England top of the world after victory (From Daily Echo)

England top of the world after victory

9:35am Saturday 7th April 2012 in National Sport © Press Association 2013

England secured their first win of the year and ensured they would start the summer on top of the world rankings as they defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the second Test on Saturday.

Chasing 94 to end a four-match losing streak, England did not allow memories of their fourth-innings capitulation for 72 against Pakistan earlier in the year affect them.

Captain Andrew Strauss did fall for a duck in the first over, but Alastair Cook hit a fluent 49 not out and Kevin Pietersen made an explosive 42no - hitting a match-winning six midway through the final afternoon at the P Sara Stadium.

Graeme Swann had earlier taken two wickets, finishing with six in the innings and match figures of 10 for 181.

Play resumed with Sri Lanka 33 ahead on 218 for six, with England eventually claiming the final four wickets for 60 runs.

It took the entire morning session and there was no shortage of talking points - with dropped catches, a DRS reprieve for Mahela Jayawardene and a frustrating last-wicket partnership that added 28 to the England chase.

Sri Lanka opened with spin at both ends and Strauss' mood nosedived when he was bowled for a six-ball duck by Tillakaratne Dilshan. The off-spinner had also dismissed Strauss in the first innings and, having answered his critics with a gutsy 61 in that knock, his frustration here was palpable.

Nerves were tested when Jonathan Trott survived an lbw appeal - and a subsequent referral - against Rangana Herath before he and Cook got the scoreboard moving with a series of singles.

Cook picked up the pace with three boundaries in the space of seven deliveries but Trott was gone lbw for five when Herath gambled on a second review and won. That left England on 31 for two, with first-innings centurion Pietersen next up and he produced his swashbuckling best to remove any nerves.

With three needed to win, Pietersen whipped Dilshan into the on-side for a second six to end a disappointing winter programme for England on a celebratory note.