Defending champions England were knocked out of the tournament by hosts Sri Lanka after a dominating 19-run victory in the final World T20 Super Eights game of Group One at the Pallekele Stadium.
England's defense of their title, won two years ago in the West Indies, ended with barely a whimper, after Stuart Broad's side folded up for xx, chasing a challenging 170, with Lasith Malinga picking up five wickets - three of them in one over. That result also means the first two pieces of the four-piece puzzle were confirmed with Sri Lanka and West Indies qualifying for the semi-finals.
Put into bat, the Sri Lankans got off to a good start, with the two openers - Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan looking comfortable. Dilshan, however, got out for a 12-ball 16, with the total reading 35 in 4.4 overs, lbw off Steven Finn's bowling.
Jayawardene was taking the bulk of the strike, and going his merry way, but the captain also fell unceremoniously for a well-made 42 off 38 balls. Kumar Sangakkara (13) lasted only 12 deliveries, with the classy left-hander caught behind by Jonny Bairstow, who kept the wicket for the dropped Craig Kieswetter, off Graeme Swann.
Sri Lanka looked precariously placed at 74 for three, with their three best batsmen back in the hut. However, in an innings where nobody really contributed with a big score, the combined efforts of Angelo Mathews (28), Jeevan Mendis (18), Lahiru Thirimanne (13) and Thisara Perera (26) took the Lankans to a quite competitive total of 169.
Stuart Broad again was the pick of the bowlers for the Englishmen, scalping three wickets.
In reply, England looked alright in the first two overs, before Malinga decided to change the course of proceedings. The slingy paceman picked up three wickets in his first over - off the third ball, fifth and sixth delivery, with Luke Wright, Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow his victims to scupper any chances of a successful run chase.
Chasing 170, and needing a win to stay alive, England knew the game was pretty much up after the mighty three-wicket burst even if Samit Patel refused to go without a fight.
The all-rounder smashed a few lusty blows in his belligerent innings of 67 from 48 balls, but without any real help from the rest of the batting order, closing in on the total never really looked likely. Patel needed the help of No.9 Graeme Swann, who came in with the score on 90 for seven.
The duo put on a partnership of 51 from just 28 deliveries, but it came a little too late to change the result. Needing 33 runs off the last two overs, the 2011 champions could not quite get the runs, with Patel falling to Malinga (five for 31) in the penultimate over, eventually ending up on 150 for nine.
Group 2 semi-finalists will be decided on Tuesday, with India, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa all with a chance of going through.