Sport - Cricket   

Umpiring controversy overshadows a good day's play

By Ted Corbett

KANDY Dec. 10. Umpiring controversy and Sri Lanka-England series go hand in hand so it was no surprise when decisions by both Daryl Harper of Australia and Aleem Dar from Pakistan brought criticism at the Asgiriya ground on the first day of the second Test. The heat generated in the 2001 Tests and in the first Test in Galle last week is still in the air and you don't need to be mastermind to realise that there is trouble ahead.

It is a pity because, on a warm, pleasant day there was intelligent cricket by England which went into the match with only four regular bowlers and assertive batting from Sri Lanka which totalled 277 for seven and has the edge on a ground that has seen only two home victories.

Heaven alone knows what the sporting gods thought of this day; a topsy-turvy affair and no mistake. England dropped the first bombshell by choosing James Kirtley who was supposed to be the back marker in the race for a bowling spot and, lo and behold, he performed brilliantly with a hand in three of the first four wickets.

Sri Lanka pulled another strange rabbit out of the hutch by recalling Tillekeratne Dilshan, who had been ignored since he last played against England in the spring of 2001.

Dilshan made 63, the top score of the day, and was promising a century to add to his undefeated 163 against Zimbabwe when he was wrenched out by a rising ball from Andrew Flintoff, another cricketer who blows not so much hot and cold as scalding and freezing.

Kirtley was given the place that was we assumed would go to James Anderson but coach Duncan Fletcher and Michael Vaughan, the captain decided, to quote an insider, that Anderson "had not enough miles in his legs" after injury to play a full part in a four-man attack.

So Kirtley, he with an arm as straight as a fiddler's elbow, played and within seven overs he had removed Marvan Atapattu lbw, a good decision from Aleem Dar.

For the next 16 overs, Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara put on 56, despite defensive fields and the negative attitude that had been partly responsible for the England selections.

But at 76 there was a horrid mix-up in mid-pitch that resulted in Sangakkara being run out by an accurate throw from Kirtley at mid-off and off the last ball before lunch Jayasuriya was caught behind for 32; off his thigh pad if you saw enough replays.

Not exactly the collapse that Steve Waugh claims often follows a run-out but England ate its beans on toast pleased with its morning's work. For the next two hours it must have wondered what hit them.

Dilshan and the more restrained Mahela Jayawardene rushed ahead at a run a minute until by tea 113 had been scored for the loss, just before the interval, of Jayawardene, caught running and diving forward at fine leg by Kirtley.

It was not quite as superb a catch as his miracle at Lord's off Sourav Ganguly but it may have convinced the Sri Lankans that they need not look to Heaven for help in this, the most religious part of the island.

At tea they had lost four for 187 but during the interval someone decided to try Flintoff from the Press Box end and the result was an attack of rising deliveries that dislodged Dilshan for 63 off 94 balls and the end of Tilan Samaraweera leg before to Giles who finished with three wickets that means he has 11 in this series, more than double his total for the rest of the year.

That decision and the one that saw off Chaminda Vaas will both be the cause of a renewed debate on the umpiring of Daryl Harper. The Press Box scorer cheekily read out the Samaraweera decision as "lbw Harper" and if that sounds amusing, do not be deceived.

There is growing anger among the cricket lovers in this smiling nation about the decisions at the end of the first Test. Today, when there were at least two dubious rulings, has done nothing to ease the situation.

Neither did Kirtley who made a heated verbal attack on Vaas as he left the crease. It can only add to the tension and the soon Clive Lloyd the match referee deals with him the better.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

Cricket

• A Gordian knot for the Indians
• India should follow its captain's lead
• Umpiring controversy overshadows a good day's play
• Harbhajan doubtful
• Jadeja powers Delhi to a commanding position
• Badani to lead India `A'
• Indian eves clinch a thriller
• Kale issue: Disciplinary Committee to meet today
• TN in a strong position
  
  Tennis
  
• Sanam quells Divij's challenge
  
  Football
  
• Agragami holds a lacklustre Bagan
  
  Chess
  
• Humpy loses to Neelotpal
  
  Swimming
  
• Palangappa silences his rivals
  
  Table Tennis
  
• Poulomi, Indu and Mantu upset
  
  

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu