England have completed a remarkable three-day victory over Sri Lanka with a four-wicket win in Colombo. A tense final day, in which 22 wickets fell, finally ended with England wrapping up their fourth consecutive series win, and their first ever series victory over Sri Lanka.

A target of 74 didn't look too testing for England, but the loss of their top-order attempting to play positive cricket ensured a nervous finish to the series. Graham Thorpe kept his head however and secured England's first win in a three Test series having been one down since 1888.

England's initial plan this morning must have been for Thorpe and Vaughan to add substantially to their overnight partnership. That was not to be however, as Vaas ran through the England middle-order with some high quality left-arm swing bowling. Vaughan failed to add to his overnight 26, edging a ball angled across him, and with White falling in the same way next ball, and Giles lasting little longer, a first innings lead looked unlikely for the tourists with the score on 181-7.

Sri Lanka should also have had the wicket of Graham Thorpe, who edged onto his pad and was caught by Russel Arnold in the third over of the day, when he made 73. Muttiah Muralitharan, though, has been unlucky all series and the stern faced David Orchard gave Thorpe a reprieve. Thorpe continued to bat well however, his hundred coming up in 250 balls and 301 minutes, with 10 fours as Croft lent valuable support in a partnership worth 28. The Welshman is growing in stature with every performance on this tour, and this was a vital contribution to add to his good performance with the ball.

Croft's run out, for 16 having been sent back by Thorpe, looked to be costly when, shortly afterwards, Caddick was caught by Jayasuriya, off Vaas, for a duck. It took a robust cameo from Gough, hitting three boundaries as he took the bowlers on, to see England past the Sri Lankan total. Sri Lanka wrapped up the England innings soon after lunch, as Darren Gough was caught at first slip by Mahela Jayawardene for 14 runs off the bowling of Chaminda Vaas, who completed a career best six for 73, surpassing his six for 87 in New Zealand during his first overseas tour. It was his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, but the first time he has taken such a haul for over five years.

England knew that the new ball would be crucial and the opening bowlers, Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick, responded well. They reduced Sri Lanka to 24 for three, as three wickets fell in nine balls.

Marvan Atapattu was the first to be dismissed as he was deceived by a slower ball from Darren Gough and lobbed an easy catch to Robert Croft at mid-on. He failed to score and thus completed a pair in this Colombo Test. He looks a shadow of the batsman who scored a ten-hour double century in Galle three weeks ago.

Six balls later Kumar Sangakkara was also dismissed for duck as he groped at a Caddick delivery and was caught behind. Then, in Gough's fourth over, Sanath Jayasuriya, who was looking in excellent form and had hit 23 from 16 balls, was trapped leg-before wicket.

A 33-run partnership between de Silva and Jayawardene followed. De Silva smashed successive boundaries off Caddick, but the Somerset man won the battle when he bowled a slower ball, and de Silva hit it to Thorpe at mid-wicket. Arnold was next to go, falling to Croft's third ball, completing a pair for the Sri Lankan. Umpire Orchard called for the third umpire's assistance to see if Hussain's catch at first slip had been taken cleanly, but the red light condemned Arnold.

Giles trapped Jayawardene lbw, sweeping, for 11 to leave the score on 59-6. When Vaas followed 10 runs later, caught by Atherton at slip off Giles for six, Sri Lanka were deep in the mire as England had taken seven wickets in the afternoon session of the deciding Test to reduce Sri Lanka to 71-7 at tea. Shortly after tea, Dilshan – the last recognised batsman - was bowled by Giles; Gough induced a mis-hook from Fernando and Muralitharan was lbw to Giles, reverse sweeping to finish off Sri Lanka for 81, setting England a target of just 74.

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