Scoreboard

England advanced to the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals, beating Sri Lanka by 49 runs under Duckworth-Lewis method in the final Group D league match at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Saturday.

Chasing a target of 252, Sri Lanka were 95 for 5 in 24 overs and needed another 157 to win when play was stopped due to rain.

When no further play was possible in the match that was being continued on the reserve day after rain curtailed it midway through the England innings on Friday, the D/L method was applied to obtain the result.

Both teams had one win each after beating Zimbabwe, the third team in the group, going into the last Pool D match.

England will now play World champions Australia in the semi-finals at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Earlier, Andrew Flintoff added another chapter to his growing reputation as the world's best all-rounder as England posted a challenging 251 for 7.

Flintoff blasted the Sri Lankan bowling to smithereens as he raced to his third one-day hundred off a mere 89 balls to put the hosts in command at the Rose Bowl.

His 104 contained nine fours and three sixes before he inside edged a Chaminda Vaas delivery on to his stumps in the final over.

Resuming at 118 for three after rain had curtailed play at the end of 32nd over on Friday, England were stuttering at 173 for four until the 26-year old right-hander opened his shoulders.

With conditions overcast, the scoreline could prove to be more than defendable for the English.

The winners of the match advance to the semi-finals, where they will play Australia at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Marcus Trescothick, 64 overnight, added two runs to his score before being run-out by a brilliant throw by Tillekeratne Dilshan.

The fourth-wicket stand between Trescothick and Flintoff was worth 53 runs.

Paul Collingwood (39) then played the support role to Flintoff and the duo added 94 runs for the fifth wicket.

But, clearly, Flintoff was the dominant partner. Dropped by Mahela Jayawardene on one on Friday, he ripped apart the Sri Lankan bowling to fetch England 78 runs from the last six overs.

After hoisting leg-spinner Upul Chandana into the long on stand, he turned his attention to left arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa and clubbed two sixes off him.

Zoysa, who had conceded only three runs in the 44th over, went for 19 in the 49th and ultimately finished with one wicket for 61.

Flintoff, who became a father recently, then whipped Vaas past fine leg for two more boundaries in the final over before patting him to third man for a two that brought off his century.

He had the left arm pacer at his mercy but Vaas held his nerve to induce an inside edge from him.

On Friday, England started badly, losing two wickets by the 12^th over.

First to go was Vikram Solanki. The right-hander got an inside edge to a delivery from Farveez Maharoof and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Sangakkara. He scored 18.

Skipper Michael Vaughan, who came in next, misread a delivery from left arm pacer Nuwan Zoysa as he moved across to play and looked behind to find his middle stump uprooted.

Andrew Strauss was the third wicket to fall, run-out to a good throw from Maharoof at third man. The wicketkeeper had the easiest of tasks of taking off the bails as the batsman came back for the second run.

Between the falling of wickets opener Marcus Trescothick was reprieved twice and lucky to be there on 64 when rain intervened.

First, on nine, he mistimed a leg glance but Zoysa at mid off dropped an easy catch off the bowling of Maharoof.

Then he got a faint outside edge to the keeper. Sangakkara went up shouting for the catch but with no backing from the bowler (Maharoof) or any other fielders, umpire Billy Bowden, who failed to pick the sound, was unmoved.

In fact Maharoof was unlucky, but did well to end up with one wicket for 19 runs from his ten overs.

Andrew Flintoff, who came to the crease at the fall of Strauss's wicket, was lucky to there when rain stepped in. He was dropped on one by Mahela Jayawardene and then survived a stumping as Sangakkara whipped off the bails after the batsman was beaten by leg spinner Upul Chandana.

When Sri Lanka's replied, Steve Harmison had Avishka Gunawardene and captain Marvan Atapattu both caught behind with two searing deliveries before Flintoff tempted Sanath Jayasuriya (27) to drive on the up straight to Darren Gough at mid-off.

Saman Jayantha then edged Flintoff to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones and slow left armer Ashley Giles took a juggling caught-and-bowled chance to dismiss Jayawardene before the weather brought an end to proceedings.