It must now be official. England have resolved one of their World Cup conundrums: the identity of one of their opening batsmen in one-day cricket. Moeen Ali struck 119 from 87 balls in England’s unavailing pursuit of 318. He surely has to stay at the top of the order.

This was the third-fastest ODI century by an Englishman – it took Moeen 72 balls to reach that landmark – and like the two faster ones by Kevin Pietersen, against South Africa in 2005 (69 balls), and Jos Buttler, against Sri Lanka at Lord’s last summer (61 balls), his heroics ended in defeat. However, at least this stunning innings meant a defeat with honour. At 11.20pm local time Sri Lanka prevailed by 25 runs.

Moeen hit five sixes, all effortless strokes over midwicket, which just kept going as if he was batting in the thin air of Johannesburg rather than the cloying dampness of Colombo-by-the-sea. Such was the carefree audacity of Moeen’s batting that England were nearly always up with the rate required.

But none of Moeen’s peers could match his brilliance and the wickets fell too rapidly, despite a plucky innings from Ravi Bopara at the end.

If Moeen evoked memories of Brian Lara at the crease, some of his colleagues had more in common with Brian Blessed.

Certainly Alastair Cook was blessed in the opening over of England’s response. Cook was given lbw to his third ball from Angelo Mathews, who was confident that he had his man. As was the umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge, who had raised his finger. After some hesitation Cook asked for a review. The ball was deemed to be bouncing over the stumps. Exactly the same happened after the next delivery, a bizarre record of sorts.

But Cook could not benefit from the review system. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s first ball struck Cook’s front pad and this time – correctly – the England captain did not seek another review. However, with Ian Bell bedding down swiftly alongside the magnificent Moeen, the chase was on. But from the giddy heights of 107 for one at the start of the 16th over, England soon subsided to 124 for four with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan out of kilter in their determination to be positive.

Buttler flickered while Bopara, one of the veterans in the England side, was outwardly calm alongside the tail. Bopara, like Moeen before him though without so many fireworks, demonstrated why England surely require him to be in their best team.

Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes looked understandably rusty and were easily rumbled by the wily left-arm spin of Rangana Herath. Bopara, last out, struck a cool 65 in what proved to be a remarkably high-scoring game given the dank weather in Colombo since England’s arrival.

The England pace bowlers were unable to exploit those favourable conditions at the start. Their attack did not contain Steven Finn, who understandably was not risked. The slippery outfield was not ideal for a man nursing a dodgy groin. At the toss Cook suggested his most experienced available paceman would be ready to play by the weekend.

Given the toothless nature of his peers, England will want Finn back in their side as quickly as possible. Under a slate-grey sky after a morning of Mancunian mizzle, there was the suggestion that the new balls would jag around a little for disciplined, aggressive pace bowlers. Yet Sri Lanka were able to add 120 without loss inside 23 overs.

Even then England’s first wicket was the consequence of a schoolboy run-out when Dilshan and Kusal Perera ended up at the same end. The junior man, Perera, after hitting a puckish 59, had to go.

Until then none of a callow pace attack could pose enough problems. Woakes, whose figures were badly dented by a last over which cost 21 runs, looked the most dependable. Stokes, at times staring in exasperation at the footholds, was the most vulnerable. In the end Stokes could be permitted only four overs in the entire innings. Harry Gurney, preferred to Chris Jordan, bowled better at the end than at the beginning.

Despite the dampness and the constant cloud cover, Cook had to turn to his spinners sooner than expected and by the end of the 21st over he had tried seven bowlers. Moeen snapped up Kumar Sangakkara cheaply – despite the Sri Lankan’s review – with a fine delivery, which pitched on leg stump and would have hit off.

Morgan might have caught Mahela Jayawardene at midwicket off James Tredwell. Instead this venerable pair added 76 together whereupon Dilshan was caught and bowled by Woakes.

Tredwell’s final over was eventful: it included two sixes from Mathews and two wickets. Then 54 runs from the last five overs of the innings, courtesy of Jeevan Mendis and Lahiru Thirimanne, tipped the balance Sri Lanka’s way, even though Moeen, during his 31 overs at the crease, had the home side scratching their heads.