SL win first Twenty20 match

Sri Lanka kept their nerve to beat England by two runs at the Rose Bowl here Thursday in what was the tourists’ first Twenty20 international. The visitors, dismissed for 163 after winning the toss, held England to 161 for five from 20 overs.

England’s Paul Collingwood, with four for 22, returned the best figures in the seven-match history of Twenty20 international cricket but it was not enough to give his team a win. Marcus Trescothick then took England to the brink of victory with 72 off 57 balls. But when he was run out, hosts needed 12 off eight balls.

That became nine off the final over, bowled by Dilhara Fernando and five off one ball with debutant Tim Bresnan facing. It was too much for the Yorkshire bowler, who finished on six not out