England comfortably took the opening day honours in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy. Electing to bat first Sri Lanka crumbled to 188 all out, which could have been much worse if it was not for the brilliance of Kumar Sangakkara. Matthew Hoggard was the chief inflictor of damage, removing four of Sri Lanka's top order batsmen in his opening ten over burst.
England's reply began by continuing the recent flurry of wickets when Chaminda Vaas removed opener Alistair Cook with the third ball of the innings. Captain Michael Vaughan (13*) and Ian Bell (36*) saw their side through to the close, ending on 49-1.
It was a predictably sweltering day for the first day of the series with the track looking in excellent condition to have a bat. It was dry with a few minor cracks that are expected to open up and crumble as the game goes on, making it increasingly difficult to bat on.
Steve Harmison did not make England's starting eleven, so James Anderson was given his chance to impress, while Sri Lanka called in Jehan Mubarak following Marvan Atapattu's recent retirement. Chaminda Vaas was recalled after Farveez Maharoof injured his ankle, and the experienced bowler gratefully received his 100th cap.
So it was with glee that Mahela Jayawardene called correctly, with England captain Vaughan admitting that he would have loved the chance to bat first.
What transpired could not have been any further from Jayawardene's hopes, as Ryan Sidebottom struck first blood, encouraging Sanath Jayasuriya to drive, and Kevin Pietersen took a fine catch diving to his right. His catch was to be eclipsed as finest of the day later on by none other than Paul Collingwood.
Meanwhile Hoggard was settling in nicely on his return to the England side with the kind of swing bowling and accuracy that has troubled many a batsman. It proved too much for Michael Vandort who rather tamely offered a chance to Vaughan at mid on, attempting to work it through the leg side. The skipper held the catch and Sri Lanka were 29-2.
It was an almighty effort for Hoggard to bowl a straight ten overs in this draining heat, but a further three wickets in this spell, all in fairly identical fashion, must have kept energy levels high.
Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, and Jehan Mubarak were all unable to negotiate the movement Hoggard was finding, and consequently nicked through to Matt Prior for three straight forward catches. The Yorkshire swinger was well rewarded for his metronomic accuracy and while he was not getting prodigious movement, the ball was swinging and seaming just enough to make the difference.
At 42-5 Sri Lanka were in dire straits, and the vital partnership of their best batsman Sangakkara and keeper Prasanna Jayawardene at least gave the hosts a smidgen of respectability.
Sangakkara continued his outstanding form from Australia, where in his only Test he made 57 and 192, and prior to that his last two Test innings were 222* and 200* against Bangladesh. He assessed the pitch and the individual threat each bowler was offering, and set out his game plan accordingly.
Such a joy to watch when in full flow, he punched the ball down the ground with consummate ease, and watchfully drove through the ball. The ball was not coming on to the bat particularly well, so at times he was forced to check his stroke, but his timing did not suffer as a result. If England did stray too straight, he would work the ball expertly off his legs into the vacant gaps on the leg side, it was becoming a true masterclass in how to bat in Sri Lankan conditions, and in Jayawardene he found a player able to stick with him.
The keeper has shown his strengths with the gloves and also offered promise with the bat, and today he played very well through the offside, not afraid to open the face of the bat to find the spaces.
Jayawardene only managed one more run form his next 18 deliveries, before he flicked one from Monty Panesar rather firmly into Cook's mid rift, who managed to cling on.
With wickets now falling regularly from the other end, Sangakkara was left with no option but to take the attack to England, and on 92 he sliced one within reach of Collingwood who plucked the ball one handed whilst diving to his left off the bowling of Anderson.
Panesar managed to get the odd one to really turn and bounce, which will not have disheartened Murali on the opening day. England's spinner accounted for Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando before Murali was run out in a mix up with Lasith Malinga. Panesar finished with 3-46, but Hoggard was the stand out bowler ending with 4-29.
Vaas immediately gave Sri Lanka the tonic they needed at the beginning of England's reply, luring Cook across his stumps before bowling one to go straight on that thudded into Cook's front pad for a regulation lbw decision.
Ian Bell looked in exquisite touch, a series of front and back foot boundaries when he only appeared to block the ball, took him to 36 not out and restore any confidence he may have lost on his trip here in the one-day series. Vaughan was dogged, not reaching the levels of fluency he had at the same venue back in 2003, but nevertheless reached the close of play unscathed.
A start England could only have dreamt of, but this Test is far from over.
Sunday 2 December 2007
Pace pair serve up a treat
Following the retirements in the last decade of world class quick bowlers such as Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Glenn McGrath, there has been a dearth of similar quality, a general lack of pacemen to strike fear into the heart of any batting line up.
So it was heartening for the cricket lovers that so enjoy the sight of genuine speedsters making batsmen work hard to survive, in every sense of the word, to see two men of that ilk recently named men of the series for the damage they inflicted on their respective opposition. The pair produced displays that will once again have opening batsmen sleeping just a little uneasily.
I am, of course, referring to Australia's Brett Lee and South African Dale Steyn.
When Glenn McGrath called a halt to his magnificent career at the same time Australia lost the wizardry of Shane Warne, Brett Lee became the leader of the Australian attack, and with that comes the added pressure to perform. If he did feel the pressure, it certainly did not show against a Sri Lanka side that never really got to grips with the pace, bounce and accuracy that Lee now has in his armoury.
His run up and action were fluent, consequently he looked in excellent rhythm, swinging the ball, both conventionally and by means of reverse, at speeds of up to 155kmh (96.3 mph). He looked like a man that has gratefully accepted the baton of strike bowlership from McGrath, and this was exemplified by his 16 wickets in the two Test series.
Dale Steyn had the distinct advantage of firing his particular missiles at a New Zealand side that looked seriously unequipped to cope with such attacks, and as a result, inevitable devastation took place.
Steyn was perhaps rushed into Test cricket and had to learn his trade in the harshest and most unforgiving of environments which is Test cricket, yet the signs are that he has come through those early examinations and is now looking to flourish at the top level. There will be more severe questions asked in times ahead, yet if he maintains his brisk pace, away movement and accuracy he will trouble, with all due respect, more feared line-ups than that of New Zealand.
He hurried the Kiwi batsmen on more than one occasion, and the unfortunate Craig Cumming will testify to Steyn's speed, as he was unable to get out of the way of a particular nasty short ball that resulted in the opening batsman needing metal plates inserted into his cheekbone.
Steyn was exceptionally raw when he first came on the scene but he is continuing to grow into his role within the South African side, and in the two Tests against New Zealand, the fast bowler recorded the quite remarkable series figures of 56-10-184-20.
Both Lee and Steyn are wholehearted performers and will not flinch if they are required to charge in for large portions of the day, while they both operate at their peak in shorter hostile bursts, roughing the batsmen up and not without a series of menacing glares and even the odd word or two.
Steyn has now taken 71 wickets in his first 15 Test matches, costing 24.38 each, not totally dissimilar to Brett Lee's record after the same amount of games (Lee took 65 wickets at 23.43).
Both these quickies have forced their way into the ICC Test bowlers rankings top five following their recent feats. Steyn is sitting in third position with Lee two places behind him in fifth.
The fast bowling resources in international cricket is currently incomparable in both depth and quality to decades gone by, but these two are proof that the cupboard is not entirely bare. If you also throw Shane Bond (when fit), Shoaib Akhtar (when well behaved), Makhaya Ntini and the consistent Stuart Clark into the mix, it indicates there are a number of excellent seam and swing bowlers in the world to ensure batsmen do not have it entirely their own way. Whilst not forgetting the steady experienced campaigners in Shaun Pollock (although South Africa appear to have), Chaminda Vaas and Matthew Hoggard, who rely on numerous attributes, pace however, not being at the top of the list.
Another reason to be optimistic for the future of quick bowling is the potential shown by some of the younger bowlers, for example Mohammad Asif, Lasith Malinga, Sohail Tanvir, Stuart Broad, RP Singh, Mitchell Johnson and Jerome Taylor, all of whom have whetted our appetites for the future and are all (except Johnson) under the age of 25.
Many former Test players are of the opinion that batsmen these days have it much easier than it was in their day, who knows, maybe this next crop of quick bowlers will have Ambrose and co rubbing their hands with glee at the sight of the batsmen once again being made to look rather foolish.
(Cricket Web, 22/11/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=4755
So it was heartening for the cricket lovers that so enjoy the sight of genuine speedsters making batsmen work hard to survive, in every sense of the word, to see two men of that ilk recently named men of the series for the damage they inflicted on their respective opposition. The pair produced displays that will once again have opening batsmen sleeping just a little uneasily.
I am, of course, referring to Australia's Brett Lee and South African Dale Steyn.
When Glenn McGrath called a halt to his magnificent career at the same time Australia lost the wizardry of Shane Warne, Brett Lee became the leader of the Australian attack, and with that comes the added pressure to perform. If he did feel the pressure, it certainly did not show against a Sri Lanka side that never really got to grips with the pace, bounce and accuracy that Lee now has in his armoury.
His run up and action were fluent, consequently he looked in excellent rhythm, swinging the ball, both conventionally and by means of reverse, at speeds of up to 155kmh (96.3 mph). He looked like a man that has gratefully accepted the baton of strike bowlership from McGrath, and this was exemplified by his 16 wickets in the two Test series.
Dale Steyn had the distinct advantage of firing his particular missiles at a New Zealand side that looked seriously unequipped to cope with such attacks, and as a result, inevitable devastation took place.
Steyn was perhaps rushed into Test cricket and had to learn his trade in the harshest and most unforgiving of environments which is Test cricket, yet the signs are that he has come through those early examinations and is now looking to flourish at the top level. There will be more severe questions asked in times ahead, yet if he maintains his brisk pace, away movement and accuracy he will trouble, with all due respect, more feared line-ups than that of New Zealand.
He hurried the Kiwi batsmen on more than one occasion, and the unfortunate Craig Cumming will testify to Steyn's speed, as he was unable to get out of the way of a particular nasty short ball that resulted in the opening batsman needing metal plates inserted into his cheekbone.
Steyn was exceptionally raw when he first came on the scene but he is continuing to grow into his role within the South African side, and in the two Tests against New Zealand, the fast bowler recorded the quite remarkable series figures of 56-10-184-20.
Both Lee and Steyn are wholehearted performers and will not flinch if they are required to charge in for large portions of the day, while they both operate at their peak in shorter hostile bursts, roughing the batsmen up and not without a series of menacing glares and even the odd word or two.
Steyn has now taken 71 wickets in his first 15 Test matches, costing 24.38 each, not totally dissimilar to Brett Lee's record after the same amount of games (Lee took 65 wickets at 23.43).
Both these quickies have forced their way into the ICC Test bowlers rankings top five following their recent feats. Steyn is sitting in third position with Lee two places behind him in fifth.
The fast bowling resources in international cricket is currently incomparable in both depth and quality to decades gone by, but these two are proof that the cupboard is not entirely bare. If you also throw Shane Bond (when fit), Shoaib Akhtar (when well behaved), Makhaya Ntini and the consistent Stuart Clark into the mix, it indicates there are a number of excellent seam and swing bowlers in the world to ensure batsmen do not have it entirely their own way. Whilst not forgetting the steady experienced campaigners in Shaun Pollock (although South Africa appear to have), Chaminda Vaas and Matthew Hoggard, who rely on numerous attributes, pace however, not being at the top of the list.
Another reason to be optimistic for the future of quick bowling is the potential shown by some of the younger bowlers, for example Mohammad Asif, Lasith Malinga, Sohail Tanvir, Stuart Broad, RP Singh, Mitchell Johnson and Jerome Taylor, all of whom have whetted our appetites for the future and are all (except Johnson) under the age of 25.
Many former Test players are of the opinion that batsmen these days have it much easier than it was in their day, who knows, maybe this next crop of quick bowlers will have Ambrose and co rubbing their hands with glee at the sight of the batsmen once again being made to look rather foolish.
(Cricket Web, 22/11/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=4755
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