By Rob Steen at Cardiff
First day of three: Sri Lankans 54 & 35-2 v Glamorgan 224
FOR sheer surrealism, the pair of boyos masquerading as mother and baby certainly took some beating. Resplendent in wigs and nappy, and linked by a ball and chain, here was a metaphor, however unwitting, for Sri Lanka's lengthy struggle for acceptance as a reputable cricketing force. World Cup holders they may be, but events here yesterday did precious little for their credibility over the conventional course.
As if their fitful form at Taunton were not enough to underline the perils in coming to these inclement shores hot-foot from humid Colombo, the tourists found a blustery Sophia Gardens even less appealing. Dismissed 45 minutes before lunch, their total of 54, the lowest of the season, had reporters seeking instances of comparable incompetence.
Although they did not quite plumb the depths of the 1896 Australians (whistled out for 18 by MCC and Ground) or even their 1902 successors (humbled for 23 by Yorkshire), they can at least lay claim to the lowest score by a touring side in Wales, improving substantially on the South Africans' 83 at Swansea in 1951.
Not that they lacked alibis. For one thing, the two world-class batsmen in the party, Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva, were otherwise engaged at Lord's. Still drying after two months of almost incessant rain, the pitch, moreover, resembled a soggy beach, the bounce indifferent at best. Of the four deliveries that elicited leg-before verdicts, three might conceivably have broken the legs of any lurking centipedes. By the time Glamorgan went in the sun had his hat firmly on, the juice had evaporated and Matthew Maynard, who entered trailing a first-class average of 21, bullied his way to 99, his highest score of the summer, with all the panache of old.
``Cricket is not played in Sri Lanka because of any post-imperial nostalgia,'' attested the writer Shiva Naipul. ``The clubs are only nominally oases of exclusivity. Many are shabby, fly-blown places battling to make ends meet.'' All of which would suggest that the Principality should have been right up the tourists' street. If only.
Raman Subba Row, the former Test and County Cricket Board chairman, once said he would travel a thousand miles to watch the sons of Galle and Matara, ``because they play the way we did in the old days''. He was referring to the blend of public school correctness and amateur enterprise, neither of which, sadly, were overly apparent here, aside from a six by Muthiah Muralitharan, the last man.
Hitherto, the only strokes of authority had come courtesy of Marvan Atapattu. One cover drive off Steve Watkin, all suppleness and timing, took the breath away, but once Darren Thomas had trapped him with the initial offering of a spell that brought him four for two in 16 balls, ignominy beckoned.
The first casualty had been Atapattu's opening confrere, Russel Arnold, fresh from a match-saving double-century against Somerset but soon reacquainted with humility as he edged Watkin to second slip.
After Maynard and Wayne Law had posted a breezy opening stand of 110 in 24 overs, honour was partially reclaimed as Muralitharan and his fellow twirler, Umal Chandana, struck three times in four overs.
Day 2: Tourists collapse on slow wicket
By Edward Bevan at Cardiff
Glamorgan (224 and 53-5) bt Sri Lanka (54 and 222) by five wkts
SRI LANKA's failure to adapt to a slow, low Sophia Gardens pitch resulted in a five-wicket defeat by Glamorgan, who won with a day and 17.4 overs to spare and also achieved their 12th first class win against Test-playing nations.
The county champions required only 53 to win, but in the process lost five wickets to Muttiah Muralitharan, who baffled the batsmen with his guile and deceptive change of pace.
Harry Brind was summoned after 22 wickets fell on the first day, but left soon after lunch yesterday, following consultation with the umpires, who might also have remarked on the reluctance of the tourists' batsmen to play everything on the front foot - a prerequisite at Sophia Gardens.
Only Marvan Atapattu, who top-scored in both innings - and became the second batsman in the game to be dismissed on 99 - showed the necessary technique, with eight batsmen out leg before while others perished to strokes more conducive to quicker pitches.
Atapattu struck 12 boundaries before he was out flicking Darren Thomas down the leg side, but in his disappointment failed to acknowledge the crowd's applause, so ignoring the etiquette of the game.
Adrian Dale experienced mixed fortunes, two ducks and match figures of nine for 45 and though Dale and Muralitharan were contenders, Matthew Maynard received the man-of-the-match award for his first-innings score of 99 combined with astute captaincy.