Malinga’s five-for in vain as England wins
Dambulla, Sri Lanka - Incisive bowling from Chris Woakes (3-26) and a rapid spell from Olly Stone uprooted four Sri Lanka wickets in the first nine overs - their collective new-ball effort outdoing Lasith Malinga's heroics (5-44) at the death, and bringing about a 31-run for England win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
Malinga had taken four for 19 in his final five overs, completing his first five-wicket haul in over four years, as England was restricted to 278 for nine despite having seemed destined for a total in excess of 300.
But although the hosts' bowlers had performed creditably, keeping England in check for the majority of their innings, Sri Lanka's top order failed for the third consecutive time, slumping to 31 for four then 74 for five, effectively surrendering the match in those early overs. Dhananjaya de Silva and Thisara Perera forged an unbeaten 66-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but could not make up enough ground before rain cut Sri Lanka's chase short at the end of the 29th over.
Its score at the time was 140. With five wickets down, it would have needed 172 to win.
Woakes, who had missed the home ODIs in the English summer through injury, delivered a tight and constricting first spell, eliciting a series of false shots from Sri Lanka's top order batsmen, three of which resulted in wickets.
Upul Tharanga was the first to depart, edging a ball angled across him in the first over. New captain Dinesh Chandimal was the second of Woakes' wickets, under-edging into his stumps as he attempted to punch the delivery through the covers. Dasun Shanaka, batting unusually high at No 5, then touched a seaming ball behind after facing a harried 18 deliveries.
With Stone also having had Niroshan Dickwella caught off the glove with a vicious bouncer at the other end, Sri Lanka was reeling, and the middle order were left with a monumental task to get back in the game.
That England got as many as it did was largely the work of senior batsmen Eoin Morgan and Joe Root, who hit 92 off 91 balls and 71 off 83 respectively - the pair batting together in a 68-run third-wicket stand.