A connoisseur's day out

By Ted Corbett

KANDY, MARCH 6. There are times, thank heavens, when you can forget your loyalties, lie back and simply enjoy the cricket. One came along during the afternoon session here on Wednesday when Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold scored 123 runs despite a lunch score of 93 for four; attack for its own sake. More umpiring controversy followed before the Sri Lankan tail collapsed to the second new ball, leaving a first innings total of 297 and England narrowly ahead on points. It was a pleasure to watch, particularly on this exquisite ground 500 metres above the sea with its palm trees, its mountain view and its watching platform in the hillside above square leg. The batsmanship seemed to expand our understanding of the Sri Lankan character which wants its sport to be a joy not a business.

England, one down after the first Test in circumstances which made it players doubt their sanity, did not see the amusing side of this funny story.

At lunch England must have thought the Test was half won. Marvan Atapattu, who must have expected runs after his double century at Galle, scored 16 in boundaries, all over the head of four slips off Darren Gough's whirlwind start.

Both Gough and Andrew Caddick attacked by digging the ball in short, Sanath Jayasuriya never settled and when Atapattu made his important mistake it was from an inside edge off Gough on to his stumps at 21. Eight runs later Jayasuriya launched into a widish ball from Caddick and sent it shoulder high to Ashley Giles square on the offside.

Kumar Sangakkara settled immediately with pushes off his legs to the boundary so that 40 runs came in seven overs but the grace, the artistry and the cool competency came from Aravinda de Silva. A Martian would have recognised the man's skills as he took the pace out of Gough and, when Giles came into the attack, hit his first two loose balls through mid-wicket for fours and off his third overs pumped the ball high into the crowd at extra cover.

Some might have thought we would never see such ease of stroke from this great player again and those who saw him bat alongside Sachin Tendulkar at Lord's have noted the difference in class between the two.

As he showed this morning de Silva is still a master but Craig White, the hope of his side with bat and ball, unhinged Sangakkara, caught off his armguard which did something to level the scores in umpiring error from Galle, and de Silva who skied the ball to square leg where White would not allow anyone else to take his catch.

Jayawardene got on to the front foot with bright cheerful shots but, for all his forcefulness Arnold, could not break his duck until after lunch. From that moment runs came in a torrent. The first 12 overs brought 60, Jayawardene went to his fifty with a late cut and 75 came before drinks. The shots were frequent and varied. If you wanted to see the leg glance, the on- drive or the cover hit they were all on view, and delightfully played.

After tea Jayawardene went to his fifth Test hundred and then tipped the ball to cover. It had been the most delicious innings; what followed was a vivid replay of Galle with the same cast and the same ``villain.'' Dilshan Tillekaratne was rapped on the pads and hit the ball to cover he was given not out either lbw or caught; and at 225 Arnold edged a ball to Mike Atherton so low that umpire B.C. Cooray could not decide if it was a clean catch. The third umpire, Peter Manuel, who played such a decisive part in the Galle Test, could not find a clear TV picture and Arnold escaped.

The run rate dwindled to nothing until the new ball came in the 80th over when Gough and Caddick had the last five wickets for 20 runs in 38 balls as Sri Lanka totalled 295.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Cakewalk of a title win for Kasparov
Next     : Australians make most of mis-match