England crashed to their third-heaviest defeat in Test history as Sri Lanka completed a series-deciding victory inside four days at Colombo.

England lost by an innings and 215 runs, and only Australia in Brisbane in 1946-47 and the West Indies at Lord's 30 years ago have beaten them by greater margins.

Fittingly, man-of-the-series Muttiah Muralitharan finished off the tourists' final resistance by bowling James Kirtley, his 26th success in the three encounters.

The off-spinner's development of his version of a googly was central to England's capitulation, following their successful mastering of him here in 2001 when Nasser Hussain's team came from behind to complete a 2-1 win.

He finished with remarkable overall figures of 231.4-109-320-26 and is six victims away from pulling level with Australia's Shane Warne, currently second to West Indian Courtney Walsh in the all-time wicket-takers' list, on 491.

Having fought valiantly in the drawn matches in Galle and Kandy, any chances of a repeat were wafer-thin once Michael Vaughan's men faced the task of occupying five-and-a-half sessions at the crease or scoring 363 to make the Sri Lankans bat again.

The key difference in the series, compared with three winters ago, was Murali's nullifying of Graham Thorpe as five out of six times the Surrey left-hander was dismissed by Sri Lanka's star turn.

Thorpe's final walk to the pavilion this time summed up the 34-year-old's troubles as he danced down the wicket and was comprehensively stumped by Kumar Sangakkara.

''Thorpey is honest enough to admit that he has struggled a little bit against Murali,'' said Vaughan. ''But he had an outstanding record against him.

''He has tried every single policy of trying to score off him but it is very hard with this new delivery; it is one thing seeing it and another thing playing it.''

Murali added: ''Graham could easily play me in the last two series because he was always waiting to cut and sweep, this time he had to wait for the ball that came in.

''If you are bowling both ways and the batsman does not know which way the ball is going it is hard.''

Thorpe's dismissal was followed next ball by an instant replay, although it took third umpire TH Wijewardene to adjudge that Gareth Batty had failed to ground any of his boot behind the popping crease.

Although Andrew Flintoff - batting at number seven after sitting out the final three hours of Sri Lanka's innings with soreness in his groin - survived the hat-trick ball in the next over, when the ball looped off his glove beyond the reach of the close catchers, the result was inevitable with half the side out for 82.

Things began in the worst possible manner when, after the hosts declared following 45 minutes batting on the fourth morning, Marcus Trescothick drove left-arm fast bowler Chaminda Vaas loosely to substitute fielder Michael Vandort in the gully.

Vaughan soon followed when he hit a slower ball from the impressive Dilhara Fernando straight to cover and Muralitharan claimed Hussain as his 100th wicket in 16 matches at the SSC, caught behind from one which went the other way off the pitch.

Left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya chipped in with two wickets. He served up a beauty to halt Mark Butcher's two-hour stay, spinning one out of the rough to snake through the left-hander's gate, and Chris Read followed, pinned in front by a quicker ball.

A partnership of 40, in just under an hour, between Flintoff and Ashley Giles ensured England made it into three figures but the latter fell when fast bowler Fernando produced a yorker which struck the base of off-stump.

Flintoff wafted at a short-of-a-length delivery from the paceman, returning to international action after an eight-month lay-off with a back injury, and the ignominy was complete when Murali replied to being hit for six by Kirtley by forcing one through the Sussex players' defences.

Sri Lanka's 628 for eight declared - their second-highest Test score compiled without the services of Marvan Atapattu - reduced the probability of another successful rearguard by the tourists.

The home side added a further 65 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs.

Tillekeratne Dilshan continued his supreme form with 83 before he succumbed, using his feet to Giles, which took the left-arm spinner's wicket-haul in the series to 18.

There was another cameo from Muralitharan, whose 21 off ten balls included two towering sixes off Giles.

Vaughan conceded that England had been left heavy-legged after escaping from the first two Tests with draws earned by virtue of their fighting qualities.

England were staggering towards defeat midway through the first day when they lost five wickets for 61 in 27 overs after Vaughan won his first toss of the series.

After two days of toil in the field, the prospect of batting for the best part of six sessions to save another contest was too great.

''Full credit to Sri Lanka, they played exceptionally in this game,'' said Vaughan. ''We have been on the ropes for three games.

''You can only keep taking so many punches. There were only a couple of opportunities where we could have put Sri Lanka under pressure in the series but we didn't take them.''

Six dropped catches in the final Test, half of which came after some of the players were kept awake until the early hours of Saturday morning due to a disco at the team hotel, blighted their chances but Vaughan refused to use external excuses.

''I wouldn't blame any sort of fatigue, the boys came into this Test match full of exuberance, we were 0-0 and fully expected a better performance,'' he said.

''We said at the start of the series that a lack of experience in the bowling might be a problem but our experienced batting has come up against a world-class performer. Whenever Murali has been bowling throughout the series, he has had us under pressure.''

With Steve Harmison missing the trip with a back problem and James Anderson all but the Colombo encounter with knee and ankle injuries, England were shorn of their first-choice partnership.

It is hoped Harmison will be back for the trip to the West Indies in the spring