Leeds, June 22 -- A distinctive, slinging bowling action and tint in his shock of hair have made Lasith Malinga a recognizable fixture of Sri Lanka's squads at four Cricket World Cups.

When his teammates needed something special on Friday to keep in contention, they knew where to look for inspiration. The 35-year-old paceman produced a four-wicket burst that rocked England's batsmen and helped his team to an upset 20-run win over the pre-tournament favorite.

In the process he became just the fourth bowler to take 50 or more wickets in the World Cup, and revived Sri Lanka's hopes.

Malinga tried to play down his contribution as his team celebrated and a small group of Sri Lankan fans waved their flags to the tunes of trumpets and drums....