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Sri Lanka knock out jaded England
2011-03-27 01:24:18
England crashed out of the World Cup as Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga hit centuries to guide Sri Lanka to an emphatic 10-wicket quarter-final win.
Jonathan Trott's stubborn 86 provided the spine as England battled to a seemingly competitive total of 229-6.
But Tharanga and Dilshan made quick progress in the run-chase to take the game away from a tired England.
Dilshan ended with 108 and Tharanga 102 as Sri Lanka consigned England to only their fifth 10-wicket one-day loss.
This was an even more decisive quarter-final defeat than the one they inflicted on England 15 years ago, when another opener - Sanath Jayasuriya - clubbed 82 from 44 balls to set up a five-wicket win in Faisalabad.
However, in contrast to the 1996 tournament and the subsequent three global events, England can take something positive away from this World Cup.