England level series to stay No.1
Whatever doubts England might have had about chasing 94 to win the second Test at the end of a tormented Asian winter did not manifest themselves as they gambolled to victory
03/04Result
2nd Test, England tour of Sri Lanka at Colombo, Apr 3-7 2012
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
275 & 278 -
![England]( "England")
460 & 97/2 (19.4 ov)
Player of the Match
03/04Result
2nd Test, England tour of Sri Lanka at Colombo, Apr 3-7 2012
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
275 & 278 -
![England]( "England")
460 & 97/2 (19.4 ov)
Player of the Match
Day 5
Day 4
Swann strikes raise England's hopes of victory
Sri Lanka retain hopes of wriggling out of the second Test, 101 behind at lunch on the fourth day with eight wickets remaining
Day 3
Pietersen's dazzling ton puts England in command
Kevin Pietersen made 151 as England established a 185-run first-innings lead over Sri Lanka on day three of the second Test
Day 2
Strauss and Cook back in the old routine
Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook put on a century stand as England made a strong start after dismissing Sri Lanka for 275
Day 1
Jayawardene century keeps England at bay
Mahela Jayawardene treated England to another gentle batting masterclass with a second successive Test century on the first day of the second Test
Others
Lessons learned ahead of India tour - Strauss
Andrew Strauss said the most important aspect of England's win was that they emerged from a difficult period with important lessons learned
England rewarded for digging deep
Just as on day one, England's bowlers plugged away until the close to gain an edge in their pursuit of victory
DRS drama and a Swann super over
Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo
Dilshan fined for excessive appealing
Tillakaratne Dilshan has been fined 10% of his match fee for excessive appealing on the third day of the second Test against England at the P Sara Oval
Swann over was decisive - Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene was left to rue missing the opportunity for Sri Lanka's first Test series victory since 2009 and believes if they had survived Graeme Swann's last over on the fourth evening they would have saved the match
Dilshan calls for mandatory Hot Spot
Tillakaratne Dilshan remains convinced he did not edge the delivery to which he was given out on the fourth day against England
Clinical Pietersen turns heat on Sri Lanka
The freedom with which Kevin Pietersen batted confirmed his form and offered further encouragement that England can adapt to Asian conditions
Hard work ahead - Ford
Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said they have a lot of hard work to do in the next two days of the second test after England built a first innings lead of 185 and put the pressure back on the home team.
Pietersen warned for switch hit
Kevin Pietersen has been warned by the umpires in Colombo for his controversial switch hit shot and threatened with a five-run penalty for time wasting.
Banishing the subcontinental homesick blues
England's victory in Colombo proved they can succeed in Asian conditions but they will have to do so consistently to be ranked among the very best
Mathews to continue bowling in one-day cricket
Angelo Mathews is determined to play his role as an allrounder for Sri Lanka despite being sidelined by constant leg injuries
England end subcontinent drought
Stats highlights from England's series-leveling win at the P Sara Oval against Sri Lanka
Switch is a hit
A simple change to the lbw law would encourage a stroke that makes spectators gasp in wonder
Swann hits out at 'witch hunt'
Graeme Swann has hit out at what he perceives is a "witch hunt" against Andrew Strauss following England's four Test defeats this year and the captain's poor return with the bat and backed him as the best captain in the game.
Batsmen climb the learning curve
England strove to show they have learned their lessons after the winter's disappointments - yet they have lost from a position of strength before
Openers stand and deliver
Plays of the Day from the second day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo
Short-leg problems, and Strauss' nemesis
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the fifth day of the second Test in Colombo
Underrated Jayawardene among the best
It was deja vu on day one in Colombo as Mahela Jayawardene again played an innings to confirm his status as among the best of a generation
England edge attritional day - Finn
Steven Finn praised the hard work of England's bowlers after returning to the attack for the second Test against Sri Lanka
Millions of runs for Jayawardene
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the first day of the second Test in Colombo
Prasanna takes a clonking
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third day of the second Test in Colombo
Ditch the plans, England
Blocking, slogging and sweeping haven't worked. Perhaps batting will
We'll try and win - Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene has insisted that Sri Lanka will shelve all notion of playing for a draw in the second Test against England at the P Sara Oval even though that is all they need to secure their first series victory since 2009.
Captains experience conflicting fortunes
ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo