You could not have written a more dramatic Test match script, given a room full of cricket-loving monkeys with typewriters. The advantage swung to and fro, before England stunned their hosts on the third afternoon, leaving 74 runs for their fourth consecutive series win, which, with a few flutters, they did to much celebration.

The England team then did a mini lap of honour, to reward the large British contingent, who outnumbered the Sri Lankan fans around the picturesque SSC ground in Colombo. Their were big smiles all around, as Graham Thorpe guided England home with 32*, following his first innings 113*, a deserved man-of-the-match.

DAY 1 - After again losing the toss, Nasser Hussain saw Sri Lanka get off to a decent start. But determined bowling, particularly from Robert Croft and a rejuvenated Ashley Giles after lunch slowed down the run-rate.

Croft is enjoying good form on his 'comeback' tour, while Giles has been battling against an achilles injury during the first two Test. Jayasuriya and Sangakkara pushed the total along during the morning session, but after good work from England's spin-twins, the pressure began to tell after tea, as Sri Lanka dipped from 205-3 to 221-7 by the close.

Mahela Jayawardene and Aravinda de Silva had put the home side in a decent position at 203 for three, before continued effort from England in the field, backed up by some canny captaincy from Hussain, brought about a decline, which sealed England's advantage, as minutes before the close, Jayawardene was undone by Croft and edged to the gleeful Alec Stewart. That will teach him to waste time! It may have cost him a momentary, but very costly for Sri Lanka, lapse of concentration.

DAY 2 - England began positively, finishing off the final three Sri Lankan wickets for 20 runs, before Atherton and Trescothick smashed 28 off the first four overs. At lunch 44-0, things looked promising, until Vaas again trapped Atherton leg-before, and Trescothick was caught via Arnold's shirt. Hussain, was still struggling with his groin injury, and never settled. Stewart found it tough going against Murali and debutante left-arm spinner Hettiarachchi, and soon succumbed to Murali, being bowled off a full-length delivery.

England were then up against it, but Thorpe again looked strong and composed. With Vaughan beginning nervously, it was a tough afternoon session, but by the close, England got back into the game, finishing 66 behind still with six wickets in hand.

DAY 3 - On a livelier track than the first two Tests, the bowlers had the upper hand, and Chaminda Vaas produced his best Test figures to scupper England's chances of a big lead, he dismissed Vaughan, white and Giles in quick succession early on to leave England 181-7, still 60 adrift. But Croft (16) and Gough (14) both supported the effortless Graham Thorpe on his way to a stylish and unruffled century.

With a minimal lead of 8, the game was wide open, but England soon got stuck into the Sri Lankan's, who just folded one after another, as Gough and Caddick, then Giles routed the home side for their second lowest Test score, and effectively decided the game in 133 minutes of madness.

Only Jayasuriya, de Silva and Jayawardene hung around long enough to trouble the scorers much, but England kept breaking through, their was to be no late-order resistance here. Sri Lanka came onto the field with heads hung low, the game was all but up.

Chasing a low total, England came out all guns blazing, and soon wobbled at 43-4, but Thorpe and White calmed the situation down, adding 20, before White and hop-along Hussain fell in quick succession. But Ashley Giles got a full-toss from Jayasuriya and duly pushed it past cover and scampered the winning single with a weary Thorpe. Gough quite rightly took man of the series for his 14 valuable wickets on pitches more accustomed to spin, while the whole team were deservedly ecstatic.
Richard Kendall