Top 5 performances by England against Sri Lanka

In celebration of the forthcoming series between England v Sri Lanka, Ive taken a trip down memory lane and looked at the five best performances by an England team against Sri Lanka.

#1 Kandy, 2001

England headed into the second test at Kandy in 2001 needing a win to secure a drawn series. Traditionally a side that has struggled on the sub-continent and with a team that had spectacularly underperformed during the previous years, England were given little to no chance of victory.

What followed was a famous test win for England. First, the old stagers Gough and Caddick stepped up to the plate to take four wickets apiece and dismiss Sri Lanka for just 297.

Captain Nasser Hussain then anchored the England response with a typically gritty century – making 109 in over 250 balls. He was well supported by half centuries from his dependable team mates Alec Stewart and Graham Thorpe.

Second time around, Gough again starred with the ball with his second four wicket haul of the match. Much maligned off spinner Robert Croft also chipped in with three wickets of his own, including the prize wicket of Sri Lankan lynchpin Kumar Sangakkara.

Needing just 161 to level the series, England proceeded to stumble to 97-5 and the old horrors of past sub-continental defeats sprang to mind. Happily for the travelling fans, Craig White saw his side home with a vital 21 not out to secure a historic victory for the tourists.