Rangana Herath got Alex Hales in the second over after Sri Lanka opted to field first Getty Images
That, however, did not deter Jason Roy as he cut loose on Sri Lanka's spinners Getty Images
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Joe Root gave him good support as the pair added 61 for England's second wicket Getty Images
Sri Lanka hit back by sending back both batsmen quickly, in the middle overs AFP
Jos Buttler then took charge of England's innings AFP
He added a vital 74-run stand with his captain, Eoin Morgan, that took England past 150 AFP
Buttler's unbeaten 66 helped England reach a strong 171 in a must-win match for his side AFP
Chris Jordan accounted for Dinesh Chandimal in the second over, hurting Sri Lanka's chase early on Getty Images
More blows meant Sri Lanka found themselves at 15 for 4 by the end of the third over Getty Images/ICC
Angelo Mathews, though, dug in to ensure that Sri Lanka did not lose a wicket for the next 10 overs Getty Images
He added 80 with Chamara Kapugedera before Kapugedera fell for 30 Associated Press
Thisara Perera struck some powerful blows to help Sri Lanka narrow the equation down to 22 off the last two overs Associated Press
However, Jordan picked up two wickets in the slog overs - taking his match tally to a career-best 4 for 28 Getty Images
Sri Lanka needed 15 off the final over, but Ben Stokes kept things tight and did not concede a single boundary, helping England seal their semi-final berth Getty Images
The result was heartbreaking not just for Sri Lanka and Mathews; South Africa, who needed an England defeat to stand any hope of qualifying, also had to contend with an early exit Getty Images
