We hear a lot about the most prolific wicket-takers in Test cricket, and the Warne-Muralitharan battle for supremacy made a great sporting soap opera in the last decade. However, who has taken more wickets in one-day (List A) cricket than anyone else?
As with first-class cricket, to get anywhere near the top of the list, it helps to have played many seasons in county cricket, regardless of whether you played for your country. 48 players have taken more than 400 in their careers. However, only seven were still plying their trade in the 40- or 50-over formats in 2011 and Murali and Jayasuriya have probably bowled their last in anything other than Twenty20, which isn't included here.
Perhaps surprisingly the list features many English stalwarts of the 1970s and 1980s. However, while ODIs were relatively rare in those days, the summers were chock full of domestic competitions: the 60-over Gillette/Nat West Trophy, 55-over B&H Cup and the 40-over Sunday League filled every spare day in the county calendar, even more than now, although the schedule didn't start before Easter as it sometimesn does now!
Fourth on the all-time list is Essex left-armer John Lever, a brilliant exponent of fast-medium swing. A blend of Malinga and McGrath but blonder with bigger sideburns, he never nailed down a place in the Test team for long but chalked up 674 one-day wickets in a 23-year career, just a few short of Murali and Allan Donald, and equal with Waqar Younis. John Emburey and Ian Botham each topped 600, too.
Courtney Walsh claimed an incredible 1,807 first-class wickets but in one-dayers, a mere 551, although still more than any other West Indian. Most came not for the national team but for Gloucestershire. At 18th and 23rd in the table stand two Englishmen who never represented their country but who toiled away for their respective counties - with some winters in the southern hemisphere - for more than two decades. Lancashire's 'Flat Jack' Simmons and all-rounder Stuart Turner of Essex each took more List A scalps than McGrath, Hadlee or Mushtaq Ahmed, and Turner had a better average (only 22.98) than even Marshall or Pollock.
So who is king of the one-day bowling chart? Step forward, Wasim Akram. With 881 wickets from almost 600 games, his total is almost 200 clear of runner-up Allan Donald. If that isn't impressive enough, the Pakistan legend also aggregated a touch shy of 7000 runs, too. The top five of Wasim, Donald, Murali, Lever and Waqar would make a frightening one-day attack!
As for today's cricketers, can anyone ever get near Wasim Akram's total? Well, with T20 threatening to topple the 50-over game at international level (a shameful prospect), I suspect not. The highest ranking bowler still playing such formats is another left-arm seamer, Sri Lankan veteran Chaminda Vaas, with 504 wickets. He still looked a dangerous player for Northants last summer even if his international days are behind him. Next up is Shahid Afridi. Still probably best known as a big hitter, his leg breaks have netted him 437 victims in 423 matches, predominantly for Pakistan. Had he played more in England, that total would have been inflated further but the modern international schedule rules out a decent run for county cricket beyond a few T20 cameos. Glamorgan's Robert Croft has amassed 410 but is in his twilight years now but there is still life in a few other pacemen with little or no English county experience. Brett Lee and Agit Agarkar limit their one-day appearances these days but each are members of the '400 club',but with little hope of reaching 500. Unlike Afridi, provided he maintains recent form and keeps in with the notoriously fickle Pakistani board. However, I doubt if anyone else will ever take 500 wickets in this type of cricket, and Wasim Akram will stand tall and proud for the rest of time.
Showing posts with label Muralitharan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muralitharan. Show all posts
Monday, 5 December 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
Twenty20 Returns to England
As the County Championship takes a well-earned half-time break, its manic little brother, the Friends Life t20 takes centre stage. It started in fairly low-key fashion on Wednesday night when champions Hampshire defeated runners-up Somerset at the Rose Bowl with nine balls to spare. It was more exciting at Derby the following evening where Lancashire managed to scramble their way to a tie. Tonight there was a full set of matches with a range of results and plenty of eye-catching performances to whet the appetite for the next three weeks' of action.
So what lies ahead? Well, i said it last year and I'll say it again. Absolutely anyone can win it. Hampshire, Essex, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire are my tips for the semis but this format really is a lottery. Last year, the cricket media were buzzing about the big name signings but the competition produced some unexpected stars such as Danny Briggs, Simon Kerrigan, Alfonso Thomas and Jimmy Adams to go with some more established names like Marcus Trescothick, Adil Rashid and Mark Cosgrove. Of the aforementioned short-term international recruits, only Kieron Pollard and David Hussey truly earned their big pay days so will the World Class of 2011 fare any better?
Already Hussey has made his mark with a 45-ball 60 in today's win over Derbyshire, for whom Wes Durston and Chesney Hughes have flown the flag this week for the 'little people'. Hampshire have made it two wins in succession without the assistance of banned Shahid Afridi. Imran Tahir, James Vince and Dmitri Mascarenhas can manage perfectly well, thank you. Dirk Nannes has had a few moments for Surrey but the biggest name of all, Muttiah Muralitharan, looks nothing like a match-winner for Gloucestershire so far. I reckon the best buys will come from New Zealand or South Africa. Scott Styris has returned to Essex who, with Tim Southee and Ryan Ten Doeschate, have a formidable line-up. Opener Martin Guptill will boost Derbyshire and Johan Botha will feel at home with fellow 'Saffers' at Northants. Sussex's Wayne Parnell has T20 pedigree but will Umar Gul be any better than Rana Naved-ul-Hasan?
There is plenty to play for and not all the stars have yet set foot on these shores this summer but I reckon that, just as IPL4 threw up Valthaty, Mishra and Sharma, so the 9th Twenty20 county competition will thrust some lesser known locals into the limelight, too. Nash, Durston and Keedy, perhaps? Let's sit back and see....
So what lies ahead? Well, i said it last year and I'll say it again. Absolutely anyone can win it. Hampshire, Essex, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire are my tips for the semis but this format really is a lottery. Last year, the cricket media were buzzing about the big name signings but the competition produced some unexpected stars such as Danny Briggs, Simon Kerrigan, Alfonso Thomas and Jimmy Adams to go with some more established names like Marcus Trescothick, Adil Rashid and Mark Cosgrove. Of the aforementioned short-term international recruits, only Kieron Pollard and David Hussey truly earned their big pay days so will the World Class of 2011 fare any better?
Already Hussey has made his mark with a 45-ball 60 in today's win over Derbyshire, for whom Wes Durston and Chesney Hughes have flown the flag this week for the 'little people'. Hampshire have made it two wins in succession without the assistance of banned Shahid Afridi. Imran Tahir, James Vince and Dmitri Mascarenhas can manage perfectly well, thank you. Dirk Nannes has had a few moments for Surrey but the biggest name of all, Muttiah Muralitharan, looks nothing like a match-winner for Gloucestershire so far. I reckon the best buys will come from New Zealand or South Africa. Scott Styris has returned to Essex who, with Tim Southee and Ryan Ten Doeschate, have a formidable line-up. Opener Martin Guptill will boost Derbyshire and Johan Botha will feel at home with fellow 'Saffers' at Northants. Sussex's Wayne Parnell has T20 pedigree but will Umar Gul be any better than Rana Naved-ul-Hasan?
There is plenty to play for and not all the stars have yet set foot on these shores this summer but I reckon that, just as IPL4 threw up Valthaty, Mishra and Sharma, so the 9th Twenty20 county competition will thrust some lesser known locals into the limelight, too. Nash, Durston and Keedy, perhaps? Let's sit back and see....
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
England v Sri Lanka - All-time Best XIs
As I have written in previous blogs, England have had the upper hand over Sri Lanka in the relatively short history of Tests between the nations. Even if you discount the one-off fixtures played prior to 2001, they lead 5-4 and in the six home Tests, the margin is 3-1 with 2 draws. To accompany my trips down memory lane, I now offer my all-time best teams based on performances between the two sides in Test matches since the very first in 1982.
First off: Sri Lanka. As you might expect, their successes have relied very heavily on Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Chaminda Vaas, only one of whom remains in the squad. This does not bode well for the 2011 tourists. In 16 matches, Jayawardene has aggregated an impressive 1581 runs, including centuries in his last two appearances at Lord's, where both games were high-scoring draws. In fact, Mahela has hit six hundreds against England, easily more than anyone else from Sri Lanka. How they will need his runs this summer! However, my choice of openers would have to be Jayasuriya and Marvin Atapattu. Both have stuck double-centuries against England, while the former is also the third highest wicket taker, with 27 at a reasonable average of 28, according him genuine all-rounder status. Alongside Jayawardene, I would add Kumar Sangakkara as wicket-keeper, although most of the 1000-odd runs have been on home soil; his record in England is pretty mediocre, especially given his fabulous career elsewhere in the world. Aravinda De Silva's best years were in the 1990s but he lacked consistency against England. However, he, Tillakeratne Dilshan and ex-skipper Arjuna Ranatunga complete the middle-order. Ranatunga played in the very first Test and produced a few decent knocks and, with Sanga up the order, I reckon there's room for the tubby batsman lower down.
As for the remaining bowlers, the aforementioned Murali and Vaas pick themselves. So often they either won or saved matches on their own. Murali took an amazing 112 wickets in 16 matches at just 20 runs apiece. He took 21 in the last two Tests in England alone. The left-arm seamer Vaas claimed 49 scalps in all and with more than 500 runs to his name, including a 90 in Galle three years ago, he makes a valuable number eight. I could select Lasith Malinga but his ten wickets have cost almost 50 runs each. Instead the eleven are completed by Ashanta de Mel, who took 9 wickets back in the '80s, and CRD Fernando, but their achievements are modest compared with their illustrious team-mates.
As for England, well their runs and wickets have been much more evenly distributed. Top scorers have been Marcus Trescothick (957) and Michael Vaughan (755) and they are my obvious choice as openers, although Alastair Cook's average of 45 puts him in the frame. I wouldn't be surprised if he improves on that record over the coming weeks. Kevin Pietersen has also made almost 500 runs at 49, including consecutive centuries at Lord's and Edgbaston during the last tour. Robin Smith played only three times against Sri Lanka but averaged 67, while Graham Thorpe and 'keeper-batsman Alec Stewart also enjoyed themselves at the visitors' expense back in the day.
No England all-rounders have excelled themselves with the bat, so I place Andrew Flintoff ahead of Collingwood and Botham largely for his bowling (27 wickets at 33). England's most prolific wicket-taker against SL has been Matthew Hoggard, whose 37 scalps caused problems in the last decade. However, spinner Ashley Giles probably did more to win games. His battling, two-hour innings of 17 not out in Galle in 2004 also saved England's blushes. Monty Panesar had a 'five-for' at Trent Bridge in the last Test fixture between the two nations and Darren Gough adds firepower to my fantasy eleven. Indeed, his average of 23.50 from four matches is superior to almost anyone from either side.
Who would win in an imaginary Test between these two Elevens? In Sri Lanka, I reckon it might be close, with Murali possibly tipping the scales Sri Lanka's way. If in England, Murali and Vaas would again make it hard for English batsmen but Tres, Thorpe, KP et al are superior, man for man, down the batting order and might just nick it. In 2012, the contest between actual teams should on paper be a walkover for England. I just can't see the visitors bowling England out once, let alone twice!
First off: Sri Lanka. As you might expect, their successes have relied very heavily on Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Chaminda Vaas, only one of whom remains in the squad. This does not bode well for the 2011 tourists. In 16 matches, Jayawardene has aggregated an impressive 1581 runs, including centuries in his last two appearances at Lord's, where both games were high-scoring draws. In fact, Mahela has hit six hundreds against England, easily more than anyone else from Sri Lanka. How they will need his runs this summer! However, my choice of openers would have to be Jayasuriya and Marvin Atapattu. Both have stuck double-centuries against England, while the former is also the third highest wicket taker, with 27 at a reasonable average of 28, according him genuine all-rounder status. Alongside Jayawardene, I would add Kumar Sangakkara as wicket-keeper, although most of the 1000-odd runs have been on home soil; his record in England is pretty mediocre, especially given his fabulous career elsewhere in the world. Aravinda De Silva's best years were in the 1990s but he lacked consistency against England. However, he, Tillakeratne Dilshan and ex-skipper Arjuna Ranatunga complete the middle-order. Ranatunga played in the very first Test and produced a few decent knocks and, with Sanga up the order, I reckon there's room for the tubby batsman lower down.
As for the remaining bowlers, the aforementioned Murali and Vaas pick themselves. So often they either won or saved matches on their own. Murali took an amazing 112 wickets in 16 matches at just 20 runs apiece. He took 21 in the last two Tests in England alone. The left-arm seamer Vaas claimed 49 scalps in all and with more than 500 runs to his name, including a 90 in Galle three years ago, he makes a valuable number eight. I could select Lasith Malinga but his ten wickets have cost almost 50 runs each. Instead the eleven are completed by Ashanta de Mel, who took 9 wickets back in the '80s, and CRD Fernando, but their achievements are modest compared with their illustrious team-mates.
As for England, well their runs and wickets have been much more evenly distributed. Top scorers have been Marcus Trescothick (957) and Michael Vaughan (755) and they are my obvious choice as openers, although Alastair Cook's average of 45 puts him in the frame. I wouldn't be surprised if he improves on that record over the coming weeks. Kevin Pietersen has also made almost 500 runs at 49, including consecutive centuries at Lord's and Edgbaston during the last tour. Robin Smith played only three times against Sri Lanka but averaged 67, while Graham Thorpe and 'keeper-batsman Alec Stewart also enjoyed themselves at the visitors' expense back in the day.
No England all-rounders have excelled themselves with the bat, so I place Andrew Flintoff ahead of Collingwood and Botham largely for his bowling (27 wickets at 33). England's most prolific wicket-taker against SL has been Matthew Hoggard, whose 37 scalps caused problems in the last decade. However, spinner Ashley Giles probably did more to win games. His battling, two-hour innings of 17 not out in Galle in 2004 also saved England's blushes. Monty Panesar had a 'five-for' at Trent Bridge in the last Test fixture between the two nations and Darren Gough adds firepower to my fantasy eleven. Indeed, his average of 23.50 from four matches is superior to almost anyone from either side.
Who would win in an imaginary Test between these two Elevens? In Sri Lanka, I reckon it might be close, with Murali possibly tipping the scales Sri Lanka's way. If in England, Murali and Vaas would again make it hard for English batsmen but Tres, Thorpe, KP et al are superior, man for man, down the batting order and might just nick it. In 2012, the contest between actual teams should on paper be a walkover for England. I just can't see the visitors bowling England out once, let alone twice!
Friday, 20 May 2011
England v Sri Lanka - The Recent Years
It took 16 years and just six one-off matches from Sri Lanka's first ever Test match to their first series against England. By 2001 they had earned their right to be treated like any other leading ICC nation. They had been world champions (still more than England have achieved!, had racked up that phenomenal 952 against India and could call upon the services of world-class cricketers like Muttiah Muralitharan, Saneth Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas.
Having beaten England in both their previous meetings, home and away, Sri Lanka opened the First Test in Galle with another big first innings, thanks largely to an unbeaten 201 from Marvin Atapattu and 106 from Aravinda de Silva, then 35 years old and nearing the end of a magnificent career. Apart from Marcus Trescothick, England made a poor response and were forced to follow on. Hope flickered when Tres and Atherton put on a century opening partnership, but then Jayasuriya and Murali spun them out to register a resounding innings victory. Three in a row, and England must have been fearing the worst with Kandy and Colombo beckoning. The Second Test was a much closer affair, which Nasser Hussain's team edged by three wickets. The decider in the capital saw England take a first innings lead of a mere eight runs, with Graham Thorpe scoring a valiant 113 not out. There followed a Test rarity, a Sri Lankan batting debacle. Forget Murali; it was Ashley Giles who took 4-11, ably supported by Gough, Caddick and White, dismissing the home side for just 81. England triumphed but still lost six wickets in reaching the lowly target of 74. They had won the first series against Sri Lanka, who would seek revenge the following summer.
At Lord's both sides racked up more than 500, with Atapattu again filling his boots and most of the home batsmen getting some good practice, too, helped by the absence of Murali. A draw was inevitable. The Sri Lankan genius returned for Edgbaston but it was England's turn to win by an innings after Trescothick and Thorpe made tons. The Third Test in Manchester saw yet another 500+ score for England, and Sri Lanka were humbled by ten wickets and lost the series 2-0.
Early in 2004, the situation was almost reversed. Sri Lanka dominated all three Tests, although they won only the last. They would have been victorious at Galle had it not been for Ashley Giles' marathon 17 not out on the final day to deny the bowlers. In Kandy, it was Michael Vaughan who produced one of his grittiest performnces, grinding out 105 runs in eight hours to avoid defeat, despite Murali wheeling away for 56 overs and taking 4-64. However, England's luck deserted them in the Third Test. Samaweera and Mahela Jaywardene scored centuries as part of a match-winning total of 628-8 declared, and Vaughan's men capitulated, falling 215 short of making Tillakeratne's team bat again. Sri Lanka were once again on top.
The two sides met again in England in May 2006. The home team had experienced the Ashes highs and lows and needed to recover their vim and vigour against Sri Lanka, now led by Jayawardene. The Lord's opener was very similar to the drawn runfest four years previously but this time it was Sri Lanka who had to follow on after Pietersen and Trescothick took England towards 551-6. They easily claimed the low-scoring Second Test, with KP again in the runs and new boy Liam Plunkett taking six wickets. Then at Trent Bridge, there were a mere two runs separating the sides after the first innings. Monty Panesar bowled well in the second, but Sri Lanka improved and set England a target of 325. Enter Muralitharan. His efforts dragged England from a promising 84-0 to 132-7 and only the unlikely figure of Panesar showed any kind of fight. Murali finished with 8-70 and his team a 134-run victory to tie the series.
The last Test series between the two countries occurred just over three years ago. Sri Lanka again looked the stronger side on their home pitches. The first match saw Sri Lanka suffer a rare first innings deficit, but a Sangakkara hundred paved the way for a win by 88 runs. Stuart Broad made his debut at Colombo but made little impression with the ball as Vandort (138) and Mahela Jayawardene (195) cruised their way to one of their big totals. Vaughan and Cook were resilient and earned a draw. Broad was dropped for the final game and it was another case of Mahela the Magnificent, this time amassing 213 not out. Even Vaas struck 90 - which was nine runs more than the entire English side could muster in reply. Pathetic! With two full days to survive, only the rain could save them now - and that's exactly what happened. That and Alastair Cook's patient century.
So it's now nine years since England won a Test series against Sri Lanka but their prospects look considerably rosier in 2011. Not that their team looks exactly fantastic, despite being labelled the 'best team in the world' after their Ashes success. It's more because the visitors look remarkably ordinary following the Test retirements of Jayasuriya, Murali, Vaas and now Malinga. A 3-0 whitewash looks very much on the cards unless Sangakkara, Dilshan and England's recent nemesis Jayawardene combine to make more of those 500+ mountains for Strauss et al to climb. An interesting series lies ahead.
Having beaten England in both their previous meetings, home and away, Sri Lanka opened the First Test in Galle with another big first innings, thanks largely to an unbeaten 201 from Marvin Atapattu and 106 from Aravinda de Silva, then 35 years old and nearing the end of a magnificent career. Apart from Marcus Trescothick, England made a poor response and were forced to follow on. Hope flickered when Tres and Atherton put on a century opening partnership, but then Jayasuriya and Murali spun them out to register a resounding innings victory. Three in a row, and England must have been fearing the worst with Kandy and Colombo beckoning. The Second Test was a much closer affair, which Nasser Hussain's team edged by three wickets. The decider in the capital saw England take a first innings lead of a mere eight runs, with Graham Thorpe scoring a valiant 113 not out. There followed a Test rarity, a Sri Lankan batting debacle. Forget Murali; it was Ashley Giles who took 4-11, ably supported by Gough, Caddick and White, dismissing the home side for just 81. England triumphed but still lost six wickets in reaching the lowly target of 74. They had won the first series against Sri Lanka, who would seek revenge the following summer.
At Lord's both sides racked up more than 500, with Atapattu again filling his boots and most of the home batsmen getting some good practice, too, helped by the absence of Murali. A draw was inevitable. The Sri Lankan genius returned for Edgbaston but it was England's turn to win by an innings after Trescothick and Thorpe made tons. The Third Test in Manchester saw yet another 500+ score for England, and Sri Lanka were humbled by ten wickets and lost the series 2-0.
Early in 2004, the situation was almost reversed. Sri Lanka dominated all three Tests, although they won only the last. They would have been victorious at Galle had it not been for Ashley Giles' marathon 17 not out on the final day to deny the bowlers. In Kandy, it was Michael Vaughan who produced one of his grittiest performnces, grinding out 105 runs in eight hours to avoid defeat, despite Murali wheeling away for 56 overs and taking 4-64. However, England's luck deserted them in the Third Test. Samaweera and Mahela Jaywardene scored centuries as part of a match-winning total of 628-8 declared, and Vaughan's men capitulated, falling 215 short of making Tillakeratne's team bat again. Sri Lanka were once again on top.
The two sides met again in England in May 2006. The home team had experienced the Ashes highs and lows and needed to recover their vim and vigour against Sri Lanka, now led by Jayawardene. The Lord's opener was very similar to the drawn runfest four years previously but this time it was Sri Lanka who had to follow on after Pietersen and Trescothick took England towards 551-6. They easily claimed the low-scoring Second Test, with KP again in the runs and new boy Liam Plunkett taking six wickets. Then at Trent Bridge, there were a mere two runs separating the sides after the first innings. Monty Panesar bowled well in the second, but Sri Lanka improved and set England a target of 325. Enter Muralitharan. His efforts dragged England from a promising 84-0 to 132-7 and only the unlikely figure of Panesar showed any kind of fight. Murali finished with 8-70 and his team a 134-run victory to tie the series.
The last Test series between the two countries occurred just over three years ago. Sri Lanka again looked the stronger side on their home pitches. The first match saw Sri Lanka suffer a rare first innings deficit, but a Sangakkara hundred paved the way for a win by 88 runs. Stuart Broad made his debut at Colombo but made little impression with the ball as Vandort (138) and Mahela Jayawardene (195) cruised their way to one of their big totals. Vaughan and Cook were resilient and earned a draw. Broad was dropped for the final game and it was another case of Mahela the Magnificent, this time amassing 213 not out. Even Vaas struck 90 - which was nine runs more than the entire English side could muster in reply. Pathetic! With two full days to survive, only the rain could save them now - and that's exactly what happened. That and Alastair Cook's patient century.
So it's now nine years since England won a Test series against Sri Lanka but their prospects look considerably rosier in 2011. Not that their team looks exactly fantastic, despite being labelled the 'best team in the world' after their Ashes success. It's more because the visitors look remarkably ordinary following the Test retirements of Jayasuriya, Murali, Vaas and now Malinga. A 3-0 whitewash looks very much on the cards unless Sangakkara, Dilshan and England's recent nemesis Jayawardene combine to make more of those 500+ mountains for Strauss et al to climb. An interesting series lies ahead.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
England v Sri Lanka - The Early Years
In 2011, the tourists from Sri Lanka are being seen as the starter course for the Indians later this summer. However, Eng;and should ignore them at their peril. Sri Lanka have been such a force in modern cricket that it is hard to remember Test matches without them. However, it was as recent as February 1982 when England deigned to be their first ever Test opponents, tagging the fixture on to the end of a long, tedious, rain-affected tour of India.
It was no surprise that England emerged triumphant, by seven wickets. In a low-scoring game, spinners Derek Underwood and John Emburey produced the most memorable performances against Bandula Warnapura's side but the junior Asian nation had finally been permitted to sit at the sport's top table. Two years later came Sri Lanka's first match in England. Three times between 1984 and 1991, the one-off fixture was slipped in around the August Bank Holiday weekend, almost as an afterthought, which was frankly a bit insulting.
The 1984 game is perhaps best remembered for opener Sidath Wettimuny's 10-hour knock of 190, supported by skipper Duleep Mendis and Arjana Ranatunga. Declaring at 491-7, it ensured they would not lose. England batted even more slowly, featuring an Allan Lamb century and a six-hour 86 from Chris Broad, and the only entertainment came from Mendis in the second innings. The game petering out into a draw, the captain attacked some mediocre bowling and narrowly failed to reach three figures for the second time in the match, a rare feat for Lord's.
Four years later, England were back in winning form, taking the tie by seven wickets. This was hardly one of their finest sides but they bowled Sri Lanka out for only 194 before Gooch, Barnett, Russell and Lamb all passed 50 on the way to a substantial first innings lead. The visitors showed a bit more resistance second time around but to no avail.
In August 1991, the fixture was the first Test match I ever experienced at first hand. On the first day at Lord's, Alec Stewart had struck an unbeaten 113, but Rumesh Ratnayake's 5-69 had kept his side in the running. However, Phil de Freitas took 7-70 to restrict Sri Lanka to just 224. In the second innings, I watched Graham Gooch hit an imperious 174, abetted by an unbeaten 63 from Robin Smith, then on the last day, a five0for from Phil Tufnell secured the inevitable victory.
In March 1993, the action switched back to Colombo but by then the newcomers were gaining experience. Sri Lanka came into the England match on the back of a victory over New Zealand and Ranatunga's team were feeling confident. However, Robin Smith hit a patient hundred before being bowled by a 20 year-old spinner with a unique delivery action. His name: Muttiah Muralitharan, and it was a name and action which would haunt English batsmen, and those around the world for the next twenty years or so! When Sri Lanka batted, the top six each passed 40, Tillekeratne leading with 93 not out on the way to 469. England struggled to reach 228, leaving the home side to gain their first Test success over England, by five wickets. The tide was beginning to turn.
It was more than five years before they would meet in a Test again, a period in which Sri Lanka had well and truly announced themselves on the international stage by becoming one-day World champions. They had yet to emulate that success consistently in the five-day format but with players of the calibre of Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, a young Mahela Jayawardene and Muralitharan, it couldn't be long. In August 1998 at the Oval, England made a solid start; Hick and Crawley each scored centuries in a total of 445. However, Jayasuriya produced a thrilling double-hundred, helped by 152 from de Silva, and Sri Lanka enjoyed a 146 first innings lead. Going into the last day, England were 54-2 and looking to bat for as long as possible and get a draw. Enter Murali.... He bowled a total of 54.2 overs, half of them maidens, and claimed nine wickets. Incidentally the other one, that of Alec Stewart, was a run-out! Jayasuriya followed his 213 with 28 overs, 0-30 but Murali's 9-65 destroyed England and with time running out, the openers helped themselves to a rapid 37 and Sri Lanka had beaten England for the second successive match.
By this time, England had been humbled and could no longer pretend that Sri Lanka were minor league cannon fodder, worthy only of a solitary game every five years.
For the first time, a three-match series was scheduled for 2001. From then until today, there have been five series, and I shall continue the story of the nations' Test rivalry. Watch this space...
It was no surprise that England emerged triumphant, by seven wickets. In a low-scoring game, spinners Derek Underwood and John Emburey produced the most memorable performances against Bandula Warnapura's side but the junior Asian nation had finally been permitted to sit at the sport's top table. Two years later came Sri Lanka's first match in England. Three times between 1984 and 1991, the one-off fixture was slipped in around the August Bank Holiday weekend, almost as an afterthought, which was frankly a bit insulting.
The 1984 game is perhaps best remembered for opener Sidath Wettimuny's 10-hour knock of 190, supported by skipper Duleep Mendis and Arjana Ranatunga. Declaring at 491-7, it ensured they would not lose. England batted even more slowly, featuring an Allan Lamb century and a six-hour 86 from Chris Broad, and the only entertainment came from Mendis in the second innings. The game petering out into a draw, the captain attacked some mediocre bowling and narrowly failed to reach three figures for the second time in the match, a rare feat for Lord's.
Four years later, England were back in winning form, taking the tie by seven wickets. This was hardly one of their finest sides but they bowled Sri Lanka out for only 194 before Gooch, Barnett, Russell and Lamb all passed 50 on the way to a substantial first innings lead. The visitors showed a bit more resistance second time around but to no avail.
In August 1991, the fixture was the first Test match I ever experienced at first hand. On the first day at Lord's, Alec Stewart had struck an unbeaten 113, but Rumesh Ratnayake's 5-69 had kept his side in the running. However, Phil de Freitas took 7-70 to restrict Sri Lanka to just 224. In the second innings, I watched Graham Gooch hit an imperious 174, abetted by an unbeaten 63 from Robin Smith, then on the last day, a five0for from Phil Tufnell secured the inevitable victory.
In March 1993, the action switched back to Colombo but by then the newcomers were gaining experience. Sri Lanka came into the England match on the back of a victory over New Zealand and Ranatunga's team were feeling confident. However, Robin Smith hit a patient hundred before being bowled by a 20 year-old spinner with a unique delivery action. His name: Muttiah Muralitharan, and it was a name and action which would haunt English batsmen, and those around the world for the next twenty years or so! When Sri Lanka batted, the top six each passed 40, Tillekeratne leading with 93 not out on the way to 469. England struggled to reach 228, leaving the home side to gain their first Test success over England, by five wickets. The tide was beginning to turn.
It was more than five years before they would meet in a Test again, a period in which Sri Lanka had well and truly announced themselves on the international stage by becoming one-day World champions. They had yet to emulate that success consistently in the five-day format but with players of the calibre of Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, a young Mahela Jayawardene and Muralitharan, it couldn't be long. In August 1998 at the Oval, England made a solid start; Hick and Crawley each scored centuries in a total of 445. However, Jayasuriya produced a thrilling double-hundred, helped by 152 from de Silva, and Sri Lanka enjoyed a 146 first innings lead. Going into the last day, England were 54-2 and looking to bat for as long as possible and get a draw. Enter Murali.... He bowled a total of 54.2 overs, half of them maidens, and claimed nine wickets. Incidentally the other one, that of Alec Stewart, was a run-out! Jayasuriya followed his 213 with 28 overs, 0-30 but Murali's 9-65 destroyed England and with time running out, the openers helped themselves to a rapid 37 and Sri Lanka had beaten England for the second successive match.
By this time, England had been humbled and could no longer pretend that Sri Lanka were minor league cannon fodder, worthy only of a solitary game every five years.
For the first time, a three-match series was scheduled for 2001. From then until today, there have been five series, and I shall continue the story of the nations' Test rivalry. Watch this space...
Friday, 1 April 2011
India v Sri Lanka - 3rd Final in a Year
I'm looking forward to tomorrow's World Cup Final. Who wouldn't be? The first all-Asian contest at this stage of the tournament, with all the Tendulkar-Muralitharan hype and expectations. On paper, India have the best batsmen and Sri Lanka the bowlers. Both sides have injuries but, let's face it, as I wrote yesterday, Murali will surely play despite all his groin, knee, hamstring and whatever other injuries his 38 year-old body has sustained over the past few weeks. That must surely weaken Sangakkara's fielding ability but the great man will still be a dangerous bowler, even on one leg.
It's so difficult to predict the outcome. Of course the two nations are very familiar with each other. As neighbours they have met on the cricket pitch no fewer than 30 times in the past three years. Indeed they played seven ODIs against each other in 2010 alone, mostly in Sri Lanka, it must be said, along with a Triangular tournament in Zimbabwe. The score was 4-3 in Sri Lanka's favour but in the finals of the Asia Cup and the Dambulla Triangular competition, the record stands 1-1.
You can't read too much into last year's clashes, In Zimbabwe, both sides played young sides, especially India. In the Asia Cup Final, India played a stronger team and beat the home side Sri Lanka comprehensively by 81 runs despite the absence of Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, India's most successful players of the World Cup campaign. Sri Lanka's batting tail was even longer than it is now and once Dilshan was out for a second-ball duck, they hadn't a hope of winning.
Two months later, also at the Dambulla stadium, the result was reversed, with Sri Lanka batting first and winning by 74. Still no Tendulkar, nor Zaheer Khan, but then Murali was also missing but this time Dilshan was in sparkling form, striking 110 in 115 balls, ably supported by his captain Sangakkara who thumped 71 in 66.
So the World Cup, the Big One, will really decide who is the fairest of them all. What a fabulous occasion! Let's hope for a classic. I just hope Murali doesn't get Tendulkar out for 99 on a referral.....
It's so difficult to predict the outcome. Of course the two nations are very familiar with each other. As neighbours they have met on the cricket pitch no fewer than 30 times in the past three years. Indeed they played seven ODIs against each other in 2010 alone, mostly in Sri Lanka, it must be said, along with a Triangular tournament in Zimbabwe. The score was 4-3 in Sri Lanka's favour but in the finals of the Asia Cup and the Dambulla Triangular competition, the record stands 1-1.
You can't read too much into last year's clashes, In Zimbabwe, both sides played young sides, especially India. In the Asia Cup Final, India played a stronger team and beat the home side Sri Lanka comprehensively by 81 runs despite the absence of Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, India's most successful players of the World Cup campaign. Sri Lanka's batting tail was even longer than it is now and once Dilshan was out for a second-ball duck, they hadn't a hope of winning.
Two months later, also at the Dambulla stadium, the result was reversed, with Sri Lanka batting first and winning by 74. Still no Tendulkar, nor Zaheer Khan, but then Murali was also missing but this time Dilshan was in sparkling form, striking 110 in 115 balls, ably supported by his captain Sangakkara who thumped 71 in 66.
So the World Cup, the Big One, will really decide who is the fairest of them all. What a fabulous occasion! Let's hope for a classic. I just hope Murali doesn't get Tendulkar out for 99 on a referral.....
Thursday, 31 March 2011
A Tale of Three Retirements
Once upon a time, there was a game called cricket. Men in whites hurled a ball at other men in whites who tried to hit the ball with a bit of wood. OK, that's a simplification but cricket used to be a relatively simple affair, apart from the ever-evolving LBW laws!
Now, of course, there are a myriad of formats, and a myriad of colours. Different formats suit different players, which was really brought home to me with the recent retirement announcements of three significant stars of the cricketing stage during the World Cup. I'm not talking about Ricky Ponting or Graeme Smith. They are just quitting the captaincy of their respective nations. They've had immense success and just want to carry on playing the game at the top level while their ability and enthusiasm remain.
No, I'm talking about Shaun Tait, Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori. Tait seems to possess a bit of an aura about him. Yes, he can bowl very fast and, unfortunately, he can get injured very easily. Yet I can't help thinking that he has a higher opinion of himself than others do. He has played a massive three Tests, taking five wickets at 60 apiece. Hmm, sounds like hard work. Better to focus on ODIs. Ah, that's better. Played 35 of those, yielding 62 wickets at 24. Still a tough gig. I know, let's focus on Twenty20; send down four overs every so often and make a mint in the IPL. OK, Shaun. How long will it be before you decide that four overs is too onerous? You're only 28! By 2012, you'll probably set up your own One1 cricket format and just bowl to Kevin Pietersen on a beach somewhere or in his Chelsea garden!
Murali? Now there's a true superstar. A veteran of 133 Tests and 349 ODIs, he has taken more international wickets than anyone else in history. Yet, at almost 39 years of age, he still displays the exuberance of youth and, despite hobbling in pain, is determined to play on and take his country to the World Cup final and hopefully win the competition. That's a real role model.
That also brings me to the outgoing New Zealand captain, Daniel Vettori. He seems to have been around forever but is actually still only 32. It's just that he began his international career at 18 and has been taking wickets and scoring late-order runs in his own quiet manner ever since. Stephen Fleming was a hard act to follow, but Vettori has also taken his side to a World Cup semi-final after a terrible run of defeats in 2010. He says he's had enough of being skipper but what makes his retirement stand out from the others is that he has given up Twenty20, and maybe 50-over cricket to concentrate on Tests! He said: "Tests are a big part of why I play the game, for team and myself, because there is no better feeling than winning a Test." OK, so that probably doesn't happen very often for the Black Caps, so success is always extra special but it heartens me that in this day of increasing focus on short-form cricket that a big name like Vettori values the traditional format above all others. It's not like he isn't any good in T20. Quite the reverse. His bowling average, economy rate and batting strike rate put most of the world's best to shame including, er, Shaun Tait!
Don't get me wrong, the Aussie is a very good exponent of T20 pace bowling. He may also feel he needs to cut down on cricket to prolong his cricketing career and if the IPL and domestic contacts can continue to pay well, then why not focus only on T20? However, if youngsters want to look at what real dedicated sportsmen are about, they should look no further than Messrs Muralitharan and Vettori.
Now, of course, there are a myriad of formats, and a myriad of colours. Different formats suit different players, which was really brought home to me with the recent retirement announcements of three significant stars of the cricketing stage during the World Cup. I'm not talking about Ricky Ponting or Graeme Smith. They are just quitting the captaincy of their respective nations. They've had immense success and just want to carry on playing the game at the top level while their ability and enthusiasm remain.
No, I'm talking about Shaun Tait, Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori. Tait seems to possess a bit of an aura about him. Yes, he can bowl very fast and, unfortunately, he can get injured very easily. Yet I can't help thinking that he has a higher opinion of himself than others do. He has played a massive three Tests, taking five wickets at 60 apiece. Hmm, sounds like hard work. Better to focus on ODIs. Ah, that's better. Played 35 of those, yielding 62 wickets at 24. Still a tough gig. I know, let's focus on Twenty20; send down four overs every so often and make a mint in the IPL. OK, Shaun. How long will it be before you decide that four overs is too onerous? You're only 28! By 2012, you'll probably set up your own One1 cricket format and just bowl to Kevin Pietersen on a beach somewhere or in his Chelsea garden!
Murali? Now there's a true superstar. A veteran of 133 Tests and 349 ODIs, he has taken more international wickets than anyone else in history. Yet, at almost 39 years of age, he still displays the exuberance of youth and, despite hobbling in pain, is determined to play on and take his country to the World Cup final and hopefully win the competition. That's a real role model.
That also brings me to the outgoing New Zealand captain, Daniel Vettori. He seems to have been around forever but is actually still only 32. It's just that he began his international career at 18 and has been taking wickets and scoring late-order runs in his own quiet manner ever since. Stephen Fleming was a hard act to follow, but Vettori has also taken his side to a World Cup semi-final after a terrible run of defeats in 2010. He says he's had enough of being skipper but what makes his retirement stand out from the others is that he has given up Twenty20, and maybe 50-over cricket to concentrate on Tests! He said: "Tests are a big part of why I play the game, for team and myself, because there is no better feeling than winning a Test." OK, so that probably doesn't happen very often for the Black Caps, so success is always extra special but it heartens me that in this day of increasing focus on short-form cricket that a big name like Vettori values the traditional format above all others. It's not like he isn't any good in T20. Quite the reverse. His bowling average, economy rate and batting strike rate put most of the world's best to shame including, er, Shaun Tait!
Don't get me wrong, the Aussie is a very good exponent of T20 pace bowling. He may also feel he needs to cut down on cricket to prolong his cricketing career and if the IPL and domestic contacts can continue to pay well, then why not focus only on T20? However, if youngsters want to look at what real dedicated sportsmen are about, they should look no further than Messrs Muralitharan and Vettori.
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