Cricket-Sri Lanka knock out defending champions England

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka Oct 1 (Reuters) - Lasith Malinga took five wickets to help Sri Lanka knock Twenty20 World Cup holders England out of the tournament with a 19-run Super Eights victory on Monday that put the hosts safely into the semi-finals.

Sri Lanka piled up a score of 169 for six, the experienced Mahela Jayawardene top-scoring with 42 at the top of the order and Thisara Perera chipping in with a quick-fire unbeaten 26.

Malinga, who completed figures of five for 31, removed Luke Wright, Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow in his first over and the chase was never really on despite late resistance from Samit Patel (67) and Graeme Swann (34).

The holders slumped to 93 for seven before Patel and Swann lifted them to 150 for nine.

Sri Lanka topped Group One after the Super Eight phase with the West Indies also reaching the semi-finals where they will be joined by two from Australia, India, Pakistan and South Africa.

The semi-finals are on Thursday and Friday in Colombo.

(Writing by Tom Pilcher, Editing by Ed Osmond)