Charlie Austin
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2nd Test: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Kandy, 21-25 Nov 2001 Charlie Austin |
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Sri Lanka 1st innings:
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Carl Hooper wasted no time in taking the new ball after the Sri Lankan pair started to accelerate against the spinners with boundaries straight down the ground and over the top of cover.
The pair, having added 80 runs in 117 minutes, were separated when Tillakaratne, trying to pull, chopped a delivery from left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins onto his stumps.
Tillakaratne’s wicket ended a 975-minute run since his last dismissal in Test cricket, an unbeaten run that stretches back to Sri Lanka’s last Test match in Kandy. He had scored 87 from 174 balls, hitting nine fours and one six.
Mervyn Dillon, who had his rested after his three over burst this morning, then grabbed the wicket of the adhesive Samaraweera with a peach of leg cutter, which the right-hander edged to Ridley Jacobs behind the stumps, having scored 29.
Sri Lanka, looking good on 249 for five, were suddenly in trouble on 249 for seven, with the tail-enders having to bat against a fresh new ball.
This morning, however, he took a full part in an energetic warm-up game (a cross between netball and touch rugby) and went onto the field with his teammates when play got off to an early start.
He also bowled three testing overs before the first water break of the morning, troubling both Hashan Tillakaratne and Thilan Samaraweera.
Sri Lanka, though, lost no further wickets in the first 50 minutes of play. Keen to compile a score in excess of 300 they added 24 runs in the 13 overs bowled to leave them on 217 for five.
Tillakaratne, who has now batted 935 minutes since his last dismissal in Test cricket, struck one four in the morning of Pedro Collins and was 70 not out at the interval.
Samaraweera has given him sound support, having batted 75 minutes for his 17. He also managed to play the shot of the day: a flowing extra cover drive off leg-spinning Dinanath Ramnarine.
Jayawardene, who had batted serenely for his 88, had become becalmed after the afternoon drinks break and was then caught and bowled in the first over of Ramnarine’s second spell of the day. He had faced 149 balls and hit nine fours and one six.
The wicket ended a 116 run partnership for the fifth wicket and Sri Lanka were 169 for five.
Hashan Tillakaratne, though, responded to the dismissal with his most positive spell of batting since being recalled into International cricket in August. He pull-swept Ramnarine high over mid-wicket for six and then cut the wrist spinner for four to reach his half-century off 103 balls.
At the tea interval he was unbeaten on 60, with Thilan Samaraweera on four. Sri Lanka were 193 for five.
Sri Lanka will be aiming for a score in excess of 300 and will have noted with interest the purchase and zip extracted from the wicket by Ramnarine (16-3-54-3).
Dark clouds are starting to build-up around the ground and the prospects of an uninterrupted days play appear slim.
Sri Lanka, 85 for four at lunch after the loss of early wickets, added 64 runs in the hour and were 149 for four at the afternoon water break.
Jayawardene led the charge with a confidant 82 from 125 balls that included nine fours and one straight driven six. He played imperiously, punishing another loose and was particularly severe on the short ball, with five pulls to the boundary.
He was supported well by Tillakaratne, who was also looking confidant after unbeaten centuries against India and West Indies. Tillakaratne, starting the afternoon session with a clean square cut for four, was 26 not out at the break.
Carl Hooper gave Pedro Collins a four over burst after lunch before trying out the part-time off-spin of Marlon Samuels, who was promptly smashed down the ground for six and pull swept for four by Jayawardene.
From the Hanthana End Dinanath Ramnarine and Hooper bowled short spells, before Mervyn Dillon made a tentative comeback just before the interval.
At lunch, local fears of a home team curse remain after a session in which Sri Lanka lost four top order wickets to finish on 85 for four.
Sri Lanka’s hopes now rest on Mahela Jaywardene, once again is in prime form, who was 38 not out at the interval and experienced left-hander Hashan Tillakaratne, on seven, who was last dismissed in Test cricket four matches ago when Sri Lanka played India in Kandy.
The two wickets to fall in the second hour were Kumar Sangakkara for 15 and Russel Arnold for 4. Both were clean bowled as they unwisely tried to cut leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine through the off-side.
Mervyn Dillon left the field straight after the water break having bowled just one over in his second spell. There is no further definite news on his fitness from the dressing room, but he is believed to be resting in the hope of returning later.
West Indian captain Carl Hooper has thus been forced to rely on the leg-spin of Dinanath Ramnarine and his off-breaks throughout much of the second hour. Pedro Collins returned for two overs before lunch, but was treated harshly by Jawardene, who swatted him for two leg-side boundaries.
Sri Lanka started disastrously, losing Marvan Atapattu in the first over, trapped lbw by Mervyn Dillon for his 19th duck in Test cricket. Dillon, however, was unable to complete his second over because of abdominal pains.
He was replaced by Stuart, who then struggled to control the ball, bowling a head-high beamer first up. When he bowled another beamer with his third delivery, he was withdrawn from the attack for the rest of the innings by the umpires after a lengthy discussion with the West Indian captain and match referee. Law 42.6 (b) says that bowlers are to receive a first and final warning if they bowl a high full-pitched delivery. On the second occurrence, they are to be immediately withdrawn from the attack. Chris Gayle eventually completed the 14-minute over in which three bowlers had bowled.
The West Indies now face the daunting prospect of taking on Sri Lanka with just one fast bowler, Pedro Collins, who has not yet bowled in Sri Lanka, and a solitary frontline spinner. Hooper came on to bowl his off-breaks in the seventh over, with five bowlers being used in the first seven overs!
Meanwhile, the condition of Dillon remained unclear. He was suffering from abdominal pains in his left side, but the physio was unsure whether it was a muscular injury or a gastro complaint. He was treated (for what particular ailment, it is not yet clear) and returned to the field. Although he still looked uncomfortable, he returned to bowl one over before the drinks break.
Sri Lanka’s batsmen were left trying to keep their concentration, but in the eighth over they lost Jayasuriya, surprised by some extra bounce and caught at third slip for 16.
At the drinks break, Sri Lanka were 38 for two, with Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene at the wicket.
Captain Sanath Jayasuriya would have been tempted to bowl first on a pitch still fresh from heavy morning dew. The last time Sri Lanka won in this venue, against Australia in 1999, Sri Lanka bowled first and bowled out the Aussies for 188. Since then, they have lost to South Africa (by seven runs), England (by three wickets) and India (by seven wickets). All the defeats followed heavy Sri Lankan victories in Galle.
But Sri Lanka have picked three spinners (four, including Jayasuriya) and, even though they have bolstered the side with the recall of left-arm pace bowler Nuwan Zoysa, who has been out with an ankle injury for seven months, it makes sound sense to bat first on what should be a flat wicket. If they can muster a score in excess of 300 (their last three first innings scores have been 253, 297 and 274), they can then attack the tourists on a pitch that will turn and bounce.
West Indies will not be overly disappointed. They have returned to a more traditional Caribbean attack, admitting yesterday that they had played into the hands of Sri Lanka in Galle by picking two spinners. Certainly, history suggests that the quicker bowlers have an important role to play in Kandy, especially with the new ball. Neil McGarrell thus stands down in place of a third fast bowler.
With Reon King not fit to play the management plumped for left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins, who played the last of his four Tests against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
Sri Lanka:
Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillakaratne, Thilan Samaraweera, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Niroshan Bandaratillake, Muttiah Muralithathan,
West Indies:
Carl Hooper (capt), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Mervyn Dillon, Colin Stuart, Dinanath Ramnarine, Pedro Collins
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 22 Nov2001 - 22:31