Irene Goodnight

The England of fairy tales, where gallant knights of untold courage overcame dragons despite the circumstance, finally ran out of the story book endings which had so clearly book marked this World Cup. In their last appearance there were no dragons, just the Sri Lankan lions whose roar out matched them.

Batting first was a good omen foretold by the overwhelming record of the scene in which they were set at Colombo, as few chase and win at Premadasa. The mind set was endurance and in the main the batsmen did their job. Jon Trott was again the rock upon which England build her innings, with yet another fine display in which batsmanship was more dominant than flair and strokeplay tempered with defence. To survive is to provide the opportunity of runs and he has done it well in the various lands of nodding heads and deference to the heritage he has borrowed by convenience for an international place. Regardless, his batting spanning the last six months has been all or more that Dusty Miller and his generals could have hoped for. He has assimilated so well that he bats like a Yorkshireman despite haling from Cape Town via Warwickshire. Ravi Bopara, who name rolls off the tongue as well as any other Englishman, like Bell played supporting roles and the under used Welshman, Eoin Morgan provided spark and substance to an English innings that ended where Strauss dreamed it might on such a pitch, in such a place and at such a time. The English captain, who has done so much that has been good and positive and in the best interest of the men under his management, played a poor hand but in the end, it was almost unnoticed. What a fine man he is. His assertions this week against a boring old twat from Yorkshire are example of the finest, truest of characteristics of real meal to which more needs to be said. History wasn't enough against an opponent which has cruised for the most part, content with flexing muscles which needed little more than the occasional flick to progress in this tournament. Only Pakistan have worried them and that may be the case in a week if Afridi's men survive a promised epic against India. This, a difficult chase against history as much as England, was achieved with ten overs left and with the openers still in place. Sri Lankan's quite rightly much vaunted super batsmen, Sangakkara and Jayawardene made no appearance as Tharanga and Dilshan flayed an English attack which has struggled throughout. Swann bowled like a man who was more perspiration than inspiration and he was treated scant respect. As often as England beat the bat, the dashing bats of Sri Lanka beat the boundary as the home crowd screamed approval. In the end, justice prevailed and form found its truest expression here in Colombo. Had England won, travesty would have held hands with fairy tale. They failed to field the bowlers they needed and relied heavily on Trott's anchor rope and Strauss driving force. They were beset with injuries from the start and exhausted by the banquet of cricket they have feasted on. Hindsight would inform them that seven ODI's in Australia between the Ashes and this were ill advised but like other beautiful things, its not appreciated until time and rest provide shelter for such reflections. Sri Lanka, by contrast, are fresh as several spring paddocks full of daisies and New Zealand won't mess with their heads. This is not a side which chokes. We have the prospect of two more wonderful contests left of the three games scheduled and if the cricket gods might agree, the final one will match the two most imaginative sides in world cricket - Pakistan and Sri Lanka - and a little man with bulging eyes might leave a champion.