Charlie Austin
|
3rd Match: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Colombo, 11 Dec 2001 Charlie Austin |
|
|
Sri Lanka innings:
West Indies innings: Pre-game: |
After 30 overs Sri Lanka were 144 for four, needing 107 runs in 20 overs remaining.
Sri Lankan hopes now rest in the hands of Russel Arnold, who was five not out, and Kumar Sangakkara, on four, who needs a string of good scores in one-day cricket to cement his place in the side.
West Indies broke through in the 18th over of the innings. Carl Hooper, who had bowled five tight overs, replaced himself with left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell.
Fourth ball Avishka Gunwardene was left completely stranded and despite wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs needing to take two attempts to collect the ball he was stumped for 38 (92 for one).
Jayasuriya, on 48, then had a lucky escape. Having just smashed a straight six off part-time off-spinner Chris Gayle, he then aimed for another six over square leg. Ramnaresh Sarwan took a good running catch on the boundary, but just he was about to hurtle over the ropes he threw the ball back into the ground.
The umpires, with the aid of television, adjudged that the catch had not been taken fairly because Sarwan did not have complete control over the ball and his own movement. An argument that he had sufficient control over the ball to ensure its safe disposal could also be made. Indeed, in the 1999 World Cup in Northampton, Chaminda Vaas took a similar catch and the South African batsman was ruled out.
Jayasuriya though survived and went onto reach his 46th one-day fifty in his 248th match.
But despite all his experience his poor running between the wickets the led to the downfall for Marvan Atapattu, who was run out for 11. Jayasuriya nudged the ball into the off-side and set off for a run that was never there and Atapattu was beaten comfortably by a throw from Hooper (119 for two).
Mahela Jaywardene scored just two before he tried to square cut a delivery from Pedro Collins and was caught behind (134 for three).
McGarrell, who had been treated harshly by Jayasuriya, then tipped the match to West Indies when the left-hander top edged a sweep and was caught at short fine leg for 83 (138 for four).
After the first 15 overs Sri Lanka were bang on target for victory having scored 82 without loss, with Jayasuriya on 41 and Gunwardene on 37.
Jayasuriya led the way in the opening overs with a string of boundaries off Corey Colleymore (3-0-22-0) and Pedro Collins (3-0-21-1).
Gunwardene clipped Collins through the leg-side and then pulled him to the boundary in his next over.
Carl Hooper was forced to bring himself into the attack in just the eighth over of the innings and managed to slow the run rate too as he reeled off four overs of fast, flat off-spin for just five runs.
At the other end Jermaine Lawson was brought on for his first bowl in international cricket. He looked nervy and lost his run in his opening over and was then treated harshly by Jayasuriya flicked him disdainfully to the mid-wicket fence.
If Sri Lanka win they will break a ground record. In the 46 one-day matches played here previously, the highest score successfully chased is just 243, which was achieved by India in 1997/8.
West Indies scored 250 for eight in their 50 overs after top order half-centuries from Brian Lara and Daren Ganga.
But Sri Lanka will not be displeased after dragging themselves back into the game in the last ten overs of the innings which yielded just 41 runs as West Indies lost five wickets.
The match now looks to be set up well. The target is a testing one, but the re-laid pitch is playing truly. The first fifteen overs of the innings, when the hard ball comes onto the bat, will be crucial. Sri Lanka will be looking for 80 plus in the first 15 overs.
The tempo had slowed after the dismissal of Lara mid-way through the innings, but Sarwan and Hooper still progressed smoothly, adding 58 runs in 77 balls.
After 40 overs West Indies were 209 for three, with a target of 270 plus on the cards. But in the 41st over Sanath Jayasuriya called back Muttiah Muralitharan and the off-spinner made the important breakthrough.
Hooper tried to loft his third delivery but failed to clear the Kumar Dharmasena at long off, who took a comfortable catch (209 for four).
Hooper had scored 29 off 44 balls and hit two boundaries, both of which were sweeps.
Nine balls later Sarwan, looking for his first ODI fifty, was out in a similar fashion as he skied a lofted drive off Jayasuriya and was caught by Mahela Jayawardene on the extra-cover boundary (216 for five).
Sarwan had scored 38 off 54 balls and hit two boundaries, both of which were classy cover drives.
Marlon Samuels scored just two before he too was caught in the deep, this time by Nuwan Zoysa (225 for six).
The run rate had slowed considerably. Between the 40-45 over just 18 runs were scored as Jayasuriya chopped and changed his slower bowlers.
Ridley Jacobs ensured the innings didn’t completely fall away with 25 from 28 balls in a 22 run eighth wicket partnership with Neil McGarrell before Kumar Dharmasena grabbed two more wickets in the final over.
With 20 overs to go West Indies were 151 for three. Ramnaresh Sarwan was unbeaten on 11 and captain Carl Hooper was three not out.
Ganga and Lara added 74 runs for the second wicket in just 72 balls as Lara raced to a 43-ball fifty. The partnership was ended however when Ganga was run out shortly after reaching his sixth one-day fifty.
Ganga glanced the ball to fine leg but was left inches short of safety at the non-strikers end after a direct hit from Sanath Jayasuriya (124 for two).
Ganga had scored exactly 50 from 68 balls and hit six fours and one six over wide mid on.
Sri Lanka were now rotating the slower bowlers, but Lara was still scoring freely, square driving and sweeping Muttiah Muralitharan to the boundary.
Sarwan, on five, was fortunate to survive a catch down the leg-side off Jayasuriya and Lara, on 47, swept perilously close to a diving Jayasuriya at fine leg who was severely, and harshly, admonished by Muralitharan for not making a better fist of it.
But Jayasuriya gained his revenge when he trapped Lara lbw, as the left-hander tried to work a straight ball to leg (151 for three).
West Indies did lose one wicket, and nearly two, and were 85 for one after the first fifteen overs and the end of the mandatory fielding restrictions, with Daren Ganga on 34 and Brian Lara on 24.
Chris Gayle, who had scored four ducks on the trot, cut loose in the sixth over of the game, which was bowled by Nuwan Zoysa. He drove him high over mid on and then pulled to square leg, before unleashing a lofted off-drive to finish the over.
Ganga, who had been dropped on five by Avishka Gunawardene, continued to attack Zoysa in the left-armers next over with two cover drives.
That singled the end of Zoysa’s spell (4-0-28-0) and Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya brought Kumar Dharmasena into the attack in the tenth over. The move brought immediate dividends as Gayle top edged a pull and was brilliantly caught by Gunawardene running backwards at mid-wicket (50 for one).
Gayle had scored 21 from 32 balls with three boundaries.
Jayasuriya quickly switched the bowling, introducing fast bowling all-rounder in place of Dharmasena. But Perera started badly with a half volley to ease Lara into his stride. Eleven runs were scored from the over and Perera was whipped out of the attack.
But Dharmasena, who returned, fared no better as Lara clouted him over long on for consecutive sixes.
From the other end Chaminda Vaas completed his spell (6-0-26-0) and was then replaced by Zoysa, who then looked have had Ganga caught behind.
Ganga walked back to the pavilion and the umpires called on the water trolley. The main scoreboard was convinced the second wicket had fallen, but the batsmen was called back, possibly by wicket-keeper Sangakkara, and the television umpire was belatedly called. He ruled in the batsman’s favour, ruling that the ball had bounced just short of Sangakkara.
West Indies also made one change to the side that lost to Zimbabwe on Sunday as they gave a first international cap to teenage fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, 19, who replaces fellow pace bowler Marlon Black.
Sri Lanka named an unchanged side, resisting the temptation to play an extra spinner on a surface that traditionally favours the slower bowlers.
Hooper's correct call at the toss could well be important as the pitch tends to lose pace in the second innings, making it hard to chase scores in excess of 220.
This time, though, the curator, Susil Ananda, is predicting higher targets on a shiny re-laid surface. That, of course, depends on the West Indian batsmen who have struggled so much during this tour.
Sri Lanka:
Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Avishka Gunawardene, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Suresh Perera, Kumar Dharmasena, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa
West Indies:
Carl Hooper (capt), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Jermaine Lawson, Pedro Collins, Corey Colleymore
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 11 Dec2001 - 18:25