England's bid to complete an emphatic series triumph were destroyed by a stunning burst from seamer Dilhara Fernando to earn Sri Lanka a comprehensive victory in the final one-day international.
Chasing Sri Lanka's modest total of 211 at the Premadasa stadium, the tourists had hoped to wrap up another victory to clinch a 4-1 series triumph before returning to their hotel in time to watch England's rugby heroes take on France in the World Cup semi-final.
But instead of the final match ending their successful tour on a high, England were dismissed for a lowly 104 in only 29.1 overs to earn Sri Lanka a 107-run triumph with Fernando tearing through their batting order.
Highly regarded throughout world cricket for his ability to bowl slower balls with no discernible change in his action, Fernando delivered a career-best performance to finish with six for 27.
Yet it will have been the speed Fernando ran through England, which at one stage threatened to eclipse their lowest ever total of 86 against Australia at Old Trafford in 2001, which will have particularly concerned the tourists' management.
England lost seven wickets for 15 runs in only 40 balls with Fernando claiming four of them and slipped from a relatively strong position at 72 for three to the prospect of complete humiliation at 82 for eight.
With Lasith Malinga quickly quickly wrapping up the tail by removing the last two members of England's feeble batting order, it left the tourists plenty of time to return to their hotel for the rugby but in no mood to cheer on their counterparts in Paris.
Fernando had given England an early indication of his capabilities under the lights by outwitting Ian Bell with a slower ball he chipped to mid-on and inducing Alastair Cook into edging behind.
While Kevin Pietersen was at the crease, England still harboured confident hopes of overhauling Sri Lanka's total and finishing the tour in some style.
Having progressed to a healthy 28 off 26 balls, including hitting left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas for three boundaries in a row, Pietersen seemed in control of the situation.
He had watched Paul Collingwood fall lbw to Fernando in his previous over to leave England precariously placed on 72 for four when Pietersen stepped across his stumps to try and whip Vaas through mid-wicket and was bowled around his legs.
It was a telling blow for Sri Lanka, who accelerated England's journey towards defeat with Fernando striking again in his next over with another slower ball which Owais Shah looped gently to cover.
Both Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom fell in Fernando's next over to effectively settle the outcome at 82 for eight only for him to be withdrawn and allow Malinga to wrap up the triumph.
England's attack - again led by man-of-the-series Sidebottom - had earlier delivered another stunning display to limit Sri Lanka's total despite captain Mahela Jayawardene winning his third toss in a row.
Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya helped Sri Lanka to their best start of the series, signalling his positive intent from the very start by smashing James Anderson down the ground for four in the first over.
Jayasuriya also launched two sixes over mid-wicket off the same bowler to help him progress to 26 off 18 balls and share a 45-run opening stand in only seven overs with debutant Dilruwan Perera, who had been brought in to replace opener Upul Tharanga.
He finally fell to Anderson when he drove straight to mid-off, but it took another superb display from left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom to halt Sri Lanka's run-flow and bring England back into the contest.
Sidebottom ended the impressive innings of Perera when he edged behind and three balls later condemned Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene to his second successive duck when he chipped a slower ball to mid-on.
Having regained the momentum, their next breakthrough came through an unlikely source with Owais Shah's part-time off-spin bowling Kumar Sangakkara as he attempted to sweep.
Tillakaratne Dilshan fell cheaply six overs later when he pushed a quick single off Ravi Bopara, but was sent back by Silva and was several yards short of his ground when Ian Bell returned the ball to wicketkeeper Phil Mustard.
Having contributed to his team-mates' downfall, Silva now had a responsibility to guide the remainder of Sri Lanka's innings and he shepherded the lower order until falling with three overs remaining.
Unable to forge a productive partnership by the regular fall of wickets at the other end - Jehan Mubarak was caught at short third man off Monty Panesar and Kausal Lokuarachchi was given lbw to Bopara - Silva was unable to break free of England's shackles.
Attempting to do just that as the innings reached its climax, he was bowled by Stuart Broad to end his 109-ball innings including nine fours and end Sri Lanka's hopes of reaching a more competitive total.
Broad finished off the tail by bowling Vaas and Fernando and for the third time in the series Sri Lanka had been dismissed inside their 50 overs.
But although England claimed the series, it was Sri Lanka who took the honours and gave coach Peter Moores an indication of how far they still have to go before they can be regarded as real challengers on the world stage.
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