Nasser Hussain
Photo CricInfo
No matter what the outcome of England's four-day game against a Sri Lanka Board President's XI, which started at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium today, the team management will rest assured that one pressing problem has finally been resolved.
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Nasser Hussain Photo CricInfo |
Nasser Hussain has had a wretched 12 months with the bat and averaged only 11 runs in the last English season. However, after scoring 38 in Moratuwa on Monday and a fluent 81 today, he looks to have finally turned the corner and regained the elusive touch that deserted him after the unbeaten 146 that he made in Durban over 13 months ago.
"I was pleased with the way I was hitting the ball, I was much more fluent and batted much more like I want to bat," he said afterwards. "It wasn't as if the wheels had come off, it's just that the fluency hasn't been there until this tour of Sri Lanka."
Hussain's form suffered from a variety of factors. In England last summer he injured his thumb, and he has also been the unfortunate victim of a string of bad umpiring decisions. He admitted that captaincy had become an all-consuming occupation that was dominating his mind to the detriment of his own game.
Speaking afterwards, he played down the effect of the captaincy upon his personal form. "I am not going to put it down to just that." Nevertheless, he appears a man more at ease with the burden of leadership and admits: "My mind and the way I am going about my cricket is better. I have worked on a few things, cleared the mind and reminded myself of how to bat by looking at the likes of Atherton and learning from them."
The relief of seeing their leader score runs apart, England enjoyed a largely satisfactory day that was marred somewhat at the end by the loss of four wickets for 17 as the President's XI took the second ball. Nevertheless, they finished the day on 307 for nine and can look forward to bowling on a wicket that is likely to deteriorate significantly under the hot sun.
England's batting was dominated by an opening partnership of 53 between Atherton and Hussain and stand of 113 between Michael Vaughan (57) and Craig White (63).
Although two-paced, the P. Saravanamuttu pitch favoured the batsmen throughout the day. England had little hesitation in batting first having won the toss and cruised to 53 without loss after the first hour. Immediately after drinks Atherton was bowled for the third time on the tour, off his inside edge. Graham Thorpe was caught behind four balls later and England were 53 for two.
By then, Hussain was looking increasingly comfortable. Unlike in Moratuwa, where he had struggled to time the ball, he struck it crisply and even indulged in his trademark cover drive. Having reached his half-century off 97 balls he celebrated with an imperious six against the off-spin of Thilan Samaraweera.
Alec Stewart showed glimpses of form with 23 from 59 balls, but was eventually stumped as he tried to loft Hettiarachchi for a third straight boundary. The fall of Stewart brought Hick to the crease, and in spite of two clean boundaries he was diffident in his approach and he pushed a catch into the hands of Mubarak at short leg.
When Hussain was adjudged caught behind England were 153 for five, and the possibility of a collapse loomed. If England are to prosper in Sri Lanka however, then the middle order will surely have to perform and with the pressure back on their team Vaughan and White responded well in their contrasting styles.
White has quickly realised where his strengths lie, and he played positively against the spin of Hettiarachchi and Samaraweera. Favouring the slog-sweep but also prepared to use his feet to drive powerfully down the ground, he hit nine fours and one six in his 69-ball 63.
Vaughan was more studious in approach and played with particular patience at the beginning of his innings. Once established, however, he batted with greater fluency and worked the Sri Lankan bowlers into the gaps. He hit only three boundaries in all in his 57 from 128 balls.
Just when the spirited and fiercely loyal English supporters at the ground were dreaming of an imposing first innings score, Chaminda Mendis, the President's captain, took the second ball with immediate success.
The bustling Ravindra Pushpakumara induced a mis-timed pull from White that ballooned to square leg, and Vaughan thrashed wildly at a loose delivery from the same bowler in his next over. When Giles was caught at cover point and Croft was trapped lbw, England had slumped from 266 for five to 283 for nine in the space of three overs. Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick survived to the close.
© CricInfo
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