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ENGLAND'S specially tailored limited-overs team reached a fresh peak at the WACA ground last night when an outstanding team effort enabled them to beat the world champions by a massive 128 runs.

Sri Lanka, chasing 228 for a desperately needed win, lost their last nine wickets for 34 runs in barely more than 15 overs of completely one-sided play.

Mark Ealham showed his finest hand with a skilful display of medium-paced swing and seam bowling and, to reflect it, his figures of five for 32 were the third best of any England bowler in one-day internationals. Darren Gough and Alan Mullally were exemplary in support and rarely can English fielding have looked so full of energy and commitment.

At the moment of victory the England players jumped, hugged and high-fived. They had wanted this result more than any in response to the acrimonious match they lost to Sri Lanka last Saturday in Adelaide.

Privately they are aghast that Arjuna Ranatunga has been let off the hook but wisely they have kept their own counsel - yesterday they let their cricket do the talking. They do not play again until the middle of next week though the party which was warming up in the dressing-room soon after nine o'clock last evening will have gone well into the small hours.

Not that the day had started so well. Alec Stewart had been keen to let his bowlers loose on an indifferent-looking, though absolutely rock hard Perth pitch and he admitted his disappointment on losing the toss.

Ranatunga announced that Aravinda de Silva was fit again and also named a debutant in his team, Rujera Perera, a young, fastish and pretty useful left-armer.

And what a start he made! He yorked Stewart with a late in-swinger, persuaded Nick Knight to edge a good one to slip and added Nasser Hussain for good measure. Meanwhile Chaminda Vaas trapped Graeme Hick lbw offering no stroke - a fifty-fifty decision - and England were shaking on 38 for four.

Enter Neil Fairbrother, that man for all seasons. With the combative Adam Hollioake, they spread the field so that plenty of singles became available while they punched the odd signature boundary.

Hollioake drove the seamers straight and hard, but fiddled too much against the spinners. They had him under control and probably forced the error of judgment which led to his run-out. Upul Chandana's direct hit meant another close decision from deep square leg meant yet another close decision for the third umpire - the season has been littered with them - and Hollioake could barely believe his eyes when it went against him.

Despite aggravating the hamstring which has plagued the last three years of his career (and yesterday afternoon meant he needed a runner), Fairbrother was not to be denied. Yet again a distinguished innings from Lancashire's limited-overs maestro, one that he chiselled rather than blasted, led to a suitable total for England to defend on a still lively pitch.

Sri Lanka had themselves to blame for the 29 runs given away in extras but could do little about Fairbrother or Robert Croft's delightful cameo. Croft reminded everyone that he sometimes opens Glamorgan's one-day innings, by scoring 32 from 38 balls.

Gough, of course, came steaming in, and Mullally too. As if in reward, Hollioake flew horizontally to his left at square leg to hold the stunning catch which did for Romesh Kaluwitharana.

After this, pads were struck, the ball passed the bat and Nasser Hussain put down a sharp chance at backward point. All the while, though, Sanath Jayasuriya survived and, as he always does, he threatened.

Once, he danced down the pitch and thrashed Mullally's short ball high over backward cover and over the ropes with a single bounce. Then, when Ealham replaced Mullally, he skimmed a flat, straight drive so hard that it carried into the members' seats for six.

Ealham's first two overs cost 14 but his next eight cost only 18 more and during them England won the match. First Jayasuriya flicked into the hands of a just-inserted deep square leg. Next ball, Marvan Atapattu pulled equally vaguely into midwicket's hands. Two in two for Ealham. In a moment it was three wickets in four balls as a fully pitched outswinger tempted de Silva to push forward. Bingo, Stuart fell to his right to hold the edge and the big prize, once de Silva was back in the hutch.

Suddenly it was a procession. Gough was too fast for Jayawardene and Ealham too canny for Mahanama and Ranatunga.

Ranatunga completed a forgettable few days by hearing cries of derision when he walked in to bat - and hearing them again when he walked out, after a lovely reaction catch high at slip by Knight, a whole painful hour later. As the match referee, Peter van der Merwe, observed on Thursday evening after the hearing in which Arjuna avoided serious punishment: ``Mr Ranatunga has lost a great deal in the popularity stakes.''

What a grisly week it has been, for ever to be remembered for the persecution of Muralitharan and the farce of the case against Sri Lanka's esteemed captain. Sri Lanka must now win all three of their remaining matches if they are to have any hope of a place in the finals of the Carlton and United Series.

England, though, are all but there and, for the moment at least, are unusually popular among Australians.