Atapattu batted steadily after the early loss of Sanath Jayasuriya to guide his team to a challenging total.

Earlier, Muralitharan took five for 34 in 10 overs to turn the game Sri Lanka's way after England had seemed set for a big total on the back of an opening stand of 132 between Nick Knight and Mike Atherton.

The off-spinner's second-best figures in one-dayers, including a spell of three wickets for no runs in five balls, saw England collapse from 170 for two to 256 for eight.

It had started well for England as former captain Atherton made a lie of the perception that he is too slow for one day cricket by dominating the stand, his 50 coming from just 50 balls with six fours.

Knight was always more circumspect, avoiding the flashing drivesthat Atherton used between his more famous forward defensive pushes, and reached 50 from 65 balls.

Atherton departed first, in the 26th over, when he chipped Muralitharan to a well-placed Arjuna Ranatunga at short midwicket to depart for 64.

Scoreboard

England: N Knight c&b Muralitharan 94, M Atherton c Ranatunga b Muralitharan 64, A Stewart c Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 18, G Hick b Chandana 14, A Brown b Muralitharan 18, N Hussain lbw Muralitharan 0, R Croft c Kaluwitharana b Perera 17, I Austin not out 11, D Gough b Perera 0, P Martin not out 1. Extras (b-4, lb-5, w-10) 19. Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 256.

Fall of wickets: 1-132, 2-170, 3-191, 4-218, 5-218, 6-223 7-246, 8-246.

Bowling: Wickramasinghe 5-0-29-0, Perera 9-0-44-2, Dharmasena 9-0-47-0, Muralitharan 10-0-34-5, De Silva 2-0-10-0, Jayasuriya 8-0-45-0, Chandana 7-0-38-1.

Sri Lanka: S Jayasuriya b Gough 0, R Kaluwitharana c Hick b Croft 68, M Atapattu not out 132, A de Silva c Brown b Gough 34, ARanatunga c Knight b Martin 1, U Chandana c Knight b Croft 2, H Tillekeratne not out 10, Extras (lb-7, w-6): 13. Total (for five wickets, 47.1 overs) 260.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-140, 3-210, 4-224, 5-233.Bowling: Gough 10-0-50-2 (w-2), Martin 10-1-60-1 (w-2), Mullally 10-0-37-0 (w-1), Austin 10-1-48-0, Croft 7-0-54-2 (w-1), Hick 0.1-0-4-0.Result: Sri Lanka won by five wickets.