Woakes Takes Six Before Rain Forces Postponement

Chris Woakes took 6-47 to leave England needing 240 to win before rain forced the fifth one-day international into a reserve day.

The tourists will begin their chase at 9am on Thursday after heavy showers prevented any further play following Sri Lanka’s innings of 239 all out, which featured 91 from Kumar Sangakkara.

Alastair Cook’s team, who went into the match 3-1 down with three games to play, will have their full 50-over allocation to chase down the runs at a rate of 4.80 at the Pallekele International Stadium.

But they will have to make history to win the game, the highest successful ODI chase at the ground being Sri Lanka’s 239-2 against South Africa in 2013.

Sangakkara steered the home side from 59-3 to a competitive 239 all out, putting on 85 with skipper Angelo Mathews (40) but they could not bat out their overs as Woakes claimed only the second six-wicket haul in England’s ODI history and the best figures by an England bowler in Sri Lanka.

England made two changes to the side beaten by six wickets on Saturday - Cook returning from a one-match ban in place of Alex Hales, and spinner James Tredwell coming in for all-rounder Ben Stokes.

The tourists made a quick start after winning the toss as Steven Finn struck in the first over, finding the edge of Kusal Perera’s bat - the opener falling for a duck as Chris Jordan at second slip made no mistake with the early chance.

Both Finn and Chris Woakes struggled to find a consistent line and Tillakaratne Dilshan breezed to 35 off 31 balls and had his seventh boundary in his sights when he dragged Jordan into his stumps shortly after posting a 50-run partnership with Sangakkara.

Veteran Mahela Jayawardene quickly followed Dilshan back to the pavilion after driving loosely at Woakes, Jordan again pouching the slip chance.

England kept the pressure on with spin from both ends, Moeen Ali and Tredwell restricting the scoring but Sangakkara posted his fifty off 81 balls as he steadily rebuilt with Mathews, who survived a tough caught-and-bowled chance offered to Jordan.

Mathews did not make the most of his life, however, top-edging a paddled pull off Jordan to Chris Woakes in the deep and the score became 173-5 when Lahiru Thirimanne, on the sweep, appealed unsuccessfully against a confident lbw shout from Tredwell.

Sangakkara eased into the nineties in typical unflustered fashion but fell nine runs short of his century when he picked out Joe Root at deep midwicket while attempting to flay Woakes for another boundary.

Woakes bagged another four balls later when Jeevan Mendis top-edged an attempted pull onto his helmet to present the bowler with a simple return catch and earned his fourth scalp of the innings, cleaning out Sachithra Senanayake – back in Sri Lanka’s line-up after having his bowling action cleared by the International Cricket Council.

The momentum appeared to be back with England until Thisara Perera cut loose, striking 27 off 17 balls, only falling when he attempted to smash Woakes for six and picked out Root in the deep.

Woakes - whose best figures in ODI cricket remain the 6-45 he took against Australia at Brisbane in 2011 - finished off the innings by clean bowling Ajantha Mendis.

The teams didn’t return to the field of play after the interval as drizzle and then heavy showers swept across the ground and after a lengthy delay, the umpires decided to try again on Thursday.