Veteran Sri Lankan paceman Malinga took four for 43 as Sri Lanka, defending a seemingly modest total of 232-9, beat England by 20 runs to open up the race for a semi-final spot. England, bidding to win the World Cup for the first time, would have gone top of the 10-team round-robin table with a victory at Headingley. But instead they suffered their second defeat of the group phase following an equally surprising 14-run loss to Pakistan.
Malinga's haul saw him become just the fourth bowler to take 50 wickets at the World Cup after Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan and Wasim Akram. And just as importantly for Sri Lanka on Friday, the 35-year-old, renowned for his unorthodox 'slingshot' action, struck telling blows. Malinga, who briefly returned home earlier in the tournament following the death of his mother-in-law, rocked England at the start of their chase when he had Jonny Bairstow lbw for a golden duck.
