As England began the chase Trescothick announced himself in characteristic style, with meaty boundaries through extra cover and long-on in Zoysa's first over. While Knight was initially more restrained, picking off occasional singles, the Somerset left-hander continued in the rich vein of form that he has shown for much of the series. He sought - and regularly found - the open spaces on the leg side, and when Zoysa strayed to leg Knight took his first boundary through mid-wicket.

Trescothick had scored 27 off just 23 balls when he was bowled playing across the line at Zoysa. Hussain got off the mark with a snick over the slips for four. England's 50 came up off 52 balls, and the introduction of Wickramasinghe prompted immediate retribution from Hussain, who hit his first ball fiercely and straight for four. The third also went straight but substantially higher, for six.

The hapless Wickramasinghe was summarily removed from the attack, but Sri Lanka made their second breakthrough when Zoysa, having switched to the Stretford End, bowled Knight as he played around a straight delivery.

Vaughan got under way with a deft dab off Arnold to the third man boundary, and after adding two courtesy of a misfield by Atapattu, he took four more through the covers as Zoysa overpitched. The hundred came up with England still well up with the required rate, despite a tidy spell from Arnold at the Warwick Road end. But the introduction of Chandana at the Stretford proved costly for Vaughan, who chipped his second ball straight back at him to be caught and bowled.

Stewart, coming in at his highest position in the tournament so far, was missed before he had scored by Sangakkara off Arnold, whom he then smote through extra cover. Hussain was then run out by a whisker, beaten by Atapattu's throw to Sangakkara as the batsmen went for a quick single after Stewart had pushed Chandana into the covers.

Jeremy Snape was forced to leave the field briefly for treatment after he injured a finger on his bowling hand, attempting to catch a fierce return drive from Sangakkara. Jayawardene, always a key wicket, was cruising at 42 when he was run out attempting a second run by a fine throw from Alex Tudor at long leg. Stewart was able to collect and throw the ball on to the stumps with Jayawardene just inches short of his ground.

Sri Lanka never recovered thereafter. Arnold, who looked out of touch, perished hitting a much tamer return catch to Snape than the shot which had caused the injury, and this offering was gleefully accepted.

Sangakkara was a little unlucky to be given out lbw to a ball from Vaughan that pitched just outside his leg stump. However there was no doubt about Vaughan's next three wickets. Silva was caught sweeping by Collingwood backward of square; Samaraweera was stumped off a leg-side wide by Stewart, and Vaas lasted just two balls before he was bowled around his legs. Vaughan had taken four wickets for seven runs in 15 balls, and would have had five if Trescothick, at long-on, had been able to hold on to a lusty blow from Chandana which slipped through his fingers before carrying across the rope.

Zoysa was caught at long-off driving at Gough, and when Chandana swung Flintoff into the safe hands of Giles at mid-wicket in the 50th over, the Sri Lanka innings was over with two balls to spare. After aiming for well over 250 ten overs earlier, they had reached just 229.

Tudor began his one-day international career with a maiden, while in contrast Darren Gough's second over included three wides and five leg byes. The morning's first boundary was timed sweetly through the covers by Jayasuriya off Tudor. In the same over Atapattu, given room on his pads, took four more through square leg.

Jeremy Lloyds umpired the first four overs in the absence of David Orchard, who arrived late having been under the misapprehension that it was a day-night match. After a glaring misfield by Irani at mid-off which allowed Atapattu three runs, the 50 came up off 62 balls in the 11th over.

Flintoff had Jayasuriya missed at second slip, a difficult, low chance to Treescothick's left, and the Sri Lanka captain responded by hitting Tudor over mid-off for four. However his luck ran out next ball as he shaped to play Tudor to leg, checked his shot and was caught by Hussain at cover.

Atapattu took consecutive off-side boundaries off Flintoff, one of them a sumptuous cut, and Sangakkara got under way with four through extra cover. Next ball he called Atapattu for a sharp single from a push to mid-wicket, where Collingwood swooped and broke the stumps with a direct hit, leaving Atapattu well short of his ground.

Sri Lanka's 79 for two was the best from their first 15 overs in the tournament so far. After seven overs Tudor made way for Irani, whom Jayawardene dispatched disdainfully through extra cover. Sangakkara was fortunate when an edge off Irani narrowly eluded the gloves of Stewart, who was standing up at the time and briefly chose to stand back, only to see the ball driven magnificently through extra cover.

Whatever the result of the match, next Saturday's final is certain to be contested by England and India, who defeated Sri Lanka at Edgbaston yesterday.

England team: N Hussain (Essex, capt), ME Trescothick (Somerset), NV Knight (Warwickshire), MP Vaughan (Yorkshire), RC Irani (Essex), PD Collingwood (Durham), AJ Stewart (Surrey, wkt), A Flintoff (Lancashire), JN Snape (Gloucestershire), D Gough (Yorkshire), AJ Tudor (Surrey).

Sri Lanka team: ST Jayasuriya (capt), RP Arnold, MS Atapattu, UDU Chandana, DPMD Jayawardene, K Sangakkara (wkt), TT Samaraweera, LPC Silva, WPUJC Vaas, GP Wickramasinghe, DNT Zoysa.