England v Sri Lanka

At Lord's, May 14. England won by eight wickets. Toss: England.

After an opening ceremony that was more laughable than impressive, the cricket got under way with an England performance that had very few laughs, but was highly competent. The match was the harbinger of many to come; early damp gave way to afternoon sunshine, with the team forced to bat first struggling against the moving ball.

The Sri Lankans showed none of their 1996 flash. They began safely enough but Mullally soon set a high standard of accuracy which his team-mates copied, and the batsmen fell into all the traps. From 42 for nought, they lost five wickets in eight overs, every one caught by wicket-keeper or slips; nothing could have been more different from the previous World Cup. Kaluwitharana led a revival of sorts, but Sri Lanka made only 204. England's new opening pair put on 50 against mediocre bowling; Upashantha helped by bowling five off-side wides in one over. Hussain paid the penalty for over-boldness, but Stewart - after a run of poor scores - and Hick led England to victory. Even though the game was officially a sell-out, there were empty spaces in the pavilion where MCC members for once had to pay for admission.

Man of the Match: A. J. Stewart. Attendance: 27,502.