PALLEKELE: Joe Root’s third hundred powered England to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fifth One-day International in Pallekele on Thursday and kept alive their hopes in the seven-match series.

After rain forced play to be suspended on Wednesday, the visitors returned to chase down a 240-run victory target with five balls to spare. They trail the hosts 3-2 in the series.

The 23-year-old Root (104 not out) added 104 for the third wicket with James Taylor (68) after England lost both openers cheaply to off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake.

The Yorkshire right-hander, who hit seven fours in his 117-ball knock, reached his hundred by slog-sweeping Ajantha Mendis for a six in the penultimate over.

Senanayake, back in the Sri Lanka team after being cleared to bowl again with a remodelled action, bowled Moeen Ali (four) in the second over.

He then compounded England’s problems by getting under-fire captain Alastair Cook, who has faced criticism following a string of poor results and lack of runs, out lbw for 20.

Taylor and Root consolidated initially before launching into the bowlers and laying down a solid platform for the chase.

The 24-year-old Taylor, who hit five fours and a six, showed nimble footwork against the spinners to get to his second successive half-century before he was dismissed by Thisara Perera.

Root and Ravi Bopara (28) took England close to the target with a fourth-wicket stand of 86 runs. Bopara and Eoin Morgan (five) fell in quick succession with England in touching distance of the win.

England paceman Chris Woakes (6-47) tore through the Sri Lankan lower order to bowl out the hosts for 239 in 49 overs on Wednesday despite a cultured 91 from Kumar Sangakkara.

A torrential downpour then kept the players off the pitch and prompted the match officials to abandon the day’s play.

Scoreboard SRI LANKA:

T.M. Dilshan b Jordan 35 M.D.K.J. Perera c Jordan b Finn 0 K.C. Sangakkara c Root b Woakes 91 M. Jayawardene c Jordan b Woakes 2 A.D. Mathews c Woakes b Jordan 40 H.D.R.L. Thirimanne lbw b Tredwell 8 B.M.A.J. Mendis c and b Woakes 12 N.L.T.C. Perera c Root b Woakes 27 S.M.S.M. Senanayake b Woakes 0 K.T.G.D. Prasad not out 5 B.A.W. Mendis b Woakes 0

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-2, W-15) 19

TOTAL (all out, 49 overs) 239

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-54, 3-59, 4-144, 5-173, 6-199, 7-202, 8-212, 9-238.

BOWLING: Finn 6-0-28-1; Woakes 8-0-47-6 (5w); Moeen Ali 10-0-50-0 (3w); Jordan 10-0-56-2 (2w); Tredwell 10-2-33-1 (1w); Root 5-0-21-0 (2w).

ENGLAND:

A.N. Cook lbw b Senanayake 20 Moeen Ali b Senanayake 4 J.W.A. Taylor c Mendis b T. Perera 68 J.E. Root not out 104 R.S. Bopara c Thirimanne Dilshan 28 E.J.G. Morgan c T. Perera b A. Mendis 5 J.C. Buttler not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-2, NB-1) 9

TOTAL (for five wkts, 49.1 overs) 240

FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-35, 3-139, 4-225, 5-238.

DID NOT BAT: C.R. Woakes,

C.J. Jordan, J.C. Tredwell, S.T. Finn.

BOWLING: Dilshan 9.1-0-45-1; Senanayake10-0-35-2; Mathews 4-0-14-0; Prasad 4-0-24-0 (2w; B.M.A.J.Mendis 7-0-41- 0; B.A.W. Mendis 9-0-49-1 (1nb); N.L.T.C. Perera 6-0-26-1.

RESULT: England won by five wickets.

UMPIRES: R.S.A. Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka) and R.J. Tucker (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: B.N.J. Oxenford (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Joe Root.

NEXT MATCH: Pallekele, Saturday.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2014