Charlie Austin
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LG Abans Final: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Colombo, 19 Dec 2001 Charlie Austin |
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Sri Lanka innings:
West Indies innings: Pre-game: |
A power failure, which plunged half of the stadium into darkness, straight after the second wicket, had threatened to an already tough target harder. With all the spare time already used, the target should have been revised for the second time after a 10-minute delay. However, both captains agreed with match referee Raman Subba Row that the full quote of 47 should be bowled.
West Indies, who were 121 for three after 30 overs, now need to score 126 runs in 17 overs, which leaves them needing to score at 7.4 runs per over, a stiff requirement on a slow scoring pitch.
West Indies had seemed to be cruising, as the openers added 111 in 148 balls
Ganga had attacked the Sri Lankan spinners, especially Kumar Dharmasena, whom he had launched for a six over wide long on, but having just reached his fourth fifty of the tournament off 68 balls, Dharmasena claimed his revenge as he bowled the right-hander. Three overs later Sanath Jayasuriya, who had replaced Muttiah Muralitharan (4-0-15-0), had the left-handed Gayle caught at point by Upul Chandana (114 for two). Gayle had scored 60 in 111 balls, hitting eight fours. Then, shortly after the floodlights had re-started after the power failure, he had Ramnaresh Sarwan caught by wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara for five, to leave his side in charge.
Chasing a revised target of 247, they were 65 without loss, requiring 5.7 runs per over, with Ganga on 23 and Gayle 39.
West Indies survived unscathed, but they did so by the skin of their teeth. The rain interruption appeared to freshen the pitch and the ball seamed around dangerously in the early overs.
West Indies started ominously for the hosts, taking 17 runs off Nuwan Zoysa’s first over, before both Chaminda Vaas and Zoysa found their rhythm.
Vaas was frugal, conceding just six runs in his five overs. He also beat the bat, especially Gayle’s, who once again looked susceptible outside his off-stump. Zoysa, too, saw both batsmen play and miss and grew frustrated when an appeal for a catch behind off Ganga was turned down (slow motion replays showed that umpire Peter Manual had adjudged correctly).
Gayle, a natural strokeplayer, also showed signs of frustration as the run rate started to climb, having scored just 36 runs in the first 10 overs.
However, he raised the tempo in the next five overs, picking up 29 runs off the next four overs, as Vaas was guilty of dropping too short.
West Indies are now well placed to take on Sri Lanka’s spinners, who were introduced in the 14th over.
Ganga, on 19 at the time, looked lucky to survive a strong appeal for lbw by Muttiah Muralitharan when he missed an attempted sweep.
Sri Lanka, 154 for two at one stage, had looked set for a mammoth total, but after four needless run outs they finished with 253 for nine.
The innings was held together by Mahela Jaywardene after the dismissal of Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu, as the 24-year-old right-hander scored his 13th one-day fifty.
He reached his half-century off only 55 balls, but was forced to work hard for his runs, hitting just five fours in all, as the ball became soft on a two-paced pitch.
He added 58 runs for the fifth wicket with Kumar Sangakkara following the dismissal of Russel Arnold, who was cleaned bowled for a duck by left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins (155 for four).
Sangakkara failed to hit a single boundary in his 23, which came from 49 balls. He tried, but also struggled to time the ball. The overs were ticking away and with ten overs to go Sri Lanka were 195 for four.
Sangakkara unselfishly decided to eschew risks and pick up some boundaries, but failed to connect properly with a mid-wicket clump and was caught on the boundary (213 for five).
Sri Lanka then lost their way during a crazy last few overs, as four wickets fell for just 19 runs.
Jayawardene was run out for 63 after he deflected the ball down to third man and then called for a suicidal second run (229 for six).
In the next over, Chaminda Vaas, at the non-strikers end, was sent back by Upul Chandana and left stranded. Next ball, Chandana was walking back to the dressing room when he called for a tight run to mid-off (232 for eight).
To the delight of the crowd, now growing in the cool of the evening, Muttiah Muralitharan was promoted ahead of Nuwan Zoysa. He scramble together 21 runs for the last wicket and took Sri Lanka pass 250 with a sweet six over mid-wicket.
West Indies will have to bat extremely well to win. No side as successfully chased such a total in the grounds 48-game history.
After 30 overs Sri Lanka were 154 for three, with Mahela Jayawardene on 20 and Russel Arnold yet to get off the mark.
Jayasuriya had been in good form, racing to 64 from 85 balls, his 47th one-day fifty, before becoming Carl Hooper’s second victim of the day.
Darryl Brown had started with three tight overs, but Jayasuriya decided to attack, lofting him over the in-field and clipping to leg, as Sri Lanka plundered 41 off his next four overs.
Hooper, West Indies most economical bowler, risked a late-over onslaught by bowling a long spell early on, but the strategy eventually paid rich dividends when Hooper dismissed Jayasuriya in his eighth over.
Jayasuriya, who just square cut for four, tried to pull another short delivery from the off-spinner, mistimed his shot and was well-caught by Ryan Hinds running forward from mid-on (114 for two).
The 32-year-old left-hander had scored 64, which included nine fours and one six, adding 53 for the first wicket and 61 for the second.
Thereafter, Atapattu and Jayawardene, who has struggled greatly with a long-term back injury during the tournament, added 40 runs in 41 balls before a mix-up led to a run out.
Jayawardene played the ball to backward point and called for a single, but Atapattu hesitated and was adjudged out by the television umpire after a despairing dive for the crease (154 for three).
With the close-in fielding restrictions having finished, Jayasuriya was on 37 from 49 balls, having hit five fours and one six, which was square cut over third man, with Atapattu on 12 not out.
Sri Lanka were 72 for one, on target for a 250 plus total.
West Indies did, though, manage to drag themselves back into the game after a profligate start by their new-ball bowlers saw Sri Lanka speed past 50 in the ninth over.
Corey Colleymore, treated particularly harshly by Jayasuriya, who square cut him on three separate occasions, conceded 32 runs in his five over spell, whilst Pedro Collins fared a little better, but was still expensive (4-0-19-0).
So, in the ninth over, Carl Hooper brought himself on to bowl. He was immediately successful, as he caught and bowled Avishka Gunawardene (15) off a leading edge (53 for one).
Thereafter, Hooper bowled flatly and tightly, whilst medium pacer Darryl Brown, replaced Colleymore and started with two disciplined overs.
Sri Lanka made two changes to the side that defeated West Indies so convincingly in Kandy, recalling left-arm pace bowler Chaminda Vaas and off-spinner Kumar Dharmasena in place of Charitha Buddika Fernando and Prabath Nissanka.
They resisted the temptation to pick fast bowling all-rounder Suresh Perera, who would have provided more firepower with the bat but has been short of confidence with the ball. Sri Lanka thus go into the match with three specialist spinners.
West Indies, without Brian Lara who flew to London this morning, named an unchanged side to the team that defeated Zimbabwe on Sunday.
The pitch looks flat and true, with the curator, Susil Ananda, promising a first innings total in excess of 250.
Sri Lanka:
Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Avishka Gunawardene, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Chandana, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Chaminda Vaas, Kumar Dharmasena
West Indies :
Carl Hooper (capt), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ryan Hinds, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Corey Colleymore, Pedro Collins, Daren Brown
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 19 Dec2001 - 22:35