behind India, in the world test rankings after a victory on foreign soil Root hoped would lead to further success.
“We knew we’re capable of winning in these conditions but to do it the way we have and to perform as consistently as we have is a real improvement for this group of players,” he said.

“It shows the learning and the ability within the squad and hopefully we can use it now as springboard to move forward.”
England looked on course for a routine triumph after half an hour of play when Jack Leach angled one into the leg stump and nightwatchman Lakshan Sandakan could only edge the ball to Ben Stokes at slip to depart for seven.

AWKWARD BOUNCE
The hosts rallied and Mendis brought up his seventh test fifty as Silva shrugged off occasional discomfort against all-rounder Stokes’ awkward bounce to thwart the England attack.
Leach’s left-arm spin could not separate the duo but his right-handed throw did, the Somerset bowler charging in from backward square leg to throw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Mendis short of his ground.

It was a sad end to a stellar innings by the right-hander, who hit eight fours and a six in an assured knock.
Leach (4-72) struck again to dismiss Niroshan Dickwella for 19 with Keaton Jennings enhancing his reputation as an exceptional close fielder by taking a smart bat-pad catch, his sixth of the match, at short leg.

Moeen Ali (4-92) dismissed Dilruwan Perera and Silva but Pushpakumara engineered a spirited counter-attack with stand-in skipper Lakmal, who was the last man out.
Jonny Bairstow was declared man-of-the-match for his innings of 110, but Ben Foakes may continue as wicketkeeper after being adjudged man-of-the-series for his impressive batting and neat glove work in an impressive international bow.

England triumphed won the first match in Galle to end a 13-match winless streak in overseas tests and triumphed in Pallekele to take an unassailable 2-0 lead, ending the side’s 17-year wait for a test series victory in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka sacked their selection committee on Sunday and replaced them with a new panel headed by former test player Asantha de Mel.

England 2nd innings
Rory Burns lbw Dilruwan Perera 7
Keaton Jennings lbw Dilruwan Perera 1
Jonny Bairstow c (Sub) b Dilruwan Perera 15
Joe Root c&b Malinda Pushpakumara 7
Ben Stokes c Malinda Pushpakumara b Dilruwan Perera 42
Jos Buttler st Niroshan Dickwella b Lakshan Sandakan 64
Moeen Ali c Dhananjaya de Silva b Lakshan Sandakan 22
Ben Foakes Not Out 36
Adil Rashid c Niroshan Dickwella b Malinda Pushpakumara 24
Stuart Broad c Kusal Mendis b Malinda Pushpakumara 1
Jack Leach c Niroshan Dickwella b Dilruwan Perera 0
Extras 3b 4lb 3nb 0pen 1w 11
Total (69.5 overs) 230 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-3 Jennings, 2-20 Burns, 3-35 Bairstow, 4-39 Root, 5-128 Stokes, 6-168 Buttler, 7-171 Ali, 8-215 Rashid, 9-217 Broad, 10-230 Leach

Bowling: Dilruwan Perera 29.5 – 3 – 88 – 5, Malinda Pushpakumara 12 – 2 – 28 – 3,
Dhananjaya de Silva 9 – 1 – 24 – 0, Suranga Lakmal 3 – 1 – 7 – 0 (1w 1nb)
Lakshan Sandakan 16 – 1 – 76 – 2 (2nb)

SRI LANKA 2nd innings
Danushka Gunathilaka c Ben Stokes b Moeen Ali 6
Dimuth Karunaratne b Moeen Ali 23
Dhananjaya de Silva lbw Jack Leach 0
Kusal Mendis Run Out Jack Leach 86
Angelo Mathews c Stuart Broad b Ben Stokes 5
Lakshan Sandakan c Ben Stokes b Jack Leach 7
Roshen Silva lbw Moeen Ali 65
Niroshan Dickwella c Keaton Jennings b Jack Leach 19
Dilruwan Perera c Keaton Jennings b Moeen Ali 5
Suranga Lakmal lbw Jack Leach 11
Malinda Pushpakumara Not Out 42
Extras 8b 0lb 2nb 0pen 5w 15
Total (86.4 overs) 284 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-15 Gunathilaka, 2-24 de Silva, 3-34 Karunaratne, 4-52 Mathews, 5-82 Sandakan, 6-184 Mendis, 7-214 Dickwella, 8-225 Perera, 9-226 Silva, 10-284 Lakmal
Bowling: Stuart Broad 5 – 0 – 14 – 0 ( 3w), Moeen Ali 26 – 3 – 92 – 4,
Jack Leach 28.4 – 4 – 72 – 4, Ben Stokes 8 – 1 – 25 – 1 (2w 1nb),
Adil Rashid 19 – 1 – 73 – 0 (1nb)