Five days of brilliant cricket

The New Providence Stadium in Guyana is a beautiful setting. Built for the World Cup conducted a year ago, for a crowd of 12,000 spectators, it provides cosy atmosphere for test cricket. This was also the venue for Sri Lanka’s opening three-day game.

What a surprise it was seeing the pitch the day before the game. It resembled a one-day pitch in India! There was not a blade of grass. The surface was rolled and rolled with two heavy rollers. One of which had been used for road construction while the roads to the Stadium were being done! The top soil lacked moisture and the pacemen were going to have to work hard to succeed. The question then was, how early would it deteriorate to assist the spinners.

It was a good toss to win and Mahela Jayawardena called correct. That was the first battle won. The next was to get off to a good start. It did not take long for the West Indian bowlers to indicate by their body language, getting wickets was the difficult task. Malinda Warnapura and Michael Vandort set the stage for the famous victory, as they ate lunch.

Credit must be given to all the batsmen. Vandort and Sangakkara made half centuries. Vaas remained unbeaten on a half century and Warnapura and Jayawardena chalked up centuries. The fact they batted for 162 overs gives an indication as to how important occupying of the crease was.

The West Indian bowlers were inspired by Jerome Taylor who bowled fearlessly for 33 overs and picked up four wickets. They grasped a couple of chances and could not get to any of the half chances. On a docile pitch such as this, should the fielding not be really supportive, the bowlers cannot succeed.

Although there was no assistance from the pitch, the batsmen also could not take liberties and play careless strokes, particularly when they were up against experienced and clever bowlers like Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. Ramnaresh Sarwan was the only batsman who applied himself, dug deep and concentrated to build a long innings. From 105 for 5 wickets, the second half of the West Indian batting took the score up to 280. Had they not obliged, the home team would have had to follow-on. Sri Lanka enjoyed a 196 run first innings lead which was very handy.

Once again the openers Vandort and Warnapura set the tempo with the latter scoring a half century. He has enjoyed himself thoroughly, batting in Guyana, stroking two centuries and two half centuries. There were contributions from Sangakkara and Jayawardena, but it was Tilan Samaraweera who steadied the ship and held the middle order together. He missed out in the first innings but made up amply with an unbeaten half century in the second.

The target to score was 436 in 113 overs was a daunting task. Gayle the captain who up to then had been dismissed seven times in ten innings by Chaminda Vaas and on five occasions for nought, decided to bat down the order. That stand in Dwayne Bravo was aggressive and positive. After Smith fell early, brilliantly caught by Thilina Thushara on the fine leg boundary, to a Vaas bouncer, Sarwan and Bravo remained unbeaten till close and the score was 96 for one wicket.

The final day saw the best crowd of the game. A close contest was anticipated and Bravo and Sarwan contributed from where they left off the previous day. They were separated just before lunch with the score on 156.

After lunch wickets fell at regular intervals and with six down at tea Sri Lanka were in with a big chance to win. The bowlers, Vaas, Muralitharan, Thushara and Herath, gave one of the most disciplined and clever bowling performances of a Sri Lankan attack. The fielders backed them up, with Muralitharan plucking a catch at mid-off throwing himself backwards to claim the final wicket.

It was a famous victory with Sri Lanka playing five days of brilliant cricket. I was privileged to have witnessed every moment.