Sri Lanka had drawn up a blueprint to rule one-day cricket at home and for five years it paid rich dividends. The hosts went unbeaten in 12 home series, winning 11 and drawing one, a run that included taking down Australia twice and India once. That fortress finally fell on Tuesday at the R. Premadasa Stadium, as England scripted a come-from-behind win to bring the curtain down on an extraordinary streak.

RPS had long been Sri Lanka’s stronghold. The tried-and-tested formula was simple: surfaces offering turn, totals where 300 plus were rare and games that demanded graft as spinners called the shots. Visiting teams were dragged into the trenches and asked to earn every run.

This time, though, the script was flipped. After England complained that RPS was not conducive to one-day cricket, the authorities appeared to blink. A belter was rolled out for the series decider and, true to form, the tourists cashed in.

Make no mistake, when Sri Lanka tour England later this year, there will be no such charity. Expect green tinged surfaces, the ball nipping around and run-making to be a stern examination. Flat tracks are rarely on the menu there.

Sri Lanka perhaps should have stuck to their guns. There is no crime in playing to your strengths and the Poms will complain regardless.

That said, with the World Cup just around the corner, the authorities’ thinking is understandable. Global tournaments are often played on truer surfaces where the bat tends to dominate the ball.

What followed was still a batting masterclass. While much of the spotlight was on Joe Root and his mastery of spin, Harry Brook stole the show, putting the bowling to the sword. This was not mindless slogging but a display of high-class strokeplay, timing and power in perfect sync from the Yorkshireman.

Brook arrived on tour with baggage, having been fined £30,000 for an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand last October. On Tuesday, he made it clear that episode was firmly in the rear view mirror.

England, though, owed plenty to Root for holding the fort across the series, anchoring their efforts when conditions demanded clarity of thought. For Sri Lanka, young Pavan Rathnayake was a breath of fresh air, winning plaudits from all and sundry with his composure and intent.

With Sri Lanka’s five-year dream run in home ODI cricket ending in series defeat, the knock-on effect was immediate. They slipped to sixth in the ODI rankings, with South Africa climbing to fifth.

by Rex Clementine