As Sri Lanka arrive at Lord's to begin their first three-Test series in England, we delve into the Wisden Almanack archive to pick out a memorable encounter between the sides. Here we go back to Lord's 1984, the first time the sides met in a Test in England Sri Lanka have struggled so far on their 2002 tour of England. Their fielders have yet to come to terms with the chilly weather, and their batsmen, whose nine Test victories in a row have all come on the subcontinent, have been found wanting in lively swinging conditions. They were made to follow on against Durham, and at Shenley against Middlesex they were shot out for 186. So far, so unthreatening.

But England need only recall the events of Sri Lanka's 1984 tour to know that nothing can be taken for granted.

Sri Lanka had played just eleven Test matches when they arrived at the back-end of the 1984 season, and for most of the tour it showed. They failed to win any of their seven county matches, and only once, against Kent, did they manage even to bowl a side out. Meanwhile England, whose summer had been spent dodging the one-way traffic as West Indies sealed a 5-0 blackwash, regarded their opponents with something approaching contempt.

England were so confident that they named their eleven days in advance, and when David Gower won the toss he chose to bowl first, despite the bland nature of the pitch. His decision seemed justified when Botham and Ellison made two early breakthroughs, but England, not for the last time, had underestimated their opponents. Sidath Wettimuny, Duleep Mendis and Amal Silva would all rise gloriously to the occasion.

Almanack report
Scorecard

Andrew Miller is editorial assistant of Wisden.com.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd