Colombo, Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara hit unbeaten half-centuries and shared an unbroken 149-run partnership to lead Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win over England in the second one-day international on Saturday.
The victory at R. Premadasa Stadium gives the hosts a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series.
Players wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence before the start of play to honor Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who died in hospital Thursday after being hit in the neck by a ball during a domestic match in Australia.
Chasing a modest 186 to win the match, which was shortened to 45 overs per side because of rain, Sri Lanka lost two wickets for 37 before Jayawardene and Sangakkara combined to take their team to victory in only 34.2 overs.
Jayawardene blasted an unbeaten 77 off 80 deliveries hitting a six and eight boundaries while Sangakkara was 67 not out in 93 balls including eight boundaries.
They added 149 for the third wicket in only 160 balls.
Sri Lanka had a brisk start to its chase but lost its first wicket in the fifth over with the total on 27. Kusal Perera (9) was caught by Ravi Bopara at square-leg off seamer Steven Finn.
Dilshan scored 26 off 23 deliveries before a miscue off spin bowler Moeen Ali for a high catch to Chris Woakes.
Sri Lankan spin bowler Ajantha Mendis earlier took three wickets to dismiss England for an unimpressive 185 after choosing to bat first. Spinner Dilshan and seam bowler Dhammika Prasad also took two wickets to end England's innings in 43 overs.
Bopara top scored for England with 51, his 14th one-day international half-century, and Joe Root made 42. Both men were uncharacteristically subdued and scored just a boundary each.
England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bat on a slow pitch but his batsmen failed to put on substantial partnerships.
Dilshan opened the bowling from one end and dismissed in-form Ali cheaply to leave England at 7-1. Ali, who scored a quick 119 in the first match, tried to charge Dilshan but was bowled off the edge of the bat.
Ian Bell (11) and Cook (22) looked comfortable at first but fell to ambitious strokes. Bell lofted left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and Thisara Perera took a running catch from long-on. Cook swept Dilshan only to find Kusal Perera at deep square-leg.
There were promising partnerships —Root and Eoin Morgan (38), Root and Bopara (42) and Bopara and Woakes (41) — but the Sri Lankan bowlers intervened at crucial stages.
Mendis had 3-33. Prasad returned 2-16 and Dilshan had 2-32.
Sri Lanka leads the seven-match series 2-0 and the third match will be played in southern Hambantota on Wednesday.
