All posts by csb10.top

1993-94 in Sri Lanka
The entire tour was wrecked by the weather and the inaugural Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies turned into a damp squib of the wettest proportions. No play was possible on the last two days – although that was due largely to poor covering and drainage – with barely enough time to complete two innings. West Indies’ seamers dismissed Sri Lanka for 190 but they could only manage a slender lead as Muttiah Muralitharan took 4 for 47, including Brian Lara for 18 – the first of many battles the two would have over coming years.
Tests Sri Lanka 0 West Indies 0 Drawn 1
ODIs Sri Lanka 1 West Indies 1 (one no result)1996-97 in West Indies
Sri Lanka’s first visit to the Caribbean may only have been a two-Test series but it did not want for action. Wickets tumbled throughout, with Lara registering the only century – 115 – as the bowlers dominated. Curtly Ambrose took eight in the first Test in Antigua and although West Indies conceded a first-innings lead of 34 Sri Lanka couldn’t capitalise. Sherwin Campbell and Stuart Williams added 160 as West Indies eased to a six-wicket win. In the second Test Ravindra Pushpakumara skittled West Indies for 147 before Lara’s second-innings ton set Sri Lanka 269. At 189 for 3 they were on course, but a combination of rain and Courtney Walsh left them relieved to leave with a draw as they ended eight down.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 02001-02 in Sri Lanka
This was Lara’s series – but it wasn’t. He scored 688 runs in the three Tests and yet West Indies were still whitewashed. His contests with Muralitharan will be the abiding memory as he made scores of 178, 40, 74, 45, 221 and 130. Twice West Indies were in a commanding position with the bat – with Lara in full flow – only to hand the advantage back to Sri Lanka. At Galle they were 393 for 3 and at Colombo 347 for 3 only to see the rest of the order subside. However, it wasn’t always Muralitharan doing the damage and he was even overtaken as the leading wicket-taker by Chaminda Vaas with 26. Vaas took 14 for 191 at Colombo,only Muralitharan had taken more in a Test for Sri Lanka, and their batting ensured that even replying to totals over 400 was not a problem. Hashan Tillekeratne filled his boots – and even outshone Lara by averaging 403, albeit with three not outs – although their only other century came from Kumar Sangakkara. West Indies’ bowlers were hapless, unable to take wickets or even maintain a semblance of control.
Tests: Sri Lanka 3 West Indies 0

2003 in West Indies
West Indies gained a measure of revenge for their mauling in Sri Lanka the previous year, with Lara again leading the way. However, this time, he had the support of a more penetrative bowling attack helped by the return to fitness of Corey Collymore and the emergence of Fidel Edwards and his sling-shot action. The first Test in St Vincent petered out into a draw as heavy rain lashed the area. Lara and Muralitharan, though, had enough time for the next installment of their head-to-head battle. Again Lara came out on top in the personal stakes with 209 although Muralitharan did pick up 5 for 138. The series was decided by two fiery bursts of West Indian pace bowling at Jamaica. Edwards shocked the Sri Lankan batsmen with a five-wicket haul on debut before Collymore demolished their second innings with 7 for 57. Sri Lanka unearthed a talent of of their own in Prabath Nissanka, who claimed a maiden five-wicket haul, but Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara guided West Indies home. Sri Lanka won the one-day series, which preceded the Tests, including a successful chase of 313 in Barbados.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
ODIs: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 22004-05 in Sri Lanka
Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s unhappy tenure as captain continued in Sri Lanka, leading a West Indies side of hasbeens and wannabes due to yet another contractual crisis with the board. Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin all made their debuts as West Indies were bundled out for 285 in the first innings of the first Test. Surprisingly, they tore through Sri Lanka to dismiss them for 227…but the threat of Muralitharan was never far away and he decimated them for 113 in the second innings, picking up 6 for 36. It was a similar story of dashed hope in the second Test at Kandy. Darren Powell grabbed 5 for 25, bowling Sri Lanka out for just 150 but West Indies could only respond with 148. Kumar Sangakkara then batted West Indies out of the game with a fine 157, before Muralitharan mopped up a hapless West Indies with 8 for 46 in 16.2 overs of mayhem to record a 2-0 series trouncing.
Sri Lanka 2 West Indies 0

This is not an issue worth agonising over. At a time when Caribbean societies are grappling with matters affecting the quality of life in our very small countries, engaging in heated arguments over the captaincy of the West Indies cricket team is both irrelevant, unnecessary and a complete waste of time and energy that should instead be devoted to finding solutions for the real problems of crime, violence, the rising cost of living and entrenched social inequalities.To cut a long story short, Chris Gayle, once fully recovered from his injuries sustained in southern Africa, should be confirmed to lead West Indies in the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and Australia. Full stop. We don’t even need to have one of those bigging up-type letters of congratulation from the West Indies Cricket Board president.Just send out the press release confirming the appointment and spare us the mamaguile lyrics. Yes, there is a process to be followed, but if the selectors choose not to recommend Gayle after considering the manager’s and coach’s reports from the just-concluded tour, then Gordon Greenidge and his colleagues better just go and find something else to do.Likewise, should the WICB directors or executive or whichever relevant arm of this complicated organisation decide not to ratify that recommendation, it will merely confirm long-held suspicions that horse trading and settling scores are higher on their list of priorities than the best interests of West Indies cricket.None of this should be misconstrued as an attempt to elevate the 28-year-old Jamaican to the status of a Sir Frank Worrell (apologies to Julian Hunte, who, in one of his buttering up specials to Clive Lloyd, described the current team manager as the greatest West Indian captain ever). It’s just that the evidence in South Africa was blindingly obvious that Gayle, for whatever reason, has been capable of uniting the team and getting them to play with a greater level of commitment and consistency than has been seen in recent times.Of course, as with most issues in the public domain, merit and performance don’t count for much. It’s just about like or don’t like, based almost entirely on prejudices and perceived injustices.So the pretentious debate implies that some heinous injustice will be meted out to Ramnaresh Sarwan should he be overlooked for the captaincy in favour of this troublemaking Jamaican with no manners. To claim that race (we just can’t get away from it, can we?) has nothing to do with the issue is a blatant, unadulterated lie. As we see in our politics, we are still some distance away from reaching the level of societal maturity where the majority view is influenced primarily by performance on the job.But then we are not alone in that regard. Just wait until either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton is confirmed as the Democratic Party’s candidate for the office of President of the United States and watch how all the colour or gender biases will come to the surface in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

There are also those who try to mask their true feelings with the disingenuous claim that Sarwan is the incumbent as captain and only missed out on the tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa because of injury.Again, this ignores the reality that the WICB has always made such appointments on a tour-by-tour or series-by-series basis, at least since those bad old days when leadership was based on which territory the Test match was being played.In any case, what is the big hasikara about acknowledging that Gayle, for all of his many failings and occasional brushes with authority, has exceeded expectations as a leader? Is it so unbearable to concede that the hard-hitting left-handed opener, who always seems to be in a world of his own on the field, is actually well respected by his team-mates and therefore able to get his message across very effectively?As for the contention that this is tantamount to rewarding bad behaviour, just keep in mind that the very same was said at certain times during the careers of Worrell, Lloyd, Lara and almost every captain of note we have ever had. One man’s insubordination is another man’s refusal to accept stupidness, and it’s only with the passage of time that the true picture emerges.The point is that no decision is ever made in West Indies cricket with the benefit of universal acceptability. You do this, and one group feels slighted. You do that, and another segment starts to kick brass.So it’s up to the people in the decision-making positions to have the strength of their convictions, whatever the consequences, and be guided by the fundamental principle of seeking the best interests of the regional game.The perpetual state of flux that is the WICB suggests that such people are in critically short supply. Then again, the same can be said of most of our parliaments.Chris Gayle may ultimately prove to be a complete failure as captain, widening already existing divisions within the ranks and maybe even accelerating the decline into irrelevance. Yet all of that is speculation and supposition. What is fact is the noticeably different attitude and determination of the entire team (not just the Jamaicans) when he is at the helm.Just confirm the man as captain and let’s move on to the real issues of the day.

It’s D-Day for Calmore Sports in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League, Division 1 survival battle.They must beat Andover in their last 50-over match of the season at London Road tomorrow (1 o’clock) if they are to stand any chance of avoiding relegation.But, if survival is to be achieved, they need last year’s champions, Havant to beat Portsmouth at St Helen’s, Southsea."It’s what we do that counts," Calmore skipper Tom Pegler will remind his players before the start of play."We’ve got to build on last week’s top performance against Portsmouth (which Calmore won by a massive 162-run margin) and go out and win at Andover."No other result will do," he emphasised.But Pegler, who admits to being "very nervous" about tomorrow’s match, believes Calmore can do it."The lads showed last week what they can do. Andover are a useful side, but they’ve nothing to play for. We have – our future in Premier League cricket," Pegler said.Hampshire 2nd XI all-rounder James Hibberd, Paul Cass, seamer Charlie Freeston and Pegler himself will be the key players for Calmore, who have availability doubts over John Wall and left-arm spinner Mark Boston.Andover, seventh in the overall table, plan to field the side beaten by five runs by the Hampshire Academy last week.Calmore’s neighbours, BAT Sports will be formally presented with the Premier League championship trophy before the match with South Wilts at Southern Gardens.But left-hand opener Damian Shirazi will probably be on MCC Groundstaff duty at the C & G Trophy final at Lord’s.It’s a big day for his batting partner Neal Parlane, who needs another 52 runs to beat Robin Smith’s all-time Southern League 1,015 record, set in 1982.Parlane will receive his Premier League Batsman of the Year award prior to tomorrow’s match.But, even if BAT win, there’s no guarantee they will finish top of the 50-over Pennant as Bournemouth currently boast the best record after eight (of the nine) limited-over matches.Victory for Bournemouth over Liphook & Ripsley at Chapel Gate will give Richard Scott’s side the prize.Scott captains Bournemouth instead of Farnham-bound Matt Swarbrick and will have Dorset skipper Stuart Rintoul at his side.It’s a crucial day for Bournemouth, whose 2nd XI will clinch promotion to Premier Division 3 if they win – and take a decent point haul – from their final Hampshire League game with mid-table Eastleigh & Otterbourne at Wellow & Plaitford.Bashley (Rydal) must beat the Hampshire Academy at the BCG to finish third in Premier Division 1.They might have edged ahead of the county youngsters but for a 203-runs each tie against South Wilts last week.Second XI captain Graham Pardey, who has scored almost 500 Division 3 runs this summer, is set to replace Chris Sketchley.

With all that is happening today in US cricket, any attempt to get something new started in the US market would have to be considered a foolhardy enterprise.Yet Major League Cricket Incorporated (MLC), with Bernard Cameron as its CEO and counting Clive Lloyd and Desmond Haynes among its associates, is preparing to do exactly that. It has announced its re-entry into US cricket with a refurbished website, a ten-year development plan and a national Under-15 tournament in Chicago in July 2005, and is receiving a lot of support from US cricketers who are anxious to see something happen.MLC’s original efforts go back four years, when it first presented its plans to the USA Cricket Association’s executives and board. It suggested a four-stage strategy to USACA.One, it wished to work with current cricket leagues in the USA to achieve some consistency of product. Two, it wanted to develop cricket at the Under-13 to Under-19 levels from the ground up, working with schools and state/local authorities, much as soccer did 20 years ago. Third, it wanted to work towards a US national inter-league championship format, starting in two years and developing a full-fledged structure in four years. Finally, it intended to superimpose a professional cricket league which would draw on indigenous recruits from the youth and the inter-league organizations and develop a truly US professional cricket cadre. The entire process was expected to take 10 years, in time for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.MLC received no reply from the USACA, although it did note that elements of their national plan were incorporated into USACA’s first regional and national tournaments. MLC’s biggest problem was that US cricket organizations wanted MLC to guarantee funds up front, and to take the entire risk of possible failure on its own shoulders, while MLC was looking for partners to share the risks and the responsibilities. MLC realized that it had to be strong enough to function on a stand-alone basis without any help from any one else.MLC did try to get things going in its own backyard of North East USA, with inter-league tournaments at senior and junior levels. All reports suggest that these events were a success. However, MLC’s contract to develop and use a first-class facility at the Floyd Bennett field in New York was voided by a vote from some newly-appointed New York board members, and its efforts to secure alternate financing for Florida-based facilities were similarly scuppered. MLC then went into hibernation, emerging in 2005 with a renewed sense of purpose.Expecting a better response from league presidents than from the USACA board, Cameron attended the inaugural CLP meeting in Dallas to test the water, and found himself recruited into writing and developing resolutions for CLP to pass. Unfortunately, his volunteer effort began to draw flack from some factions who saw in this an effort by MLC to take over US cricket. Subsequently, Cameron tried to present his road map to USACA’s June 4 meeting in New York, but was prevented from doing so on the grounds that MLC was neither a USACA league nor a USACA member organization, and therefore had no place on the agenda.Faced with this rebuff, MLC has evidently decided to re-enter US cricket on its own. Cameron formally presented his 10-year road map as MLC’s own long-term agenda, and announced MLC’s national Under-15 Tournament in July 2005 as MLC’s inaugural program effort. MLC’s newly energized website is busily moving along on its proposed lines, in contrast to other US cricket organizations which are still busily spinning their wheels over legal and procedural matters.An interesting difference between MLC’s long-range vision and those of, say, the USACA or CLP is that it places far more emphasis on local and junior cricket development in its earlier stages, and far less on representative international cricket and participating in ICC-sponsored tournaments. Under the MLC approach, at least five years of intensive development at junior levels are needed for a genuine USA team to compete in international cricket, as opposed to makeshift teams largely based on immigrant players. This attitude is unlikely to generate much enthusiasm from administrators who depend on their mainly immigrant memberships for running their current programs, and who are likely to be unwilling to make the sacrifices that MLC’s agenda entails. But judging by the very positive response it has been receiving from US cricketers, MLC could very well succeed in achieving its goals–and proving, after all, that everything is not lost in US cricket.

Gone, but not forgotten. Andrew Miller tracks the highs – and some of the lows – of Darren Gough’s nine years as a Test cricketer.Test No. 1 – v New Zealand, Old Trafford 1994
It is typical that a character as exuberant as Darren Gough should jump in at the deep end of Test cricket and make as big a splash as possible. His buccaneering and fearless performance at Old Trafford was the most uplifting debut by an England player since the days of Ian Botham and David Gower. He puffed out his chest and wound up his followthrough to clatter a wonderful 65 in an unlikely 130-run partnership with Phil DeFreitas, then bounded in and blew Mark Greatbatch from the crease in a barrage of bouncers in his first over. He finished that first innings with figures of 4 for 47, and there was no looking back.Test No. 4 – v South Africa, The Oval 1994
Gough had taken eight wickets in the first Test at Lord’s, a rare highlight in a depressing defeat for England, but in the decisive third Test he was once again in the thick of the action … with the bat. England were staring down the barrel at 222 for 7 when Gough joined DeFreitas for their second vital stand of the summer. Gough’s 42 not out in a partnership of 70 reignited England’s challenge, and paved the way for Devon Malcolm’s unforgettable assault in the second innings. Malcolm took the plaudits for his 9 for 57, but Gough landed the one that got away – Daryll Cullinan, who top-scored for South Africa with a fine 94.Test No. 7 – v Australia, Sydney 1994-95
The match that confirmed Gough as a superstar of world cricket, even though his heroics couldn’t quite secure England a series-salvaging victory. England had been slaughtered in the opening two Tests of the series, and were in an equally unpromising position in the third, when Gough’s whirling blade once again came to the rescue. His seat-of-the-pants 51 transformed an innings for the third time in his brief career, as the unlikely trio of Gough, Angus Fraser and Devon Malcolm added 112 for the last three wickets. But that was just the start. Gough followed up with 6 for 49 as Australia were bundled out for 116, and it required a determined rearguard from Mark Taylor and Michael Slater to salvage the match for the Aussies. By this stage of his career, Gough was averaging 34.85 with the bat and was being talked of – without irony – as the next Ian Botham. The pundits were half-right.Test No. 8 – v West Indies, Headingley 1995
A cruel foot injury had curtailed Gough’s Ashes campaign, but his comeback Test, in front of his beloved Yorkshire crowd, was an eagerly anticipated event. Unfortunately, it was also a terrible anticlimax for Gough. His first ball, from Ian Bishop, was hooked belligerently into the hands of Curtly Ambrose at fine leg, and he managed only five overs in the match before limping off with a side strain.Test No. 12 – v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1995-96
Not a happy match for bowlers, as Mike Atherton and Jack Russell saved England’s bacon with their immense partnership at the Wanderers. And Gough was no exception. He returned match figures of 0 for 116, and Raymond Illingworth did not pick him for another Test all tour. Astonishingly, he was also overlooked for the entire of the following summer.Test No. 16 – v New Zealand, Wellington, 1996-97
Respite for England, and Mike Atherton in particular, following a grim tour of Zimbabwe. And the first glimpse of a bowling partnership that would carry England to unaccustomed heights in the coming years. Gough and Andrew Caddick shared the spoils as New Zealand were blown away for 124 in their first innings, and Gough returned with a further four scalps in the follow-on for matchwinning figures of 9 for 92.Test No. 18 – v Australia, Edgbaston, 1997
At last, success against the Aussies for Gough, as England launched the 1997 Ashes series with a stunning victory at Edgbaston. Gough’s six wickets in the match were a vital part of England’s achievement, but more important than that was the spirit he brought to the team. One passage of play summed up his contribution. After bowling Greg Blewett with a no-ball, most bowlers would have sunk to their knees in exasperation. Not Gough. He merely grinned, returned to his mark, and immediately had Blewett caught at slip, as Australia slumped to 118 all out.Test No. 26 – v South Africa, Headingley, 1998
As one of life’s winners, Gough had remarkably little to show for it, until he applied the finishing touch to England’s fightback against South Africa in 1998. After a disappointing year, in which he had had to pull out of the tour of the Caribbean with the first of his many knee injuries, it was fourth time lucky for Gough in front of his home crowd, as he picked up nine wickets including a career-best 6 for 42 in the second innings. The finish was pure theatre. With the series locked at 1-1, it all came down to the final morning. South Africa needed 34 for victory, England needed two wickets. But Gough bounded in and settled the match within 28 minutes, as England won a five-Test series for the first time in 11 years.Tests No. 30 & 31 – v Australia, Melbourne and Sydney, 1998-99
The back-to-back Christmas and New Year Tests provided two of the most memorable Ashes battles of the decade, and Gough was at his irrepressible best in both. At Melbourne, he first kept England in touch after a poor batting performance, with a first-innings haul of 5 for 94, then applied the coup de grace to a spectacular Australian collapse in their second innings, with two inswinging yorkers in four balls to dispatch the tail and secure a memorable 12-run victory.That was just the prelude, however, to Gough’s most memorable achievement in Oz – a magnificent hat-trick in the fifth Test at Sydney. If the calibre of his victims was ordinary, then the manner of their dismissals could not have been bettered. Ian Healy was startled by a rearing lifter which he gloved to the keeper; Stuart MacGill had his middle stump uprooted by the perfect yorker; and, best of all, Colin Miller was bowled neck-and-crop by a Wasim-esque outswinging yorker that seemed to move six ways from Sunday before taking the off stump. Michael Slater survived a controversial run-out to make a second-innings century, which ensured that Gough’s final Test Down Under would end in defeat, but his respect had been secured.Test No. 40 – v West Indies, Lord’s 2000
Gough’s five wickets in the first Test hadn’t been able to stave off an innings defeat at Edgbaston, and England were in the last-chance saloon if their dreams of winning back the Wisden Trophy were to be fulfilled after a 32-year hiatus. Gough did his bit with the ball, taking 4 for 72 in the first innings, but it was his extraordinary catch in the deep off Caddick that changed the course of England’s recent history. England trailed by a hefty 133 on first innings, but when Sherwin Campbell uppercut Caddick towards the third man boundary, Gough leapt to his right and clung onto an inspirational catch. West Indies were blown away for 54 in their second innings, and in an excruciatingly tight finish, Gough then showed the more measured side to his game, scoring 4 not out from 19 balls in support of Dominic Cork, who inched England to victory by two wickets.Test No. 42, v West Indies, Headingley 2000
The day England all but secured the Wisden Trophy, as Gough and Caddick combined to rout West Indies inside two days. Gough had done a pretty good job in the first innings as West Indies slipped to 172 all out, and England’s first-innings lead of 100 looked like being a handy advantage. In fact, it was more than that. Gough started the West Indian rot with four wickets in five overs, before Caddick trumped him with as many in a single over of mayhem. West Indies slumped to 61 all out and an innings defeat, and England had taken a decisive lead in the series.Test No. 46, v Pakistan, Karachi 2000-01
The great Dennis Lillee managed three wickets in his entire career on the soul-destroying featherbeds of the subcontinent. Gough, now at the pinnacle of his game, managed twice that in a single match, as England became the first side ever to topple Pakistan in their favourite stadium in Karachi. They did so in spectacular fashion, chasing 176 in near-darkness, but without Gough’s tireless improvisation, including 3 for 30 in Pakistan’s second innings, they might never have had the opportunity.Test No. 48 & 49, v Sri Lanka, Kandy and Colombo 2000-01
The mightiest performance of Gough’s career. England had been routed in the oppressive heat of Galle, but bounced back supremely to level the series at Kandy. Gough was head-and-shoulders above his colleagues, picking up eight wickets on a pitch as unresponsive to fast bowling as might be expected of Muttiah Muralitharan’s home turf.He was equally impressive in the final, series-clinching, Test at Colombo, where his three second-innings wickets helped to bundle Sri Lanka out for 81, the third double-figure score made against England in ten Tests. Gough’s total of 14 wickets earned him the Man of the Series award, and the eternal gratitude of his captain, Nasser Hussain.Test No. 50, v Pakistan, Lord’s 2001
It had always been a bone of some contention for Gough that he had failed to make it onto the honours board at Lord’s in five attempts. At the sixth time of asking, however, he made no mistake at all, and celebrated his 50th Test in effervescent fashion. In addition, Gough had entered the match needing three more wickets to join the exclusive 200 club. He duly dispatched Rashid Latif to bring up that milestone, then picked up two more wickets in the same over to land the five-for. Pakistan were thumped by an innings, and England’s Ashes summer was off to the perfect start. It didn’t last, however …Test No. 55, v Australia, Headingley 2001
Another five-wicket haul on his home ground, but this was not a happy occasion for Gough, for whom the prospect of Ashes glory had once again been extinguished – inside 11 days of actual playing time. He did at least have the pleasure of being part of a winning side, thanks to Mark Butcher’s once-in-a-lifetime 173 not out, but had it not been for rain and Adam Gilchrist’s generous declaration, England would surely have finished the match 4-0 down.Test No. 58, v South Africa, Lord’s 2003
Gough has made a career out of bubbling through adversity, and the fact that he managed to make a comeback to Test cricket after a chronic knee injury was completely against all predictions. He deserved better, simply for the chutzpah he had shown, but after a solitary wicket in two Tests, it was all too clear that he had lost that magic touch. He retired with a final tally of 229 Test wickets in 58 matches, but his impact on English cricket has transcended mere figures.

Sri Lanka 228 for 9 (Atapattu 65, Sangakkara 53) beat India 203 for 9 (Tendulkar 74) by 25 runs
Scorecard

Sri Lanka underscored their supremacy at home with a 25-run win over India to win the Asia Cup in style. The R Premadasa stadium reaffirmed its status as one of Sri Lanka’s safe houses. You can seemingly do what you like, but once Sri Lanka have a score on the board – and it may be as low as 228 – they defend it tooth and nail. They have all the weapons they need in a canny left-arm seamer, a vicious off-spinner and a host of other spinners who seem born to deny batsmen the space and time needed to score. India began their innings needing to score at 4.58 runs per over to win and by the 40th over the asking rate reached 8.9. And soon, they were put out of their misery.When Marvan Atapattu won the toss and unhesitatingly chose to bat, India’s chances of winning the Asia Cup receded ever so slightly. Soon, Irfan Pathan, in his exuberant manner, did his bit to level the odds with a fine first spell that got rid of the dangerous Sanath Jayasuriya, trapped in front of the stumps (28 for 1). Ashish Nehra, one of two other left-arm fast bowlers in the Indian line-up, did his bit by removing Avishka Gunawardene (31 for 2).Then, just when India sniffed a chance of kicking Sri Lanka when they were down, Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara came together in a match-winning 116-run partnership for the third wicket that took Sri Lanka out of the woods. An already slow pitch grew steadily slower and lower and the spinners began to come to the fore.But Atapattu showed the way, putting behind the niggling self-doubts that would have been caused when he survived a confident shout for lbw early on. Twin drives on either side of the bowler, all along the turf, played with the full face of the bat, left fielders with no chance and the packed house at the Premadasa stadium increasing their already-earsplitting support of the home team.

Sangakkara had his own share of luck, but to his credit, toughed it out to make an invaluable 53. First, he was dropped on 6 by VVS Laxman at second slip when a flashing drive off Zaheer Khan only resulted in an edge. Two carved boundaries through point, one crunching cut off Harbhajan Singh and a forceful pick-up shot over midwicket signalled Sangakkara’s ability to put the chance behind him. However, on 38, Sangakkara was left stranded mid-pitch when he played the ball down to short third man and thought about pinching a single. Lakshmipathy Balaji, on the field as a substitute, fired the throw in at near-yorker length and Dravid failed to collect. But it was third-time lucky for the Indians when Sehwag got a ball to sneak past Sangakkara’s bat and kiss the outside of the off stump (147 for 3).At this stage it became clear that the fancy totals of 270 and 280 that were freely bandied around by pundits was not on the cards. Tendulkar (2 for 40) and Sehwag (1 for 32) did a fine job in tandem, and Sri Lanka only managed 228 for 9 from their 50 overs.India’s run chase began as a mirror image of Sri Lanka’s. Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa bowled to the field set to them, put the ball in the right places, took the pace off the ball, and got rid of two batsmen with only 26 on the board. Virender Sehwag was trapped in front by Vaas while Ganguly’s nibble at a ball was exhilaratingly snatched at slip by Mahela Jayawardene.With Sehwag the powerhouse back in the hutch India shifted to the lowest gear. Tendulkar battled for survival, only chancing his arm when the ball begged to be hit, and VVS Laxman tried to find his groove. Laxman could not have chosen a worse match to feel his way back into international cricket after an injury. He batted 34 balls for 12, but the boundaries simply were not forthcoming and his attempt to manufacture a shot only ended in his spooning the simplest of chances to Tillakaratne Dilshan off Jayasuriya (62 for 3). Rahul Dravid, India’s crisis man, got off to a fine start under the circumstances, stealing singles to the keep the strike rotating. Then, with 16 to his name he shaped to cut Upul Chandana and Dilshan snapped up a sharp chance at slip after a quick juggle (96 for 4).Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, heroes of many an Indian run-chase, came and went without much impact. Yuvraj struggled to get the ball away, repeatedly sweeping and missing till he waltzed down the track and was clean bowled by Chandana (119 for 5). Kaif attempted an ambitious chip before he got his eye in and only holed out to long off (135 for 6). Chandana ended with 3 for 33 from 10 overs of innocuous-looking yet deadly legbreaks.But surely, while there was Tendulkar there was still hope. After Billy Bowden repeatedly reprieved Tendulkar on close shouts, his painful innings of 74 (100 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) came to an end when he was bowled through the gate by Dilshan. India were 140 for 7 needing 99 from 64 balls, and were dead and buried. The match ground to its inevitable end, only delayed by some old-fashioned slogging from Zaheer.

Duncan Fletcher has called on England to make more history this summer after their record-breaking win against Bangladesh, in the NatWest Series, on Tuesday. England’s total of 391 for 4 was their highest in one-day internationals and the second highest by a team.Paul Collingwood made individual history when he became the first player to score a century and take six wickets in an innings. He is also the first England player to take six wickets in a one-day international, his 6 for 31 eclipsing Mark Ealham’s 5 for 15 against Zimbabwe at Kimberley in 1999-00.Fletcher told www.natwest.com/cricket that this is the style of performance the team has been talking about. “We’ve spoken about this on numerous occasions that we want to go out and make history, and to make history you have to break records and do amazing things – this is what this side is all about.”Against Bangladesh we played some very good cricket, the batting was exceptional on a good wicket and everyone put in good performances although it was unfortunate Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff missed out.”Fletcher also said how Collingwood’s performance showed that he is a very versatile cricketer and that he is developing a vital role within England’s one-day side. “I think Collingwood’s six wickets setting a record was very important. He’s always doing something in the game that’s why he’s such a valuable player to us.”He’s a very useful player. Some people have classified him as a bits-and-pieces player, but all it needs is for an individual like that to develop the skill of bowling and add that to his batting. He has lots of variations and he can play a useful role for us. There are certain days on certain wickets when he won’t be able to do that.”But on a wicket like that against Bangladesh, which ended being slow, he needed a lot of variation and he fits that part very well. He takes the pace off the ball and he’s a very useful player in one-day cricket and when you add that to his fielding, then he’s got a good future.”

Bangladesh 139 for 6 (Keshvani 5-29) beat Canada 136 (Jethi 42) by four wickets
ScorecardBangladesh made heavy weather of beating a spirited Canadian side, as memories of their senior team’s humiliation in last year’s World Cup came flooding back into the picture.On that occasion it had been a dreadlocked plumber-turned-seamer, Austin Codrington, whose five-wicket haul condemned Bangladesh to defeat. This time, it was a young offspinner Shaheed Keshvani who applied the heebie-jeebies, taking 5 for 29 in his ten overs. But unfortunately for Canada, their total of 136 was insufficient to engineer another upset.Canada won the toss, batted first and collapsed to 36 for 5 as Talha Jubair and Nazmul Hossain tore through the top-order, with the aid of a run-out. But Karun Jethi belted Canada towards a reasonable total with 42 from 26 balls, and added 70 for the sixth wicket with Soham Anjaria (27).Bangladesh’s openers Naeem Islama and Nafees Iqbal opened the run-chase with a half-century partnership but then, with a comfortable victory in sight, Keshwani ripped through the middle-order – aided and abetted by a series of loose shots. The prospect of an embarrassing defeat was finally averted by Nazim Uddin, whose 27 not out took Bangladesh to victory in 34.5 overs.Canada’s coach Franklyn Dennis was disappointed despite the tight-ish finish. “I’m not very pleased with today’s performance,” he said. “We expected to win matches in this tournament and we haven’t yet come close.”Bangladesh’s opener Nafees was pleased to see his side return to winning ways but was frustrated by his own soft dismissal. “The last few days have been disappointing,” he admitted. “I have not been satisfied with my batting and today I made the wrong decision and was out.”Ireland 329 for 9 (Morgan 117) beat Uganda 206 (Arinaitwe 42) by 123 runs
ScorecardEoin Morgan hammered 117 from 129 balls, and Kevin O’Brien continued his good form with 70 from 87, as Ireland swept past Uganda in their Plate Championship encounter at Chittagong. The pair added 166 for the third wicket to form the backbone of an imposing total of 329 for 9. Uganda performed creditably in their run-chase, but were eventually bowled out for 206 with four overs to spare.Ireland won the toss and chose to bat, but suffered an early setback when Gary Wilson was run out for 5 in the fifth over (22 for 1). Morgan and his captain William Porterfield then added 59 for the second wicket, and by the time Morgan and O’Brien had completed their hefty effort, Ireland had wickets in hand and licence to go after the bowling. Andrew Riddles (23 from 15) and Simon Wells (33 from 11) did just that, and though the innings was interrupted by two late run-outs, 82 runs still came from the last seven overs.Not content with his batting heroics, Morgan took the new ball and grabbed wickets with his first and fourth balls as Dennis Musali and Arthur Kyobe were snapped up for ducks. But Uganda refused to buckle, as Hamza Almuzahim and Davis Arinaitwe produced a pair of 40s to stabilise the middle order, before Patrick Ochan (26 not out) and Danniel Ruyange added 32 for the tenth wicket.

The morale of the Indian cricket team as it bids to win the upcoming tri-nation Indian Oil Cup in Sri Lanka would be low in the absence of Sourav Ganguly, according to Syed Kirmani, the former wicketkeeper and chief selector. Unless he’s granted a dramatic reprieve by the ICC, Ganguly will sit out the tournament, serving the last four games of a six-match suspension while Rahul Dravid leads the side.”The six-match ban on Sourav (Ganguly) by the ICC is harsh,” said Kirmani. “But a rule is arule. His absence will affect the team’s morale to a certain extent. After all, he has been the most successful captain of India.”Speaking at a public function, Kirmani reckoned that Greg Chappell, the new coach, was one of the great players of the game, and someone who could inspire the team to perform well. He added that Sachin Tendulkar’s absence “would not have any adverse impact”, while also pointing out that “the team had a bad series against Pakistan at home but the players would like to stabilise and do well.”Kirmani rejected any suggestion that Virender Sehwag, named vice-captain for Sri Lanka, would have to shoulder a greater batting burden. “Every player is capable of scoring runs,” said Kirmani. “A few players could run in to bad form or the entire team could have a bad patch. That is cricket. On the whole, we have an established batting line-up.”Asked whether India had no option but to pick a foreigner as coach, he replied in the negative. “The players and the BCCI wanted it,” said, adding that John Wright, the former coach, had infused professionalism and improved the team’s fielding considerably.”Greg will provide great inspiration to the team, but the fact that the Indians had won the 1983 World Cup without any coach or a physio or a trainer will remain,” said Kirmani, who was an integral part of that legendary team led by Kapil Dev.Kirmani, a former Karnataka stalwart, also pooh-poohed the idea that captaincy would take the sheen off Dravid’s batting. “Rahul has a mature mind and I am sure he will not be under any extra pressure as captain.”

Was the move to cancel the eagerly awaited elections of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on the orders of Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapakse the correct decision?The president had to force his hand in this matter after a team of past national cricketers headed by Arjuna Ranatunga, the former World Cup-winning captain and present tourism deputy minister, had met him personally and apprised him of the situation at hand with regard to the administration of cricket in the country.Acting on a directive from the president, Jeevan Kumaratunga, the sports minister, said that the elections were cancelled because it was not the appropriate time to have it keeping in mind the 2007 World Cup which is eight months away.Kumaratunga said he feared that under the present circumstances, interested parties could go to court and obtain stay orders to affect the administration of the game. He said that cricket cannot suffer from bitter experiences of the past especially with South Africa due for a tour here for two Tests starting July 19 followed by a one-day tri-series also involving India next month.To a point the sports minister is right because the SLC has been riddled with enough and more court cases which has not only proved detrimental to the development of the game in the country but also made its administration a laughing stock in the eyes of the entire cricket world.Kumaratunga indicated that he may consider changing the composition of the interim committee to accommodate reputed former cricketers and administrators with genuine interest for the game, but for now the present interim committee headed by businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa would continue until at least the end of the 2007 World Cup although no specific date has been decided.The present committee appointed on March 24, 2005 comprises, apart from Dharmadasa, Adel Hashim (secretary), Sujeewa Rajapakse (treasurer), Damien Fernando, K Mathivanan and Prakash Schaffter.Mohan de Silva, a presidential candidate, expressed shock at the cancellation of the elections which came less than 48 hours before it was scheduled to be held. The date was fixed for July 15. De Silva hit out directly at Dharmadasa, his rival candidate, and accused him of deliberately getting it postponed.”This is definitely the work of my rival candidate because he knew that he was going to lose the elections. My feeling is he did not want to face defeat,” he said. “Leading upto the elections Dharmadasa’s team had brought various allegations and filed court cases against us to prevent clubs from supporting us. But despite these attempts I was quite confident of racking up more than 100 votes out of the 146 who were eligible to vote.”The majority of cricket lovers in the country are sympathetic towards our cause. We were sent out on wild allegations of financial mismanagement made by the sports minister. But sad to say to-date we have not received a single charge sheet to answer if that was the case.”De Silva said that he would take up the unfair postponement of the elections with Rajapakse.Dharmadasa said that the interim body accepted Kumaratunga’s decision, and added: “I am sure the minister has taken this decision in the best interest of the game. If the elections were held I was quite confident of winning.”During Dharmadasa’s tenure as interim chairman his committee had put into place several plans to develop infrastructure facilities, school cricket, high performance centres at each district and commenced a spinners’ clinic among other things. The cancellation of the elections will come as a big body blow to those seeking a democratically elected body to run the SLC.Petty politics have been the bane of the SLC cricket for the past seven years or so with the two camps trying to wrest control of running the affairs of it Their individual greed to run the richest sports body in the country has resulted in the destruction of the game today with the Ministry of Sports also being responsible for taking sides and allowing them to be used as a puppet to suit the whims and fancies of individuals.As a result of this petty politics Sri Lanka’s had four interim bodies and as many elected bodies administering cricket in the past seven years. Can any long term plans be drawn up for the betterment of the SLC if there is going to be such a constant change of administration?The most of what has been happening is mud slinging and trying to prove that one administration has performed better than the other – something similar to a change of governments. The result is that no firm commitment or plans can be put into motion (or if they have been they have not being given sufficient time to implement it) to develop the level of cricket in Sri Lanka.The SLC should be thankful that the players have started to perform on the field after going through a lean period. The way they performed in England brought back smiles to the faces of all cricket lovers in the country. They at least cover the sins of others.