DAMBULLA, Oct 13: England were awarded victory in the second One-day International against Sri Lanka on a faster run rate on Saturday after play was halted by heavy rain.
The tourists scored 278-9, with Eoin Morgan smashing 92, but umpires stopped play at Dambulla with Sri Lanka on 140-5 after 29 of their overs.
Thisara Perera was on 44 and Dhananjaya da Silva on 36 when play was halted. The pair had put on 66 for the sixth wicket after Sri Lanka looked in deep trouble at 74 for five.
Heavy rain was still falling an hour after the suspension and England recorded a 31-run victory under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.
Only 15 overs of the first ODI between the two sides was possible on Wednesday before the game had to be abandoned without a result.
A warm up game against a Sri Lanka Cricket XI on October 6 did not start because of rain.
The third 50-over match is in Pallekele on Wednesday. England will also play two Tests and a Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka on the tour, which runs through November 27.
SCORECARD
England: J Roy c Dananjaya b Malinga 0, J Bairstow b T Perera 26, J Root c Dananjaya b de Silva 71, E Morgan c&b Malinga 92, B Stokes c de Silva b Dananjaya 15, J Buttler b Pradeep 28, M Ali b Malinga 0, C Woakes lbw Malinga 5, L Dawson b Malinga 4, A Rashid not out 19, O Stone not out 9. Extras: (lb 3, nb 2, w 4) 9. Total: (For 9 wickets in 50 overs) 278. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-72, 3-140, 4-190, 5-218, 6-218, 7-245, 8-249, 9-254. Bowling: Malinga 10-1-44-5, Pradeep 10-0-52-1, Dananjaya 10-0-64-1, T Perera 7-0-37-1, Sandakan 9-0-59-0, de Silva 4-0-19-1.
Sri Lanka: N Dickwella c Buttler b Stone 9, U Tharanga c Buttler b Woakes 0, L Chandimal b Woakes 6, K Perera c Roy b Dawson 30, M Shanaka c Buttler b Woakes 8, D De Silva not out 36, T Perera not out 44. Extras: (b 1, lb 2, w 4) 7. Total: (For 5 wickets in 29 overs) 140. Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-16, 3-20, 4-31, 5-74. Bowling: Woakes 5-0-26-3, Stone 6-0-23-1, Dawson 6-0-26-1, Ali 10-0-47-0, Rashid 2-0-15-0. � AFP
