LEEDS, England: Mahela Jayawardene's career-best century powered Sri Lanka to 309 for five against England in the second one-day international (ODI) at Headingley here on Friday.

The opener made 144 -- Jayawardene's highest score in 343 ODIs surpassing his 128 against India at Sharjah in 2000 -- as Sri Lanka looked to level this five-match series at 1-1.

A couple of reckless run-outs reduced Sri Lanka to 45 for two in the 10th over after England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to field.

But a record stand of 159 between former captains Jayawardene, dropped on seven, and Kumar Sangakkara, who made 69, turned the tide Sri Lanka's way.

Angelo Mathews kept the runs coming with a brisk 46 not out off 30 balls while Jeevan Mendis's unbeaten seven included a hooked six off Stuart Broad that saw Sri Lanka past 300.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann -- who dropped Jayawardene -- led England's attack with two wickets, both stumpings completed by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter to remove Sangakkara and Jayawardene.

But the seamers suffered with Broad, Tim Bresnan and Jade Dernbach managing just one wicket between them for 203 runs in a combined 28 overs.

James Anderson's none for 44 in 10 overs was respectable in comparison.

Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan was run out for nine when he failed to beat Broad's underarm direct hit on the bowler's end stumps.

The tourists were fortunate not to lose Jayawardene soon afterwards when first slip Swann dropped a high chance off Bresnan.

Dinesh Chandimal, replacing the now retired Sanath Jayasuriya following England's 110-run win at The Oval on Tuesday, fell in similar fashion to Dilshan for five, only this time Anderson hit the stumps.

Cook, with none of his frontline bowlers disturbing the third-wicket duo, brought on part-time off-spinner Kevin Pietersen.

But it was not long before left-hander Sangakkara swept him for four, his fifth boundary, to bring up a 53-ball fifty.

Then a single off medium-pacer Bresnan took Jayawardene through to his 15th ODI hundred and fifth against England in 118 balls with seven boundaries.

Jayawardene, more of a touch than a power player, then opened his shoulders to drive Bresnan straight back over his head for four.

Jayawardene and Sangakkara surpassed their previous Sri Lankan third-wicket ODI record partnership against England of 140 at Chester-le-Street in 2006.

However, they were separated when Sangakkara, advancing down the pitch, was beaten by a sharply turning delivery from Swann and stumped by Kieswetter.

Jayawardene, on 118, then saw a leaping Cook at cover drop a tough chance off Dernbach.

But his superb innings ended when, deceived by a Swann arm-ball, he was stumped having faced just 150 balls with 14 boundaries.

Published by Unknown on 09:39. Filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0