Cricket: Muralitharan sends England to record defeat
Only losses to Australia in Brisbane in 1946-47 and the West Indies at Lord’s 30 years ago came by greater margins than the innings and 215 run difference between the two teams in the Sri Lankan capital.
Muttiah Muralitharan gave a superb display of spin bowling, the mystery spinner bagging 4-63.
The off-spinner broke the back of England’s batting with his alarming turn and bounce as the tourists were shot out for a meagre 148 in their second innings after conceding a massive 363-run lead on the fourth day.
Muralitharan claimed seven wickets in the match to finish with 26 in the series and was declared man-of-the-series. He now has 485 wickets in 85 Tests.
The hosts had earlier declared their first innings closed at 628-8 in reply to England’s 265.
Sri Lanka’s previous biggest win over England was by an innings and 28 runs at Galle two years ago.
England had clinched both of their previous two Test series against Sri Lanka, winning 2-1 in 2001 and 2-0 last year.
Muralitharan, who took 19 wickets in the first two Tests, finished with 26 victims.
The 31-year-old was brilliantly supported by left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya (2-5) and paceman Dilhara Fernando (3-27) as England surrendered meekly.
Muralitharan’s victims included front-line batsmen Graham Thorpe (19) and Nasser Hussain (11) as he plotted the England collapse along with Jayasuriya.
Fernando made short work of tail-enders.
Muralitharan was on a hat-trick when he had Thorpe (19) and Gareth Batty (nought) stumped off successive balls.
Thorpe jumped out to Muralitharan, but failed to read the turn as the ball moved the other way and went through his bat and pad for wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara to effect an easy stumping.
Batty was dismissed first ball as he played forward and Sangakkara brought off a smart stumping.
The wicket-keeper had earlier caught former England captain Hussain to give Muralitharan his first victim.
The spinner then dismissed tail-ender James Kirtley to complete his tally.
After Muralitharan had shaken the foundations of England’s batting, Jayasuriya sent back Mark Butcher (37) and Chris Read (nought) in the space of 10 balls.
Butcher was bowled while Read was trapped leg-before as Jayasuriya kept a tight line and conceded just five runs in his nine overs.
Sri Lanka, resuming at 563-5, batted 49 minutes in the morning before declaring their innings closed.
Tillakaratne Dilshan, 72 overnight, was bowled by left-arm spinner Ashley Giles for 86 after hitting three fours in his 131-ball knock.
Upul Chandana (76) struck two sixes and seven fours before being dismissed by fast bowler Kirtley.
Tail-ender Muralitharan made an entertaining 21 not out off just 10 balls with two sixes and a four.
Giles, Kirtley and Flintoff finished with two wickets apiece.
