It was the 1697th ODI in cricket history.
It was the 23rd match between these two sides. The record now reads: Sri Lanka 10, England 13.
Umpires G Silva and TH Wijewardene were officiating in their seventh and third match respectively.
Russell Arnold was playing his 50th match. He became 24th Sri Lankan and 228th player overall to do so.
Marvan Atapattu was leading Sri Lanka for the first time in a ODI. He became 11th player to have the opportunity of captaining Sri Lanka in a match.
The opening wicket unbroken partnership of 166 runs between Atapattu and Romesh Kaluwitharana is Sri Lanka's best for this wicket against England eclipsing the 71-run partnership between Avishka Gunawerdene and Kaluwitharana at Sydney on 03-02-1999.
The partnership is also the second best for Sri Lanka for opening wicket after the 171 run-partnership between Sanath Jayasuriya and Atapattu against Bangladesh at Colombo SSC on 22-07-1997.
The partnership is also the second best for this wicket against England for any country. The best still remains the 188 run-partnership between Indians Krish Srikkanth and Ravi Shastri at Cuttack on 27-12-1984.
Romesh Kaluwitharana's unbeaten 102 was the highest score by a Sri Lankan wicket-keeper in all matches. Interestingly the previous record was also on the name of Kaluwitharana. He had made 100* against Kenya at Nairobi on 28-09-1996. Overall it was the 21st hundred by a wicket-keeper in ODIs. The table is headed by Australian Adam Gilchrist (6), followed by England's Alec Stewart (4), Kenya's Kennedy Otieno (2), India's Rahul Dravid (2), Zimbabwean Andy Flower (2), Sri Lankan Romesh Kaluwitharana (2). Zimbabwean Dave Houghton and two New Zealanders Ken Wadsworth and Adam Parore with one hundred each complete the tally.
Kaluwitharana's innings is the highest by a wicket-keeper against England obliterating West Indian Junior Murray's 86 at The Oval on 26-05-1995. Incidentally the previous highest score by a Sri Lankan 'keeper against England was 68 also by Kaluwitharana at Lord's on 20-08-1998.
Kaluwitharana when on 24, completed his 3000 runs in the matches in which he has performed the duty of keeping the wickets. He became first Sri Lankan and only the fourth wicket-keeper to reach this landmark after Zimbabwean Andy Flower (4987 runs from 161 matches), Englishman Alec Stewart (3361 runs from 108 matches) and Australian Adam Gilchrist (3246 runs from 105 matches).
Marvan Atapattu became the second Sri Lankan to score 50 plus runs on first captaincy assignment. The only other being Sanath Jayasuriya who made 102 against Zimbabwe at this same ground on 26-01-1998.
Atapattu also became the fifth Sri Lankan to end on winning note on captaincy debut. Others to do so for Sri Lanka are: Bandula Warnapura (v India, Manchester,16-06-1979), Arjuna Ranatunga (v India, Dhaka, 29-10-1988), Ravi Ratnayake (v Bangladesh, Dhaka, 02-11-1988) and Sanath Jayasuriya (as above).
Sri Lanka registered its first win by 10 wickets. It was also the first time that England lost a match by this margin. The previous biggest win for Sri Lanka in terms of wickets was by nine wickets - achieved on five occasions. England, on the other hand,had lost three matches by nine wickets before this defeat came.
Kaluwitharana won his sixth Man of the Match award.
At the end of the series: Sri Lanka's overall ODI record: played 350, won 142, lost 192, tied 2 and abandoned 14.
England's overall ODI record: played 325, won 162, lost 152, tied 2 and abandoned 9.
Sanath Jayasuriya's captaincy record: played 48, won 30, lost 16, tied one and abandoned one.
Marvan Atapattu's captaincy record: played one,won one.
Graham Thorpe's captaincy record: played 3, lost 3.