Consolation win for SL, heaviest loss for England

COLOMBO: Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella and skipper Dinesh Chandimal set up a crushing 219-run win via the DLS method over a much-changed England on Tuesday to end their ODI series on a high. Dickwella smashed 95 and Chandimal 80 to help Sri Lanka register their highest-ever ODI total against England and the tourists slumped to 132-9 when rain stopped play in the 27th over. It was only a consolation victory for the hosts as England, who suffered their biggest ODI defeat, took the weather-plagued five-match series 3-1. England’s previous heaviest loss came against the West Indies by 165 runs in Kingstown in 1994. Akila Dananjaya took 4/19 with his mix of leg-spin and off-breaks, while fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera claimed three wickets to flatten England’s chase. —AFP

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 366/6 (Dickwella 95, Chandimal 80, Kusal Mendis 56, Samarawickrama 54); England 132/9 (Stokes 67; Dananjaya 4/19, Chameera 3/20). Lanka beat England by 219 runs via DLS method