Charlie Austin
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5th Match: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Kandy, 15 Dec 2001 Charlie Austin |
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Sri Lanka innings:
West Indies innings: Pre-game: |
After 30 overs Sri Lanka were 152 for two, needing only 83 more runs to win at four runs per over, with Atapattu looking solid on 52 and Jayawardene on 50.
Following an early spurt of boundaries Atapattu slowed down, apparently content to pick up singles and rotate the strike, whilst Jayawardene dominated from the end.
He eventually reached his 35th one-day fifty off 78 balls, having hit three fours and two sixes.
Jaywardene, fresh from his 96 in Colombo, was in delightful form, working the West Indies spinners into the gaps with ease, to reach his fifty, the 13th of his career, off just 51 balls with three boundaries.
Sri Lanka started their reply in boundaries, racing to 22 before picking up their first single, but teenage fast bowler Jermaine Lawson pulled them back with two wickets.
After 15 overs Sri Lanka were 80 for two, needing a further 156 runs for victory, with Atapattu on 30 and Mahela Jayawardene on four.
Avishka Gunawardene had started well, clumping Lawson through the on-side and the cover driving with coruscating power. But in the sixth over he mistimed an attempted drive and was caught at mid-on for 10 (36 for one).
During the early overs the West Indies opening bowlers had offered Jayasuriya too much room outside off-stump. Corey Colleymore was blasted to the point boundary and the clipped for six when he over-compensated.
Thereafter, West Indies tried to cramp him for room and, barring a couple of lofted straight drives, they successfully restrained him, to the extent that he grew frustrated and perished whilst trying to force the pace.
The left-hander tried to loft Lawson over the infield but the ball hit the top of his bat and looped straight to Ramnaresh Sarwan at mid-on (52 for two). He had scored 34 from 34 balls.
Atapattu, normally the sheet anchor, then took on the West Indies bowlers after playing himself in carefully. He pulled Colleymore over long leg for six and waltzed down the wicket to loft left-arm spinner, Neil McGarrell, for six over extra cover in the spinners first over.
West Indies scored 235 all out in their 50 overs, with captain Carl Hooper top scoring with 72, his 28th one-day fifty.
West Indies had looked set for an imposing score and at one stage were 170 for three in the 37th over.
However, the dismissal of Marlon Samuels for 10, caught on the square leg boundary as he swept Muttiah Muralitharan, precipitated a lower order collapse in the final ten overs, when only 41 runs were added after the loss of six wickets.
Ricardo Powell aimed some large blows, but failed to strike one of his trademark sixes before he too was caught sweeping off Muralitharan at short fine leg (193 for five).
Hooper was then caught by Upul Chandana at long off after trying to loft Sanath Jayasuriya over the top and two balls later Neil McGarrell was cleaned bowled (205 for seven).
Ridley Jacobs and Corey Colleymore staged a mini recovery, adding 24 useful runs, before Colleymore was bowled in the final over.
Jermaine Lawson was run out last ball of the innings. Jacobs was left not out on 25.
Muralitharan, Jayasuriya and Arnold all finished with two wickets apiece.
After 30 overs West Indies were 146 for three with Hooper looking good on 40 and Marlon Samuels yet to score.
Having bolstered their batting line-up with the inclusion of Ricardo Powell in place of fast Pedro Collins they now have the launching pad for a score of 250 plus.
Hooper and Ganga consolidated after the loss of Lara and Sarwan, scoring their 69 runs in 102 balls, as they worked the Sri Lankan spinners for singles and twos.
Ganga reached his half-century off 80 balls, but was dismissed soon after, when he was caught behind off an inside edge as he tried to square cut a delivery from Russel Arnold.
The first news from the Kandy general hospital has confirmed that Lara had dislocated his elbow. There is however no fracture in his arm. He becomes the sixth West Indian player to be ruled out of the tour because of injury.
Lara had been in prime form, racing to 24 off 29 balls and hitting four boundaries, when he pushed the ball into the covers and called for a quick single. As he dived for the crease he collided with fieldsman Marvan Atapattu, running in from extra cover, who had tried to run him out.
It was immediately clear that there was a problem, as he jerked back in pain and waved desperately for assistance. The Sri Lankan players quickly converged and both team physio’s rushed onto the pitch.
Lara was taken to the general hospital, but an air force helicopter is already on stand-by and he is expected to be flown to Colombo shortly. His tour is almost certainly finished.
This is not the first freak accident in Kandy. In September 1999 Australian captain Steve Waugh collided with fast bowler Jason Gillespie during the first Test match. Both players were airlifted to Kandy, the former with a crushed nose and the later with a broken leg.
West Indian chances of winning this triangular series have been dealt a devastating and cruel blow.
Both Lara and Daren Ganga had batted fluently after the early departure of Chris Gayle, who was trapped lbw for eight after offering no stroke to an inswinger from Charitha Buddika Fernando, the pick of the bowlers this morning.
Following the departure of Lara, West Indies then lost a further wicket, that of Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was caught behind, also off Fernando.
After 15 overs West Indies were 81 for two, with Ganga on 27 and captain Carl Hooper, who had looked in great form in the nets yesterday, was on four.
The game has lost some significance with Sri Lanka having already qualified for the final. West Indies would dearly like a second morale boosting win against the hosts, but their real qualification battle starts tomorrow against Zimbabwe.
West Indies thus rested Pedro Collins, who has a niggling strain, making sure he is available tomorrow. Hard hitting batsman Ricardo Powell comes into the team and the Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels will fill in as the fifth bowler.
Sri Lanka, too, made changes, using the opportunity to give experience to fast bowlers, Prabath Nissanka and Charitha Buddika Fernando, who both played in Sharjah. Chaminda Vaas and Kumar Dharmasena are rested.
Sri Lanka:
Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Avishka Gunawardene, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Chandana, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Charitha Buddika Fernando, Prabath Nissanka
West Indies:
Carl Hooper (capt), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Corey Colleymore, Jermaine Lawson, Ricardo Powell
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 15 Dec2001 - 18:27