England v Sri Lanka: Cook leads by example to leave Old Trafford decider

An Old Trafford decider therefore beckons on Saturday, after James Anderson did most to derail Sri Lanka for only 174 and then captain Cook answered his critics again.

His and Craig Kieswetter’s record opening stand was interrupted by a heavy shower at 55 in under eight overs, and the threat of more rain was the only conceivable danger to England – who knew 20 overs of their innings were mandatory to constitute a result in a match they dominated throughout.

But in pursuit of a revised target of 171, Cook (95 not out) followed up last weekend’s Lord’s century as he and Kieswetter (72no) ensured any doubt about the outcome was merely fleeting on the way to a 10-wicket margin – with an astounding 24.1 overs to spare.

Anderson (3-24) had shone again, on his most productive international ground, as England’s seamers hustled Sri Lanka out in only 43.4 overs.

Three of Sri Lanka’s top five went for six runs between them to Anderson, at the venue where he took 11-71 against Pakistan in last summer’s Test series.

Kumar Sangakkara (75) then dug in to rescue a still under-par total, after his team had been put in and lurched to 57-5.

Anderson took his one-day international tally to 14 wickets in Nottingham – the best by anyone here – and Yorkshire’s Tim Bresnan also shifted danger man Mahela Jayawardene cheaply with the new ball.

Tillakaratne Dilshan was first to go, for a fourth-ball duck, via a thin edge behind as Anderson immediately found swing and away movement off the pitch too in his first over.

Jayawardene was undone at the other end by Bresnan, edging another that left him low to slip.

Young No 3 Dinesh Chandimal then achieved cricket’s hero-to-zero feat, following his match-winning unbeaten Lord’s hundred with a duck when Anderson got one to hold its line and pin him lbw pushing forward.

Thilina Kandamby became the fourth consecutive departure for a single-figure score when he edged exaggerated movement off the seam to be caught at second slip by Graeme Swann.

Much therefore depended on Sangakkara, joined by a promoted Suraj Randiv.

The latter, listed to come in at 10, belied that billing in a useful stand of 37 which bought Angelo Mathews some time before he would have to contend with the moving ball.

Stuart Broad broke his duck for the series when Randiv gloved him behind down the leg-side. But Sri Lanka’s decision to tweak the batting order nonetheless appeared to work, the combative Mathews able to play with enough freedom to strike both Broad and Jade Dernbach for sixes in a sixth-wicket partnership of 72 with Sangakkara.

The all-rounder eventually fell to a memorable piece of work by Bresnan, who extracted enough bounce to hit the shoulder of the bat and then demonstrated impressive athleticism and determination to hold a diving caught-and-bowled chance with his outstretched left hand.

Sangakkara reined in his shots, allowing himself just a smattering of five boundaries in his 80-ball 50 and blunting the threat of Swann’s off-spin – which nonetheless permitted only 31 runs in 10 overs.

Sri Lanka were even tempted into powerplay on 157-7 at the 40-over stage. But too much early damage had been done and Dernbach (3-38) made the most of favourable circumstances to take the last three wickets in only 10 balls. Sangakkara was last out mistiming an attempted big hit to point, for his highest one-day international score against England.

A delighted Cook said afterwards: “I don’t always time the ball as well as that. A couple of innings won’t stop the criticism and I will have to do that over a long period of time. Tough times are good times and when you win you enjoy it.

“It was outstanding, we were lucky enough to win the toss; the way we bowled was fantastic and put them under pressure and then knocking them off without losing a wicket was fantastic.

“I felt Jimmy (Anderson) was outstanding. It didn’t move that much. They all bowled well, I was really pleased for Stuart Broad to pick up some wickets and Jade (Dernbach) bowled well in the power play.

“We did well and I think at the end we proved it was a good wicket, Craig and I proved it was a very good wicket.”