CRICKET: It was not quite VE day in Brisbane last night, but it sure as hell seemed like it. "Congratulations," said the cab driver waiting in Vulture Street, "we'll be hanging out the bunting for you."

For the English, there is nothing quite so belittling as being patronised by an Australian. Still, the clouds that have hung over this tour have lifted a little, for in the Sri Lankans yesterday England finally found a side that they could compete against.

This was the 14th match Nasser Hussain's side have played in Australia this winter, and not, in the 61 days the tour has lasted, a single win to show for it. Sri Lanka though have arrived in Australia after being roundly beaten in South Africa, and following a towelling from Australia A at the Gabba earlier in the week they were in no mood to deprive England of what may yet be their only moment of glory.

By the end, it proved no contest, England winning by 43 runs as Sri Lanka, in pursuit of the sort of total England have achieved only twice before in this country, were pegged back until in mid-innings they appeared to have lost interest.

Only towards the end, as the result had become a foregone conclusion, did Mahele Jayawardene, with 71, and then Russel Arnold, unbeaten on 60, begin to unleash some strokes to revive the interest. Sri Lanka, in reaching 249 for six, thereby deprived England of a bonus point while collecting it for themselves by not losing, in terms of runs, by more than 20 per cent.

Now there is the chance of further success for England, not to mention Australia, when the Sri Lankans, never at their peak on quick and bouncy pitches, face both sides on the trampoline at Perth over the weekend.

England's victory, after Hussain had won the toss and opted to bat first, was achieved on the back of some determined batting, excellent bowling from the least experienced members of the team, and nifty catching.

In particular there was another solid if unspectacular innings from the captain, who made 79, suffering in the latter stages from cramp, such was the debilitating effect of Brisbane's heat and humidity, and 64 in 60 balls from Alec Stewart, an innings that was positively skittish, and may have kept at bay the buzzards circling in anticipation of his carcass.

England might, indeed should, have pushed back the boundaries with their final total. From a launching pad of 278 for five, with more than four overs left and Stewart and Ian Blackwell rattling along, they contrived to lose three wickets in four balls for two runs and the last five for 14.

So far, so good - although England have felt the force of Sanath Jayasuriya and his cohorts sufficiently often in the past to be wary of false assumptions. Breaking through with the new ball was important, and though Jayasuriya leathered Andy Caddick's opening delivery over point, James Anderson, in only his second game since being called up from the academy, opened with a maiden, and proceeded to bowl with excellent control.

The game may have been won when, with a clever slower ball, he induced a reckless stroke from Jayasuriya, with Hussain taking the steepling catch at mid-off before setting off towards the bowler in manic celebration, screaming "you're the effing man" over and over. TV close-ups have a lot for which to answer.

Anderson later collected the wicket of Jehan Mubarak and, due to the squad's injury problems, might have bowled himself not just into the World Cup but into the final two Ashes Tests as well.

For a 20-year-old, it was an impressive match. On a day where England, in contrast to the opposition, bowled not a single over of spin, there was promising bowling too from Steve Harmison, making his one-day debut.

Once the field had been set back, the Durham man cranked the speedometer up to about 92m.p.h., collected the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara with his third ball - a spectacular catch by Paul Collingwood at backward point - and went on to claim Marvan Atapattu as well.

- Guardian Service