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Cook and rain thwart Sri Lanka

Ted Corbett

England was six down with over 30 overs to go

— PHOTO: AFP

ENGLAND’S HERO: Alastair Cook held fast even as wickets fell in a heap at the other end to compile a defiant century.

GALLE: Sri Lanka was held to a draw by a stubborn England rearguard action but still managed to jump into third place in the world rankings. Alastair Cook, the most convincing new boy in the English ranks this century, faced 285 balls to make his seventh Test century and show a maturity that shames some of his better known teammates.

The final day will always be remembered for the 65th over of England’s second innings, which was ended at 251 for six by a rainstorm so dramatic that it was far from fantasy to see it as a reminder from the weather gods of the catastrophe that lay behind this third Test.

Eventful over

It was one of the most dramatic overs in 130 years of Test cricket. Of course, it was bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan — who else? — who had already captured the wicket of Ian Bell, once again short of the runs his side needed when he was bowled by a ball that kept low.

Murali began the over with two quiet balls while, just as quietly, Mahela Jayawardene moved from backward short-leg to short mid-wicket. He had detected that Kevin Pietersen’s great strength could be his weakness. The third ball of the Murali over played on Pietersen’s wish to punch the ball through mid-wicket, but he underhit the ball which looped low to Jayawardene.

That was a crucial wicket but Paul Collingwood is as immoveable as the Thames Barrier when he drops anchor. Murali’s second ball to him was the doosra. Collingwood raced towards it, lost it, midstroke, and was stumped at his leisure by the efficient Prasanna Jayawardene.

The unrelated Jayawardenes celebrated a hat-trick of sorts next ball when Ravi Bopara nudged the ball into the slips, failed to realise that Mahela had stopped it and was on his way for a first run when, in a single movement, one Jayawardene whipped it to the other and completed the run out. Thus, the comfort of 200 for two turned into the wreckage of 200 for five and the game was surely over.

There was still Cook, Mr. Steadfast, the epitome of a fighting opener, intent on survival, ignoring all else.

He took a careful five hours over his seventh Test century and he refused to glance around even when a storm broke over the ground as his sixth wicket stand with Matt Prior reached 37. Once he had reached three figures, a salute to the crowd, a nominal hug for Prior and he was back at the grindstone so that he and Prior put on the fifty that, with the thunderstorm, saved England.

Sri Lanka deserved its series triumph after its narrow win in Kandy and the level pegging draw in Colombo. The side had returned from Australia where it suffered a 2-0 defeat in the midst of dismay after two heavy beatings, dissent from Marvan Atapattu its former captain, and with the retirement of Sanath Jayasuriya in the offing.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka — 1st innings: 499 for eight decl.

England — 1st innings: 81.

England — 2nd innings: A. Cook c P. Jayawardene b Welegedara 118, M. Vaughan c M. Jayawardene b Welegedara 24, I. Bell b Muralitharan 34, K. Pietersen c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 30, P. Collingwood st P. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 0, R. Bopara (run out) 0, M. Prior (not out) 19, R. Sidebottom (not out) 0, Extras (b-6, lb-5, nb-14, w-1): 26; Total (for six wkts. in 95 overs) 251.

Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-128, 3-200, 4-200, 5-200, 6-250.

Sri Lanka bowling: Muralitharan 38-8-91-3, Vaas 18-7-37-0, Malinga 20-3-42-0, Welegedara 14-1-59-2, Dilshan 3-1-8-0, Silva 2-1-3-0.

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