England Tie Series & Stay On Top With Eight-Wicket Victory

England Tie Series & Stay On Top With Eight-Wicket Victory

England celebrate the key wicket of Mahela Jayawardene on their way to victory in Colombo

©REUTERS / Action Images

England 460 (Pietersen 151) & 97-2 beat
Sri Lanka 275 & 278 (Swann 6-106) by 8 wickets
Second Test, Colombo
Scorecard | Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four

England maintained their number one Test ranking by beating Sri Lanka by eight wickets on the final day of the second and final Test in Colombo to tie the series 1-1.

Graeme Swann became the first Englishman to take ten wickets in a match in Sri Lanka as England bowled their hosts out for 278 and then reached 97 for two to win.

Swann's figures of six for 106 included the key wicket of Mahela Jayawardene (64) and after two early wickets having been set 93, reached their target relatively comfortably.

Andrew Strauss (0) and Jonathan Trott (5) fell cheaply before Alastair Cook hit a composed unbeaten 49 and Kevin Pietersen a belligerent 42 not out in 28 balls.

He won the match by hitting Dilshan for 16 runs in four balls including a six to finish the game emphatically.

The victory means that Tim Bresnan also broke a record as this was his 11th Test matach and 11th Test victory.

The series was tied 1-1.

© Cricket World 2012