Cricket World Cup 2019 result: Lasith Malinga stuns England as Sri Lanka seal famous win

England 212 all out, Sri Lanka 232-9 - Sri Lanka win by 20 runs: Malinga took four wickets as England's hopes of a semi-final took a significant dent at Headingley

In a performance worthy of the retro stylings of their new kit, England rolled back the years at Headingley to produce the sort of ODI chase that has haunted them for decades. Former masters of the 50 over meltdown, here they drew extensively from their back catalogue as Sri Lanka provided the upset of the tournament to win by 20 runs in Leeds.

In a thrilling finish to proceedings, Ben Stokes seemed as if he might squeeze his teammates out of the stickiest of situations, making the most of a reprieve on 57 to smash 25 from his next 11 balls, including back to back sixes, but in the end he ran out of partners – stranded on a brilliant 82 when Mark Wood feathered Nuwan Pradeep through to the keeper to complete an electrifying win for the Sri Lankans.

Signs that England were not going to have everything their own way were available from practically the outset of their chase as Jonny Bairstow repeated his trick of falling to the second ball of England’s innings after doing so against South Africa earlier in the tournament – the Yorkshireman unlikely to be cheered up much by the fact that the last opener to record two golden ducks in one World Cup, Romesh Kaluwitharana in 1996, did at least go on to win that tournament.

Anyone who has ever watched James Vince bat could probably predict the method of his dismissal, caught at slip driving the ball. The fielder grasping the chance rather better than Vince has his so far at the top of the order.

However this England side are not afraid of getting off to a comparatively rocky start and through Eoin Morgan and Joe Root they soon began to rebuild, the good work continuing even when the skipper departed via an excellent caught and bowled from Isuru Udana.

England it seemed had barely had to get out of third gear all day, and with Root at the crease an easy if unspectacular cruise to victory seemed the most plausible outcome for the match. He steadily accumulated his way to yet another half century, taking his tally to three in the tournament, to go with two hundreds, from six innings.

However Lasith Malinga was another man intent on playing his old hits and in consecutive overs he ripped the heart out of England’s chase. First he had Root caught behind strangled down the leg side – Sri Lanka wisely using their review to overturn the original decision – then he trapped Jos Buttler plumb LBW, England compounding matters by using theirs to no avail.

With five wickets in hand, 89 runs required and the best part of 20 overs remaining, England would have backed their much-vaunted batting depth to see them home, but no man was able to stick with Stokes to form the partnership they were needing with increasing desperation.

Moeen Ali threatened to do so and when he swept Dhananjaya de Silva for six in the 39th over England's fans breathed a little easier – a feeling that would prove to be extremely short-lived when he somewhat brainlessly holed out to long on the very next ball.

Malinga looked the bowler of old with a superb spell (AFP/Getty Images)

De Silva’s next over would be even more costly for England, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid both caught behind in the space of four balls, joined back in the pavilion 17 balls later by Jofra Archer as the wheels began to completely come off for England – with 47 required from their last wicket partnership, it was only thanks to Stokes that things got as interesting as they did.

The day had started so differently, as while Sri Lanka won the toss, not to mention far outshining their opposition with their national anthem, they soon found themselves in real trouble.

England got on top in just the second over, Archer needing only six balls to add to his burgeoning World Cup wickets collection, the opposition captain Dimuth Karunaratne drawn into edging one through to Buttler.

If that had been a dismissal straight from the playbook of a cloudy May Test match morning, two balls later England had a second more befitting of an ODI that was being played under gloriously sunny skies, Kusal Perera slashing Woakes straight into the hands of Ali down at third man – both openers back in the pavilion with just three runs on the board.

Malinga did the damage for Sri Lanka (AFP/Getty Images) (AFP)

In a team batting performance that would not have looked altogether out of place at the 1992, or if you were feeling particularly ungenerous, 1975 World Cup, only one Sri Lankan appeared to batting in the present day, Aviska Fernando impressing on his maiden World Cup outing.

The 21-year-old launched a spirited fightback, dispatching Archer for 14 in a single over – including a lovely swivelled pull for six over fine leg that nearly left the ground. Fernando indeed appeared to take something of a fancy to the England man, the next time he faced him he went one better, pulling from in front of his face to send the ball soaring once more, careening away over some railings at the back of a stand into parts of Headingley unknown.

No sooner had Fernando looked well set to move to a second ODI half century and beyond, he was out, the second of three Sri Lankan batsmen on the day to be caught at third man, uppercutting Mark Wood straight to Adil Rashid – a dismissal that would suck all impetus out of his side’s batting.

Enter Angelo Mathews, Sri Lankan captain of the past batting in a style plucked straight from it. He would end up batting through unbeaten to the end of his side’s 50 overs, it is rare these days that an innings of 85 from 115 balls proves to be so decisive in setting up a victory.

Stokes' defiance proved to be in vain (Action Images via Reuters)

Zipping through the overs as they operated in tandem, England’s spin duo of Ali and Rashid never let Sri Lanka get away, Moeen’s boundary-less 0/40 from his ten overs as equally impressive as Rashid’s 2/45.

From being a potential weakness before the tournament, suddenly England find themselves overstocked in the bowling department – again unable to find a place for Liam Plunkett – but it would prove to be another impressive showing from the two-pronged express pace combo of Archer and Wood.

Unleashed into the unsuspecting hen-house of Sri Lanka’s lower order, the pair ran amok, plundering two more wickets apiece as Sri Lanka staggered to 232/9 in their 50 overs. Archer is now the equal leading wicket taker in the tournament with 15, Wood three wickets behind having played a game fewer – pacemen are dominating this World Cup and fortunately for England they have have two of its best.

Ironically in the end it was England’s celebrated batting line-up that would let them down, rightly hailed as they have swept all before them over the last four years, but unable to rescue them here against a determined Sri Lanka. In an ODI that more closely resembled those from years gone by, England produced the sort of performance so many thought they had consigned to their past.