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WACA, Perth, Western Australia, Friday

England booked a place in the best of three Carlton and United finals, when they beat Sri lanka by 128 runs in another day/night match at the WACA here, today.

As for the Sri Lankans they will have to just play out the remaining games and honour their commitments.

England's victory was made possible by a devastating spell by seamer mark Ealham who ignited on a pitch full of cracks and opening up as the game progressed to bemuse and send the Lankan batsmen to the pavilion in quick succession.

Ealham used the uneven pace and bounce in the wicket with some accurate and intelligent bowling for Sri Lanka to collapse sensationally losing their last nine wickets for 38 runs. After Kaluwitharne went early at 15 for 4, jayasuriya who was lucky to survive a chance when on 11 joined forces with Atapattu to add respectability with a 50-run stand for the second wicket.

The way they were going it looked that there was more than a game in the offing. Then Jayasuriya who hit a massive six and 4 fours in his 40, lofted Ealham to Hollioake at 65. Immediately followed Atapattu and Aravinda de Silva which opened the gates for an amazing collapse by the Sri lankans. Atapattu made 17, de Silva (1), Jayawardena (3), Mahanama (6), Ranatunga (11) and the tail too failed to wag and it was a sad sight to see the Lankan batsmen coming and going without offering any resistance.

All credit to Ealham who took 5 for 32. But it was the irresponsible batting by the Lankans that made him look unplayable. It was a sad sight to see skipper Ranatunga being given a big boo when he walked in to bat. This was incensed by the suspended sentence given him by match referee. What spectators were looking for was a punishment much more severe on him. But it was consoling to Ranatunga to see him well.

On Sunday the Lankans play the Australians and on this performance unless a miracle the Lankans are doomed for another big defeat. England made 227 and Sri Lanka folded up for 99.

Sri Lanka brought in Aravinda de Silva for Hashan Tillekeratne and also gave left-arm pacie Ruchira Perera a go and kept out Pramodaya Wickremasinghe. De Silva who has only now recovered from a nasty thigh muscle injury was playing his first game. Skipper Ranatunga again beat Stewart to the toss and asked England to go in first. Perera made a sensational debut when he knocked back the stumps of Stewart with the swinging yorker for nought in fifth ball of his first over. Working up a lot of pace and using the bounce on the wicket to advantage he had knight nicking to de Silva in the slips. Then he moved one away from Hussain and Kaluwitharne took a good catch. It was a stinging opening from this left-armer. Coming on in his second and third spells he failed to keep up the good work and finished with 3 for 55.

But what was disappointing was that in his anxiety to bend his back a little too much he delivered 10 no balls and 3 wides.

It's 38 for 4 in the ninth over, it looked as though the England innings would crumble. The fourth wicket was that of Greame Hick who was the scourge of the Sri Lankan bowlers. He was out lbw to Vaas without offering a stroke for 10. Then Neil Fairbrother and Adam Hollioake began a remarkable recovery putting on 87 for the fifth wicket, pushing singles and getting the odd boundary.

Hollioake played the supporting role while Fairbrother the role of aggressor. Hollioake made 46 valuable runs while Fairbrother contributed a vital unbeaten 81 with 3 fours.

Ealham and Croft hit out lustily to make 16 and 32 and take England to a formidable 227 for 7. Vaas had 2 for 38. But it was Muralitharan who was again 'no balled' by the spectators who bowled most economically to take 1 for 26 in his 10 overs in all the Lankans gave away 29 sundries - 15 no balls, 8 wides and 6 leg-byes. They have to be millionaires to throw away runs, so important as this. Mark Ealham was made man of the match.

Sri Lanka brought in Aravinda de Silva for Hashan Tillekeratne and also gave left-arm pacie Ruchira Perera a go and kept out Pramodaya Wickremasinghe. De Silva who has only now recovered from a nasty thigh muscle injury was playing his first game. Skipper Ranatunga again beat Stewart to the toss and asked England to go in first. Perera made a sensational debut when he knocked back the stumps of Stewart with the swinging yorker for nought in fifth ball of his first over. Working up a lot of pace and using the bounce on the wicket to advantage he had knight nicking to de Silva in the slips. Then he moved one away from Hussain and Kaluwitharne took a good catch. It was a stinging opening from this left-armer. Coming on in his second and third spells he failed to keep up the good work and finished with 3 for 55.

But what was disappointing was that in his anxiety to bend his back a little too much he delivered 10 no balls and 3 wides.

It's 38 for 4 in the ninth over, it looked as though the England innings would crumble. The fourth wicket was that of Greame Hick who was the scourge of the Sri Lankan bowlers. He was out lbw to Vaas without offering a stroke for 10. Then Neil Fairbrother and Adam Hollioake began a remarkable recovery putting on 87 for the fifth wicket, pushing singles and getting the odd boundary.

Hollioake played the supporting role while Fairbrother the role of aggressor. Hollioake made 46 valuable runs while Fairbrother contributed a vital unbeaten 81 with 3 fours.

Ealham and Croft hit out lustily to make 16 and 32 and take England to a formidable 227 for 7. Vaas had 2 for 38. But it was Muralitharan who was again 'no balled' by the spectators who bowled most economically to take 1 for 26 in his 10 overs in all the Lankans gave away 29 sundries - 15 no balls, 8 wides and 6 leg-byes. They have to be millionaires to throw away runs, so important as this. Mark Ealham was made man of the match.