Kevin Pietersen and Alistair Cook both hit fifties as England grabbed a surprise five wicket victory over the Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI in Colombo.

Pietersen, whose previous scores on the tour were four and one, struck a fluent 59 and Cook an impressive 58 as England chased down their 246-run target, after bowling out their opponents for 81.

The five-wicket win came despite England conceding a 164-run lead, after they were bowled out for a dismal 134 in the first innings on Monday.

James Anderson also gave his side a boost after he returned to action to set up the victory bid but England's other crocked paceman Steve Harmison is unlikely to play in the first Test in Kandy despite a scan showing up no new injury to his back.

Anderson wrapped up the President's XI innings within five minutes on the final morning to allay fears over his injured ankle.

Having been struck for a boundary square on the off-side, the 25-year-old followed up with a bouncer which followed Chanaka Welegedara and brushed the gloves on the way through to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Michael Vaughan, opening, appeared in prime form, hitting three boundaries in one over from left-armer Sujeewa de Silva including an imperious back foot drive down the ground.

But, having struck 28 in an opening partnership of 50 with Cook, he succumbed attacking Jehan Mubarak's gentle medium pace - advancing down the pitch to hit straight the ball sliced off the bat straight to point.

England's start contrasted to the first innings when they were in turmoil at 21 for three but the scoring rate was stifled by Vaughan's departure in the 11th over.

Ian Bell also perished after going aerial against off-spinner Tillekaratne Dilshan but mis-hitting to deep mid-on.

That gave Pietersen ample opportunity to make a score and the response was typical of the player, as moments after Cook brought up a 96-ball 50, the Hampshire batsman reverse-swept a six over point off Dilshan.

He hit five other boundaries in a polished 59, before under-edging a cut at Chamara Kapugedera, shortly after Cook's demise leg-before sweeping for the second time in the contest.

Their departures left Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara in tandem with 79 required, and the pair battling it out for a batting berth in the Test series.

By the second interval they had wiped another 29 off the equation with Bopara lofting Mubarak, who reverted to off-spin after an initial spell of seam, for a straight six and Shah also tucking into boundaries.

Although Bopara fell to a scooped return catch to Mubarak in the final session, the pace of the chase continued unabated and Prior finished things with consecutive swept fours in the 61st over.

England's run chase was made easier by the absence of Kaushal Lokuarachchi. The leg-spinner is expected to be out of action for two months after undergoing an operation on his dislocated right index finger which he sustained attempting a return catch off Bopara on Monday.