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Day ends in blues
Royal’s Dhanushka (116),Kanishka (59) ‘drum’ out the records

By Srian Obeyesekere
On a day that the brass bands and beat music held sway in the 121st ‘Battle of the Blues’, Royal’s opening pair of Dhanushka Perera and Kanishka Edirisuriya drummed out the records as they set up the the highest partnership for any wicket by Royal of 164 runs in an otherwise dull affair which wandered into a draw at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds yesterday.

Set a victory target of 269 in 46 overs,S.Thomas’ were 170 for 6 wickets when play was called off in the 38.4th over.

As if to set the tone to the music,Dhanuska,the left hand batsman infused the rhythm with a masterly century (116) as he and Kanishka (59) capitalised on flagging Thomian fielding and bowling.They bettered the existing 126-run record for the first wicket set up by T.Chelliah and P.N.S.Kariyawasam in 1973 and the highest for any wicket of 136 by W.Wijetilleke and N.Scheffer in 1936.

After S.Thomas’ had closed their first innings at the overnight 256 for 8 wickets,giving Royal a first innings lead of 26 runs,Royal’s openers started cautiously as if keeping with the slow drifting in of the die hard fans.But by lunch Dhanushka Perera had gradually got the feel of the wicket and the bowling as the total reached 127 for no loss.He was on 77 with Kanishka Edirisuriya giving him the needed support with a sedate 40.Dhanuska unleashed a sweetly timed boundary to bring up his 50 which came off 79 balls and contained 7 fours.

By the post lunch session as the stands began filing up the match did not offer fans the hope of an exciting finish.If the first two days had been lack lustre,yesterday, the slow over rates by the Thomian bowlers the big match looked destined to bring out a big yawn.But by afternoon as the crowds swelled in and the tempo of the band music intermingled with the strains of flutes and bugles by the schoolboys from the two camps,Dhanushka delighted them all as he moved on to his century in style.He moved from 95 to 99 with a square cut boundary and in the next delivery reached three figures to become the 17th Royalist to join that ‘hall of fame’ as he wrote his name in ‘Blue,Gold and Blue’ in the oldest schoolboy big match.It was a Right-Royal display with the bat by Dhanushka who only survived a close run out just before lunch when he was on 67.His century contained 12 fours and came off 152 balls and 177 minutes.

In contrast,Kanishka Edirisuriya,the right hander rose in stature after a slow start.But once into his element moved to his 50 with aplomb.It contained 5 fours and came off 76 balls and in 136 minutes.He benefitted from a dropped catch when he was on 13 by Dilshan Nanayakkara at mid off which must have left the Thomians rueing themselves.He was finally dismissed by paceman Lakmal Fernando who found consolation the sure way by knocking his stumps on a day the fielders let down.At that stage Dhanushka was on 91.

Dhanushka was the next to go having survived a dropped catch while on 108 by Anura Bandaranayake at mid on off the bowling of Lahiru Wickramasinghe.But Bandaranayake atoned for his lapse when he bowled the Thomian an over later.

Royal batted on for an over after tea but when Skipper Ruchira Jayasuriya was out in the same over for 6,he declared at 247 for4 wickets.

S.Thomas’ lost their first wicket,Arjun Rajawasam (17) when the total was 30 and the second at 55 and when the third fell at 98.Number 4 batsman.Wicket-keeper batsman,Zakir Kanaka top scored with 46 inclusive of 7 fours.Meshad Peiris (31) with a six and 4 fours and Gihan Fernando (31) entertained.

The 121st "Battle of the Blues’ thus ended in the blues as far as a decision was concerned.

The music added a tinge of ‘G.I.Blues’.

Sri Lanka out for clean sweep

KARACHCHI- March 11-Sri Lanka will go flat out to make a clean sweep of its tour of Pakistan by rounding it off on a triumphant note in the third and final one-dayer commencing here today.

Pakistan has recalled old horses-batsman Ejaz Ahmed and leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed to beef up the side having infused young blood to a certain extent but which did not pay dividends.The addition of these two players to the squad is seen as a move by the selectors in looking for a consolation victory.

Particularly,the recall of leg spinner,Mushtaq Ahmed who has been out of action for several years is surprising.His inclusion is seen as a move in case the experienced Saqlain Mushtaq is not fit for this game as well.

Sri Lanka on ther hand is buoyed by their convincing win in the last encounter and as Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya emphasised will be looking to go from strrength to strength.

We are on a roll but let us not be complacent

By Mahinda Wijesinghe
When Britain was a power to be reckoned with and had colonies spread across the globe, it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire. They had that many conquests spread across the world. The Sri Lankan cricketers too are currently on the rampage conquering all before them. First it was the high-riding Australians (and the Indians, in the Aiwa Cup), next came the Zimbabweans in their own den and now the Pakistanis who are on the threshold of being at the receiving end of a whitewash in both forms of the game. It was 3-0 in the One-days and so far, it is 2-0 in the Tests. So, both at home and away, the Sri Lankans have proved their mettle. Memories of the disastrous 1999 World Cup now seem a thing of the past.

Not that the sun will not set on Sri Lanka cricket but, currently, it seems to be shining brightly on the island cricketers. Sri Lanka is currently third in the international Test rankings, behind Australia and South Africa, a position never enjoyed by Sri Lanka previously. The clouds have presently rolled away, and the least our administrators can now do for our players is to ensure that they do not interfere. Surely, that is not asking too much from them. The request is not do anything positive but merely to keep away. Do not interfere with those who can do the job efficiently. That is all. This principle applies to administrators as well.

Sri Lanka the champions who ate humble pie

There is no doubt, Sri Lanka cricket has reached heights that could never have been thought possible from the depths we were in soon after the 1999 World Cup debacle. Thrashed black and blue and not even being able to go past the preliminary rounds, Sri Lanka, the defending champions, ate humble pie. Some sweeping changes were made. Lo and behold, Sri Lanka begins by beating the new One-day World champions, Australia, in Tests as well, Now comes the clean sweep in Pakistan of the One-day Internationals, and so far, two-nil in the Tests as well. If the Lankans roll Pakistan over in the third Test, it will be simply fantastic. Currently, Sri Lanka seems unable to do much wrong. Simply put, they have got most of the formula right.

The three key factors

How did Sri Lanka achieve so much in so little a time? There is no doubt that Dav Whatmore, who played such a prominent role when we won the World Cup in 1996, is a key factor in the success of the team. He was, and continues to be so. Yet, he left his services soon after the 1996 triumphs, in a manner that was not all that clear - to put it mildly. However, as soon as the Interim Committee was appointed, S. Skandakumar, a member of the Interim Committee went across to the U.K. and successfully negotiated - sacrificing an invitation by the CEO of the ICC to witness a key World Cup match on that day - with Whatmore to return. That was Round 1 to Sri Lanka on a knockout. Then came the appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardena as skipper and deputy respectively. Round 2 to Sri Lanka, though on points. Then came the policy of brooding youngsters with the accent on fielding. Round 3 on a t.k.o.! These three factors, in my view, have contributed greatly to the phenomenal success enjoyed by Sri Lanka. We cannot now regress from this point. The new-found success must be consolidated and not frittered away.

Muralitharan’s success but what next?

Though it has been success after success, there are certain aspects of the game that needs attention. For instance, look at Muralitharan’s contributions towards the achievements of the team. Without quoting the figures I can assure you it will be almost frightening. What happens if Muralitharan is indisposed for a game in the first instance and, in the long run whom are we grooming as his successor? Then, what about a complementary right-arm leg-spinner or a left-arm leg-spinner? Spinners do not come as if out of a hat. They take time to find their feet in international cricket. Muralitharan himself will vouch for that. He had to really sweat for his wickets at the beginning. Next comes the all-important position of the wicket-keeper. Kaluwitharana has certainly improved in his glove-work but is not that reliable - as we saw in Peshawar - though his batting was never in doubt. The point is who is the alternative? You cannot keep on flogging the same horse. Jayasuriya’s inconsistent performance with the bat is another cause for concern and similarly is his deputy Mahela. The latter is, no doubt, a classy player with an almost languid style. Sometimes Mahela seems a right-handed David Gower, so lavish with his stroke-play. Brilliant but brittle. Then comes the all-important question of the two veterans Arjuna and Aravinda. Should either or both be played? Didn’t Aravinda hit a century, and Arjuna play a heroic short innings? Figures, figures and figures. As somebody said, statistics, statistics and bloody lies. One has to look behind the figures and extract the facts to arrive at a proper conclusion. Nuwan Zoysa, no doubt is sometimes a handful to any batsman, but obviously his health is of grave concern as he keeps breaking down ever so frequently. Can Zoysa’s health be improved upon?

No chance for Chamara Silva?

The Selectors have a tough task. After all, the youngsters have been performing when given the opportunity. At least, the youngsters have proved that, they have what it takes. To think that brilliant cricketers such as Chamara Silva cannot get a look in. Youngsters like Russell Arnold, for instance, were kept on hold for too long. There have been quite a few who have been treated similarly while still others have been given the opposite treatment. As a result of which either they take far too long to start performing or they do not perform at all and fall by the wayside. While still others some simply get frustrated. Kumara Dharmasena is a case in point. So a lot needs be looked at.

Let us all hope that administrators will put whatever selfish motives they have behind them and work for the welfare of the game. If that is a day-dream of mine, cannot the highest in the land intervene? The players have done more than their mite. The reputation, the dignity and perhaps even our very integrity - judging from some news reports where a Test-playing nation is querying the actions of our senior officials - is at stake. That should sufficient reason for such intervention.

Time to Reflect

Whilst a cricket loving nation celebrates yet another outstanding achievement of the national team, let us take our lessons for the future from what has transpired in the immediate past.

An Interim Committee appointed in June 1999, at a time when both the game and its administration were in total disarray, set their priorities down from day one. Their Vice Chairman/Secretary declined an invitation to the most prestigious enclosure at Lords, to witness the World Cup final, to make a four-hour train journey to Manchester, to negotiate Coach Whatmore’s return.

They reversed ad hoc decisions of the previous Board, to promote various favoured clubs, to convey the message that governing rules alone would dictate these. They stood firm on their decision to award, after appropriate investigation, the 98/99 premier tournament to Bloomfield and did not hesitate in the following season, to penalise the same club for violating tournament rules. The message was simple viz. Administration would be fair but firm and the rules were the same for everyone. The concept rapidly filtered down to the national team, with benefit and the courageous decisions of the national selection committee headed by Sidath Wettimuny brought immediate results. The AIWA Traingular was comprehensively won, with none other than the reigning World Cup champions of one-day cricket being beaten. This test series which followed brought similar success. The tournament in Sharjah (not considered in the same vein as other international interactions) saw the team emerge runner-up in a final that was marred by some astounding umpiring blunders.

The tour of Zimbabwe was a resounding success and now, so has been that of Pakistan.

One ‘home’ and two ‘away’ series comprising one-dayers and Test matches have been won in just nine months. An unprecedented success rate and Sri Lanka have hurdled in World ratings from nine to three!!

What has made all this possible? To a discerning mind it is, (a) the credibility of the administration for being fair but firm, (b) the professionalism of the coach, physio and team managers and (c) the discipline and commitment of the players under an inspired leader.

Let us take our cricket and even our nation forward with what we have seen in this ‘success’ story, viz. a total commitment to the cause and credibility in action.

Kotmale speed climb on April 2

Hafiz Marikar in Kandy
Up-Country Motor Sports Club will present their annual Kothmale Speed Hill Climb, on the 2nd of April, at the Chaitya Road, Kotmale.

This competition is organised under organising permits issued by the Sri Lanka Association of Motor Sports (for motor cars) and by the Federation of Motor Cycle Sports in Sri Lanka (for motor cycles).

The nature of the proposed competition is a hill climb where speed of ascent determined by timing is the deciding factor. The definition of the proposed competition is that, it is a national event insofar as it is open only to drivers and riders who are naionals/residents of Sri Lanka.

The meet is expected to start off at 9.00 a.m. and the competitors must report to the clerk of the course Rohan Peries by 7.00 a.m. and must thereafter park their vehicles in the paddocks, and not leave the paddocks.

A description of the proposed competition — the course is along Chatiya Road, Kotmale, which is off the main access road to the Kotmale Hydro Power station. The road is owned by the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, who have kindly granted the UMSC the permission necessary for the use of the course.

The length of the course is 1.0 km, with eight left-handed and six right-handed corners and a minimum width of 3 meters, and climbs rather steeply between the start and the finish, on an estimated average gradient of 1:7.5. If the weather permits, competitors will be given two runs.

The faster of the two runs by each competitor shall be taken as that competitor’s best time for the day. The competitor in each class who is the fastest on meet day will be adjudged the winner of his class, and prizes will be awarded to the first three in each class on that basis.

Entry fees: Members Rs. 1,000, non-members 2000 for cars and for Cycles Rs. 500.00 for members and Rs. 1,000 for non-members. Closing date of entries Friday 24th March at 6. p.m. with at No. 9 Abdul Gafoor Mawatha, Colombo 3 and Swarna and Sons, Queens Hotel building, Kandy.

Past cricketers battle it out today

Hafiz Marikar in Kandy
The inaugural limited overs cricket match between the past cricketers of St. Sylvester’s College and Vidyartha College will take place today at the Asgiriya Stadium, for a trophy presented by the Old Sylvestains Sports Club. Today’s occasion will be graced by the former Dharmaraja College cricketer Bertie Nillegoda, who was the principal of St. Sylvestar’s for well over two decades.

Both schools have produced some of the top class cricketers, and in today’s game they are expecting to play some senior hands. And players from both camps will be determined to show their prowess with both bat and the ball.

Sylvestrians are hoping to come out with a strong outfit, and the side is expected to be led by one of the finest cricketers of their early years of cricket Gerry Alexander Hidalarachchi, then there is Mervyn Rodrigo, one of the finest batsman’s to come out of this school, he played in the early sixties, and was the first Sylvestrian to be selected as the Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer, he is also the first Sylvestrain to play for the Combined Schools team, then known as the National Schools team, he toured Australia as the Vice Captain of the side, Nimal Leweke a fine spinner, who is the present National Coach of the rugby team, Gamini Rajapakse a fine stroke maker, Gerad David, Ishak Shabse Shabdeen, a national cap, Dr. Mathri Rajapakse, Malcom Perera, Nihal Ellagala, Dr. Jagath Wijesekara, M. Ayub, Nihal Rajakaruna, a fine pace bowler who took four wickets in a row in the 1967 big match, Rangith Colombage, a pace bowler, Anton Perera.

Vidyartha Old Boys team too will be at full strength, with C. K. Gajanayaka as the captain, he was a fine opening batsman, and played for the Police team for several years, his son led the Under 19 team in the last World Cup, Sunil Munasinghe, a crack batsman with hard shots, H. Gamage Ariyarathna, R. M. Lafir, Z. H. Zarook, Nimal Malagamuwa, George Jayasena, a fine player, a crack ruggerite, M. A. Wijesinghe, L.B.V. Aluwihare MMC, who was a top class wicket keeper, K. Bowatha, N. Eramudugolla, S. B. S. Diyawa to name a few players.

Royal-Thomian Mini Battle
Chevinda and Viraj get honours for Thomians

By Dhammika Ratnaweera
A fighting 141 runs seventh wickets stand between Thomian Chevinda de Mel (86) and Viraj Nalawangsa (58) secured major honours for S. Thomes College Mt. Lavinia in their mini battle cricket fixture against Royal which ended at Royal grounds last week. Thomians led by Asela Paranawidana while Royal team captained by Asanga Ediriweera.

Thomians who were struggling their top order batsman but Chevinda de Mel struck fourteen fours and a six with Viraj Nalawangsa stroked five fours made a remarkable innings to build up their first innings while skipper Asela Paranawidana hit an unbeaten 38 with five fours brought to 233 for eight wickets and a six declared while Royalists were 135 for eight wickets declared.

At close Thomans were 65 for three wickets at close. Safraz Saldeen the son of former Royal player T. M. Saldeen took a match bag of six wickets.

Scores:

S. Thomas 233 for eight wickets declared in 76.2 overs Chevinda de Mel 86, Viraj Nalawangsa 58, Asela Paranawidana 38 n.o. Shafraz Saldin 3 for 26, Chaminda Vidanapathirana 2 for 35, and 65 for three wickets at close in 18 overs. Ravin Perera 29, Heshan Pieris 15, Shafraz Saldin 3 for 14.

Royal 135 for eight wickets declared in 59 overs. A. Ediriweera 18, N. Perera 30, Rajiv Gunawardane 2 for 28, Asela Paranawidana 2 for 17, Shanaka Caldera 2 for 12.

Swarna Oli All Island Seven A Side Football Tournament

The Final of the Swarna Oli All Island Seven-A-Side Football Tournament kicks-off on 12 March at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo commencing 8 a.m.

A total of one hundred and three (103) teams took part in the preliminary round matches which were played in Hatton, Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Negombo and Kalutara. A total of 17 teams have now qualified to battle it out in the final.

The winners of the tournament will walk away with a cash prize of Rs. 50,000.00 plus the coveted Swarna Oli Trophy and other valuable prizes.

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‘The one–armed swordsman’

by Srian Obeyesekere
Not wanted, castigated, branded a one man monopoly, most everybody had howled for his head.

But once again Arjuna Ranatunga has made his cricketing virtues stick. Like when the ball is struck it stays struck, the cricketer that he is, he has shurgged off decimating age in ballooning back to contention as never before.

Almost an year ago when he fell out of grace in the wake of Sri Lanka’s bashing at the 1999 world cup in England, Ranatunga, banished from the captaincy and the team, would not have been given much of a chance to make a comeback. But the controversial former Lankan captain whose very success has bordered on crisis, has ridden turbulence of uncertainity with his bat.

At age 36 what makes Ranatunga the cricketer that he is borders on commitment. Throughout his 18-year long career since he made his "Test debut as a schoolboy in 1981, it is this hallmark where he has taken the ups and downs in its cricketing stride that has lent that much of stature to ability.

Indeed cricket would be amiss if this great Trojan’s heroics with the bat as much as his steadying influence in taking Sri Lanka to a nail-biting eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Test match against Pakistan in Rawalpindi does not go down in history as one of those great contests.

In strode the veteran to join Mahela Jaywardene with Sri Lanka at 118 for 4 wickets needing 220 runs for victory and almost the cream gone and only Romesh Kaluwitharana the last of the recognised batsmen to come. Ranatunga could not have walked into a bigger crisis situation at a time his very career was on the line.

Only the good form with his bat on the domestic club scene had seen him win a recall to the national team. At a juncture in the country’s cricket where the mood has been for infusing young blood. Ever since the revamping of the team several new faces had made their entry with a degree of success. Sri Lanka had won a home triangular one-day tournament which included world champions Australia and a three-test series against Australia and an away one-day and Test series against Zimbabwe. Failure on the tour of Pakistan would have meant the virtual end of the career for Sri Lanka’s most famous of captain who had already found no room along with his former vice captain Aravinda de Silva in the one-day team.

But Ranatunga found this the occasion to hold centre stage as never before. There he was for once in the unaccustomed role of just a player along with the young vice captain as he deftly nudged here and there, leaving the deliveries that had to be left, taking one on his pad, deflecting one on the leg or off side for a quick single. But when a snorter from Waqar Younis, himself making a comeback, fractured his left thumb putting him out of action, it looked good as over for Sri Lanka.

While Ranatunga learnt in hospital that he had suffered multiple fractures to his right thumb, Sri Lanka had slid to the jaws of defeat at 177 for 8 wickets as he returned back to the dressing room, his hand heavily bandaged.

Re-enter Arjuna Ranatunga to the battle field. Sri Lanka needed him as never before. It is the transformation, the worrior brought about by his soothing influence which quite literally made the contest one of those greats. Forty three more runs for victory. His wicket or that of Romesh Kaluwitharana.

If the critic got it wrong, fans, this one innings must surely lay to rest any qualms as to his batsmanship. That he has scored only four Test centuries is more for the fact that Ranatunga has not bothered about statistics where it has always been the team that mattered than self. What makes him a cut above most batsmen in the world is his astounding ability to bat in any situation. Good or bad. Taking his guard as usual, unnerved, facing each delivery with the aplomb of a batsman sure of his trade. As sure as an acrobat is of his.

Injured hand under wraps, sometimes fending at tearaway deliveries with bat in one hand like a one-armed swordsman, Ranatunga rose to the occasion shielding Kaluwitharana from the strike as Sri Lanka closed the deficit slowly but surely. The greatness of that 29-run knock weighing much more in its value of gold, is the consumate ease with which he took his country to victory in the most tense of situations. Valiant stuff reserved only for the great.

The 83-ball alliance culminated with the two winning boundaries by Kaluwitharana after Ranatunga had fended a vicious lifting one moving away on the leg one handed for a single. The drama filled session of tension gave way to ecstacy in sweet embraces of victory.

Sadly, Ranatunga had to carry his injury backhome. Back home he was quoted as saying that he would continue to come to his best form once he is fit. If salutes are meant for heroes reserve a big one for Ranatunga.

No amount of bouquets or gold can value his greatness with the bat.

No wonder all Australia envy the man. As Robin Jackman in the commentary box in the ongoing Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan said, "any team in the world would wan’t to have him in their side."

How Taylor and Border escaped death in Sri Lanka

It is a little known fact that former Australian Test captains, Mark Taylor and another icon of Australian cricket, Allan Border, nearly breathed their last in Sri Lanka during their tour in 1992/93. No, it was not from a terrorist bomb that they escaped. It was during a ride in a local trishaw. Let Taylor himself describe this incident:

"There was some luck in the fact that the captain (Border) and vice-captain (me) of that tour were able to play at all. Both of us could so easily have finished up road-accident statistics in Colombo before we played our first lead-up game in Kandy. One night a few of us decided we’d have a race back to the Hilton Hotel where we were staying, travelling in the little threewheel taxis that abound over there. These are pretty basic little conveyances - one wheel in front, two at the back and steered by handle-bars like a motor-bike. A canvas canopy covers the passengers in the back.

Motoring along at about 60 km./h we were cut off by a big official-looking car with a flag fluttering in front. Within an instant we were over, flipped onto one side and sliding down a main street of Colombo - me underneath with my head down near the road with AB’s (Border’s) weight on top. Finally, we slid to a stop - petrol pouring out of the tank which had been ruptured as we skated along the street. Shaken, AB (Border) and I clambered out. It was pretty amazing that the thing hadn’t burst into flames considering the amount of petrol spraying around. Allan was OK and I had nothing more than some damage to one ankle. Both of us played the game at Kandy which began the next day, although I struggled on my bung leg. We were bloody lucky."

Come to think of it, most of us who face the trishaws daily are not that lucky!

This and a few other anecdotes are some of the highlights in Mark Taylor’s autobiography (Time to Declare - Pan Macmillan Australia, 1999) written in association with Ian Heads.

There is quite bit of information and insights about the Sri Lankan cricketers and with whom there was little love lost. About the alleged ball-tampering incident, the ‘chucking’ affair concerning Muralitharan, Arjuna asking for a ‘runner’ at Sydney in the 1995-96 tour, the ‘needle’ between McGrath and Sanath, Taylor’s opinion of Arjuna, and many more incidents and situations would whet the appetites of most Sri Lankans.

For instance, his opinion of Arjuna makes for interesting reading:

"People often ask me about Ranatunga. What’s he like? Well, he’s an interesting man, projecting the image of a very genteel and cuddly sort of bloke. But when he gets out there in the middle he’s as fierce a competitor as there is in world cricket. He knows every rule - and he knows how to get most out of every rule. He is not a cheat, but if he can find a way of getting the best for his team out of any rule or any situation, he’ll do it. I think a lot of people are fooled by him - by the fact that he is a tubby bloke like myself, with a lovely smile. Wouldn’t hurt a fly, you’d think. He is, in fact, one of the toughest opponents I ever played against. He plays it hard, and he gets people off-side. I have no problems with that. He’s in there fighting for his blokes... and that is never in doubt."

However, with regard to the incident when Australian umpire Emerson ‘called’ Muralitharan for alleged chucking during the One-day international against England at Adelaide in 1999, and Arjuna’s confrontational conduct with the umpire, Taylor’s view was: "I think it is an unfortunate moment for the game. I’ve always been a great believer that the umpire makes the decision and you accept the umpire’s decision." True, very true.

Regarding their humiliating loss in the 1996 World Cup final to Sri Lanka, Taylor’s emotions are - naturally - mixed. On the one hand he says: "Because of the rain and the wear-down effect of such a season, the match somehow didn’t feel like a World Cup final... yet to

be honest I wasn’t too disappointed about not winning." Sour grapes? However, he concedes that: "Ultimately, they beat us by playing the way we play, with Aravinda de Silva contributing a controlled and masterly 107 not out."

The piece-de-resistance about the World Cup final however was about "one ball bowled in that match." Here again, let Taylor describe it in his own words:

"Something happened when Arjuna Ranatunga came in at 3/148 that I will never forget. In the event of anyone asking me whether I had any regrets about my captaincy career and if there was anything I would do differently, I would say no - apart from one ball bowled in that match. It was the only time on the field I can recall not doing something I intended to do. I had been fielding at mid-off and we had been a bit ‘down’... when the third wicket fell I called all the guys and we gathered in a huddle... I had been intending to go into first slip for the new batsman, but I didn’t. In thinking about the state of the match and the team I forgot momentarily what I meant to do. With Glenn McGrath running into bowl I suddenly thought. ‘I should be at slip’, but not wanting to stop the game, I stayed where I was. The very first ball from McGrath to Ranatunga caught the edge and flew low, but catchable through where first slip should have been - and down to the fence for four. Ranatunga was still there at the end on 47, when they won the match..."

Well, Ranatunga could well defend himself by saying that, if there was a slip, he would not have even fended at it. And, in any event, Sri Lanka had Aravinda on the other end with Mahanama, Hashan and Dharmasena to follow. Indeed, it seems contradictory for a man who, on the one hand, says that he was "not too disappointed about not winning" yet insists that in his entire career as captain, if there was anything he would have done differently it is this one ball.

Taking Stock

By Rohan Wijeyaratna
There are some things in cricket which are near impossible to achieve. To win a rubber in Pakistan is one such, and a great accomplishment. Yet, the fact that we have done so must not detract us from some of the ground realities. Some of them certainly seem good, whilst the others seem less so. There is also without doubt, great potential for this country to end up as one of the top three test playing nations in the world if we play our cards right. That must be the focus. To play our cards right.

Given the enormous well of talent that this country has been blessed with, it remains to be seen how well we can harvest profitably from that potential. Whether we can ever reach the dizzying heights mentioned above remains a guess at best, given the upheavels that have taken place outside the playing fields of this country. Yet it is worth remembering that the demand for our team in the cricket playing world will depend on our performance and performance alone. Greater the demand for the team, greater will be the wealth the Board shall reap in return. Cricket can become a thriving industry in this country; provided it is handled with innovation, flair, skill and diligence by people of sincerity and vision.

On the field of play, the form of Jayasuriya with the bat must concern. He will have to work urgently on improving his technical competence to survive on bowler friendly surfaces that can sometimes eventuate in a five day test. A fool proof technique in terms of basics is essential to survive in the top league, particularly when the reflexes and the eye begins to give way. My guess is that the skipper will require many urgent hours of corrective net practice to iron out his present flaws. However as a captain, a motivator, and a team man all rolled into one, he is without doubt in a league of his own at the moment. One look at the manner in which the rest of the team responds to his call, tells it all.

Aravinda again proved to us all that he is up there with the best in the business. Watching Dilshan bob and weave followed by Aravinda’s calm assurance with the bat against the same attack in the second essay, was to watch the journeyman followed by the master craftsman at work. De Silva plays with such great poise and assurance and his teachnique is so water tight, it is easy to see that a virtuoso is at work the moment he lays bat to ball. There is not one stroke in his array that can be termed false, yet he will have to raise his fielding more than a peg or two and also his fitness and commitment to prevent his right to a slot in the team being questioned at some time or another. Given his full span of life at test level, Aravinda will leave behind an epitaph to his playing career in terms of figures that will do him and this country great credit. The fate of his genius therefore remains very much in his own hands.

Murali, that magic conjurer, turned the leather square on a surface that was meat and drink to him. He has never been known to be a shirker in whatever form or level of cricket he plays, and the recent accolades paid out by Jack Simmons, his county chairman at Lancashire says it all.

There is a learning process ahead for many of the younger players. They will of course learn and one day hold their own in the best of company. Mahela must be weaned from the tendency to indulge in brilliant yet all too short skits at test level.

Dilshan has had a fiery baptism and will wake up to the truth he has a distance to go. Arnold progresses in an all round sense as assuredly as he bats. He has a good cricketing brain and must rank as a serious contender to skipper the side in the years ahead. Collectively our fielding fell away and became rather ordinary which is why Pakistan came so close to denying us a comfortable victory.

Finally, not without a touch of humour, we note with relief a tendency by the Pakistani umpire in this test match to revert back to their accustomed role of patriotic umpiring. The first test performance by that gallant Pakistani umpire must be the exception to the rule, for it there was any doubt left in the mind of Nazir Jnr. comcerning any appeal in this test, there was no doubt in my mind which way the decision would go. Perhaps John Hampshire at the other end sensed it too which is why perhaps just to even things out a bit, Youhana was adjudged leg before to a ball that would have missed the leg stump by some distance! Let Mike Gatting remain where he is, at least for the time being!

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