Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu hopes his team are building to peak at the right time at the Cricket World Cup ahead of their clash with England.

After a 98-run loss to New Zealand in the tournament opener, Sri Lanka have claimed two wins – albeit one was a scratchy victory over Afghanistan.

Atapattu, whose team face England in Wellington on Sunday, said it was crucial for his side to get to their best form later in the tournament.

"The last two games have been good for us, although it was a very close game against Afghanistan," he told a media conference on Saturday.

"Having said that, we would expect our number eight [Thisara Perera] to score the way he scored in the Dunedin game.

"Yes, we would like to take game by game at this stage. We know in World Cups every game is important, and peaking at the right time is the most important thing.

"We as a group believe in that, and we think game by game, and hopefully we have a good result tomorrow."

England have been similarly unconvincing, with losses to New Zealand and Australia followed by a win over Scotland.

Atapattu said England had several strengths, praising both their batsmen and bowlers.

"They are a balanced side. It is just that I don't think they can be very happy about how things have unrolled for them in the recent past," he said.

"Having said that, they have qualified in the finals against Australia in Australia [in a tri-series involving India]. That's always a positive.

"Having mentioned about peaking at the right time, I think India is a classic example.

"In terms like this, you need a victory against a good opposition, a good performance would obviously boost, and I'm sure England is looking forward to that.

"It can be their batting; they've got some terrific batsmen in their first seven, and if not, they've got the best seaming attack on the day."