Umpiring error nails Sanath
Lankans 31 for 2 in reply to Aussies’ 551 for six dec.:
Elmo RODRIGOPULLE Reporting
Sri Lankan dashing opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya on whom much was
expected, had his innings rudely cut short by an umpiring error that
would cry to the heavens for mercy. Going for his signature cut shot
against Lee, he missed, the slip fielders went up with wicket keeper
Adam Gilchrist the most vociferous and umpire Tony Hill fell for the
ruse and put the dreaded finger up. Jayasuriya had made 7.
Jayasuriya had no one to appeal to and like the true sportsman that
he is, he did the lonely walk to the pavilion stunned, probably asking
forgiveness for the umpire. At this level of crickets, there is no room
for umpiring errors. Having stood in only three Tests, Hill”s
inexperience showed.
Gilchrist in batting is an epitome of a sportsman, walking even
before the umpire rules him out. He would add to his stature, if he acts
the same when wicket keeping.
When play ended on day two the Lankans chasing a massive Australian
score of 551 for 4 declared were struggling on 31 for 2 wickets. Brett
Lee had 2 for 4. The day was hugged by the Aussie batsmen Michael Hussey
and Michael Clarke who amassed tons and Andrew Symonds who blazed away
one-day style to make a half century. On an unresponsive wicket the
Lankan bowlers did not lack for want of trying.
Muralitheran’s attempt to scalp a few more wickets and take him
closer to breaking Shane Warne”s Test wicket taking record did not
materialise After Jayasuriya, the Lankans lost Michael Vandort who went
without troubling the scorers.
When play started on day two, the ground was bathed in sunshine
unlike the first day when gloomy conditions prevailed.
The Test started half an hour early so as to make good the overs
lost. When I walked into the Media box I saw Muttiah Muralitheran having
a long jaw with Tony Greig, who is doing Channel Nine TV commentary. A
lover of Sri Lanka cricket. He sure would have been telling the bowler
how to go.
ilhara Fernando who proved expensive and went wicketless and
Muralitheran started the proceedings for Sri Lanka and it was obvious
that the wicket had turned batting friendly as overnight not outs
Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke found no terrors in the bowling and
began to build their partnership.
Without Lasith Malinga the bowling looked thin. He would have been
the ideal foil for Muralitheran as he and the ‘offie’ are the bowles the
Aussie batsmen would love to hate. Malinga”s dropping was inexplicable.
Muralitheran was the only bowler to trouble the batsmen and none of them
could play him with any sort of confidence. With no help whatsoever from
the wicket, he was a trier all the time.
Hussey who was given a life early on in his innings, grabbed the gift
with both hands and quietly got on top and began to play some lovely
drives on either side of the wicket with some wonderful timing. Michael
Clarke the best player of spin also began to get his act together and
using his feet beautifully pierced the field with sweetly timed drives,
cuts and pulls.
The partnership began to blossom and first was the hundred and they
went to lunch with no further loss at 359 with Hussey on 85 and Clarke
64. After lunch Hussey and Clarke began to feast on the bowlers and
Hussey was the first to his century and his sixth in Test cricket when
he finely glanced a ball to the fine leg boundary.
e showed his delight by waving both hands in the air and pointing his
bat at his team mates acknowledging their cheers. It was a well compiled
century. He had hit 11 fours and a six.
Hussey and Clarke then hoisted the 200 run stand in 352 deliveries.
During this stand, they shoved aside many records for this wicket. Then
Clarke who was enjoying his stint in the middle, reached his ton when he
sweetly on drove Muralitheran for a single to mid on. He had 9 fours and
one six. He too jubilated waving his bat to the crowd. It was a three
figure to savour.
When it looked as though Hussey and Clarke would go on piling on the
agony Dilhara Fernando held one back and had Hussey driving too early
and spooning to Marvan Atapattu at short cover. He made 133 and the
stand was worth a massive 245.
Then the aggressive and hard hitting right hander Andrew Symonds who
failed in both innings for Queensland against Sri Lanka joined Clarke
and began to flay the tired looking Lankan attack with some power
pulling and hooking and together they put on an unbroken stand of 90
that came in quick time.
Symonds raced to 53 in 61 balls with 7 fours and he played what
looked like a one-day innings. When skipper Ricky Ponting called the
batsmen in at 551 for 4, Clarke remained unbeaten on 145 with 14 fours
and a six and so the agony ended for the Sri Lankan bowlers.
The Aussies lost only one wicket for 306 runs. The only wicket taker
was Dilhara Fernando. He finished with one for 130. Muralitheran had 2
for 170 in 50, Vaas 1 for 102 and Mahroof 0 for 107.
The Gabba, Brisbane, Friday
AUSTRALIA - 1ST INNINGS
P.A. Jaques st P. Jayawardene b Murali 100
M.L. Hayden c Muralitharan b Vaas 43
R.T. Ponting st P. Jayawardene b Murali 56
M.E.K. Hussey c Atapattu b Fernando 133
M.J. Clarke not out 145
A. Symonds not out 53
Extras (b-4, lb-12, w-1, nb-4) 21
TOTAL (4 wkts dec; 151 overs;) 551
mins) 650
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-69 (Hayden), 2-183 (Ponting), 3-216 (Jaques), 4-461 (Hussey).
BOWLING: W.P.U.J.C. Vaas 28-6-102-1, M.F. Maharoof 34-6-107-0, (4nb),
C.R.D. Fernando 34-3-130-1 (1w), M. Muralitharan 50-4-170-2,
S.T. Jayasuriya 4-0-18-0, T.T. Samaraweera 1-0-8-0.
SRI LANKA - 1ST INNINGS
M.S. Atapattu not out 19
S.T. Jayasuriya c Gilchrist b Lee 7
M.G. Vandort c Gilchrist b Lee 0
D.P.M.D. Jayawardene not out 5
Extras 0
TOTAL (2 wkts; 16 overs) 31
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7 (Jayasuriya), 2-11 (Vandort).
BOWLING: B. Lee 5-4-4-2, M.G. Johnson 6-1-11-0, S.C.G. MacGill 3-1-13-0, S.R. Clark 2-0-3-0. |
