October 05, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 22, 1428

DAMBULLA (Sri Lanka), Oct 4: England batsman Owais Shah scored 82 to set up a 65-run victory as his side levelled the series against Sri Lanka in the second One-day International on Thursday.

Shah’s 92-ball knock guided England to 234 for eight after they had collapsed to 61 for 4.

The hosts lost wickets steadily in reply to slump to 126 for nine before a last-wicket stand of 43 between Jehan Mubarak (44 not out) and Dilhara Fernando (20) lent their effort respectability.

Shah shared partnerships of 78 with skipper Paul Collingwood (42) for the fifth wicket and then 70 with Graham Swann (34) to lift the tourists after their shaky start.

Swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom then struck two important blows with the new ball, removing Upul Tharanga (8) with his second ball and then claiming the prized scalp of Sanath Jayasuriya (10), who cut straight to cover in his 400th ODI.

Kumar Sangakkara was dropped twice early and battled for 54 minutes for his nine before the left-hander nicked a catch behind off paceman Stuart Broad.

Mahela Jayawardene (23) and Tillekeratne Dilshan (29) repaired some of the damage with a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket before Graham Swann bowled Dilshan through the gate and Jayawardene flicked a slower ball from Collingwood to mid-wicket.

Sidebottom, Collingwood, Broad and Swann finished two wickets apiece.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers had started well after England chose to bat first, making early inroads and then bowling consistently straight.

Opener Alastair Cook (1) was brilliantly caught by a diving Mahela Jayawardene at first slip having edged a Chaminda Vaas outswinger.

Farveez Maharoof trapped Ian Bell (18) lbw and had Phil Mustard (28) caught at cover off a leading edge.

Kevin Pietersen laboured through 41 deliveries for his 12 runs before pulling a short ball straight to mid-wicket.

England were left struggling on 61 for 4 in the 19th over before Collingwood and Shah rebuilt the innings.

Fernando ended the partnership, trapping Collingwood lbw, but Shah was then supported by all-rounder Swann.

Maharoof was the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers taking three for 30 from nine overs.

The third game in the five-match series is in Dambulla on Sunday.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:

A.N. Cook c J’wardene b Vaas 1

P. Mustard c Mubarak b Maharoof 28

I.R. Bell lbw b Maharoof 18

K.P. Pietersen c J’wardene b Fernando 12

P.D. Collingwood lbw b Fernando 42

O.A. Shah c Silva b Maharoof 82

R.S. Bopara b Dilshan 1

G.P. Swann run out 34

S.C.J. Broad not out 8

R.J. Sidebottom not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-5) 7

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 234

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-25, 3-56, 4-61, 5-139, 6-142, 7-212, 8-230.

DID NOT BAT: J.M. Anderson.

BOWLING: Vaas 8-1-27-1; Malinga 10-1-58-0 (2w); Maharoof 9-2-30-3; Fernando 10-0-45-2 (1w); Dilshan 10-0-49-1 (2w); Jayasuriya 3-0-23-0.

SRI LANKA:

W.U. Tharanga c Cook b Sidebottom 8

S.T. Jayasuriya c Bell b Sidebottom 10

K.C. Sangakkara c Mustard b Broad 9

M. Jayawardene c Pietersen b Coll’wood 23

L.P.C. Silva c Coll’wood b Broad 0

T.M. Dilshan b Swann 29

J. Mubarak not out 44

M.F. Maharoof c and b Swann 6

W.P.U.J.C. Vaas c Mustard b Coll’wood 2

S.L. Malinga run out 0

C.R.D. Fernando run out 20

EXTRAS (LB-16, W-2) 18

TOTAL (all out, 44.3 overs) 169

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-21, 3-38, 4-38, 5-90, 6-90, 7-121, 8-126, 9-126.

BOWLING: Anderson 8-1-30-0; Sidebottom 10-2-23-2 (2w); Broad 8.3-0-42-2; Collingwood 8-1-31-2; Swann 10-3-27-2.

RESULT: England won by 65 runs.

UMPIRES: T.H. Wijewardene (Sri Lanka) and R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).

TV UMPIRE: M.G. Silva (Sri Lanka)

MATCH REFEREE: J. Srinath (India).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Owais Shah.

NEXT MATCH: At Dambulla on Sunday.

—Agencies