The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Jayasuriya goes berserk

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Monday, Jul 03, 2006

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Sport - Cricket

Jayasuriya goes berserk

Ted Corbett

LEEDS: England made one of the biggest scores in its one-day history in the fifth game against Sri Lanka at Headingley and the crowd immediately got up and went home. Perhaps they knew what would follow: a World record opening stand of 286, an eight-wicket win by Sri Lanka with 12 overs to spare and a 5-0 loss for the home team.

On the day Fred Trueman died, on his home ground, it was a gross insult to his memory and a sad reflection on the standard of modern English cricket. As a win for Sri Lanka, it bore comparison with South Africa's victory over Australia in Johannesburg earlier in the year.

Of course, the fans were off to see the footballers battle for a place in the semifinals of the World Cup — a big sacrifice for Yorkshiremen who know the value of a pound even if it was spent booking the ticket last December.

Those who stayed behind saw a lovely, free-hitting innings of 152 by Sanath Jayasuriya and further evidence that one day Upul Tharanga, who made 109, will step into his shoes.

England managed 321 for the loss of seven wickets.

When Sri Lanka batted, it became clear that England was going to suffer just as badly.

Jayasuriya is an accomplished, if ageing, attacking batsman and with his alter ego Tharanga trying to ape his bolder strokes, 46 were on the board in the first two overs. At the same point England had scored two.

Trueman would have been horrified at the way England squandered the advantage of the possession he treasured — the new ball — by wild bowling. Steve Harmison, round the wicket, managed two overs for 11, but finished with none for 97, the worst England bowling of all time.

I will draw a veil over the rest. It was too horrible to describe.

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