Herath Showed Skill and Steel to Wear Down England
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Saturday 31st March, 2012 Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath celebrates taking a wicket against England in the first Test between the two countries which was played at the Galle International Herath showed skill Stadium.(AP) Although Herath made his Muralitharan pulled out of the series with a knee debut in 1999, opportuni- injury. A replacement was required and suddenly ties were rare for him due to those mattered, particularly skipper Sangakkara and steel to wear thought of Herath, not only because of this theo- the presence of champion Muttiah Muralitharan and Sri Lanka ry that Pakistan had a problem against left arm always had Sanath Jayasuriya to bowl a bit of spin, but his continuous commitment towards left-arm spin. Sri Lankan cricket. But occasionally Herath was used in Test The selectors called Herath up in England and down England cricket, particularly against Pakistan once John the bowler thought that it was a prank. “I was Dyson developed this idea that Pakistan were in about to leave to the gym when the phone rang. I was required to be in Colombo as soon as possi- BY SCYLD BERRY fact susceptible against left-arm spin. A consistent run in the national side for ble,” Herath remembered. Rangana Herath, who bowled and Herath after Sanath retired was denied as there He played the Galle Test after arriving in persevered until Sri Lanka had beaten emerged a young spinning sensation by the name Colombo less than 24 hours before the game and England in the opening Test match, of Ajantha Mendis and once he started with a managed just one wicket in the first innings. has to find a place in his country’s bang, Herath was history. Chasing a target of 168, Pakistan were cruising at greatest side. But perseverance is Herath’s key to success. 71 for two at stumps on day three and Herath had All-time cricket XIs conjure up an When so many young players complain that they failed to pick up a wicket. image of impressive faces and are not getting their dues, Herath kept on work- After day’s play,heading back to the hotel an physiques, with figures to match. Not ing hard at his game bowling long spells for his interesting conversation developed between the someone dumpy and stocky, a bit of a beloved Moors SC in domestic cricket. hierarchy of Sri Lanka Cricket. A leading official dumpling. Like his bowling, Herath’s lifestyle is methodi- asked whether banking on Herath is the right But Rangana Herath, who bowled and perse- cal. move looking into the future. He also suggested vered until Sri Lanka had beaten England in the There was an opportunity for him to earn that for the second Test at P.Sara a particular leg- opening Test match, has to find a place in his some money by playing league cricket in spinner should be tried and in fact fired a call to country’s all-time side. the player’s agent to find his whereabouts. (We As England sought a target of 340, in vain, England in the Staffordshire League in 2009 and believe that player agents should be avoided like Herath passed ten wickets in the match. It doesn’t a plague and it’s a pity that SLC considers them sound a fantastic feat, not for a spinner in Asia, but it was still enough to seal Herath’s notional important) place in his national history. But what happened the following day is histo- The offspinner in Sri Lanka’s all-time Test XI ry. Herath bowled Sri Lanka to a sensational win can only Muttiah Muralitharan. He took ten wick- as Pakistan collapsed losing their last eight wick- ets in a Test 22 times – far more than anyone else ets for 47 runs. That set the tone for a historic in the annals. Yes, Murali with his 800 Test wick- first ever home series win against Pakistan. ets merits the offspinner’s spot. “I honestly didn’t think But Herath kept on chipping away, as he has for that I would be called up for most of his 34 years. Ok, England donated to him that game. But I guess that I several wickets in their first innings, what with had done the sensible thing their predetermined sweeps and misjudgments in by giving the selectors a let- playing back, but ter before leaving to Herath still bagged England. Once I got the call six. to be in Colombo at the earli- And when the est possible, it was all about pressure was on getting the right mindset to him – when play the game. To win that Jonathan Trott Test and be the Man of the Match was absolutely eased to his sensational,” Herath went onto add. century, using all the Sangakkara heaped praise on Herath as well patience on that occasion. “All credit should go to and men- Rangana, who has been a magnificent performer tal disci- in domestic cricket and even in Test cricket pline whenever he has got an opportunity,” which he has at Sangakkara added. his command, and which BY REX CLEMENTINE he departed to England. But before leaving, he Herath has not looked back since. Although he so few of his colleagues met the selectors and gave them a letter saying called his match winning heroics in Galle to com- have possessed this winter – Country’s one of the most respected crick- that if at all his services were required, he is ever plete a 75 run win against England on Thursday Herath hung in, doggedly, and eters, Kumar Sangakkara once called Rangana willing to come home. his most memorable moment in his cricket life, never let England run away. Herath ‘the work horse’ of the team. Now that he While in England, Herath attended every for Sri Lankan supporters however the historic When the breakthrough came, it was made has emerged as country’s premier bowler, we match that Sri Lanka played in the T-20 World Durban win last December is hard to forget. by Herath as well as a wonderful piece of field- should talk about his other virtues as well and Cup travelling frequently to Nottingham and After the World Cup triumph and that Test ing by his short-leg fielder. When Matt Prior how tough the rise for him has been having rep- London from his base close to Manchester. Those swept the left-arm spinner, Thirimanne win at The Oval in 1998, the Durban Test of 2011 resented two unfashionable entities – Maliyadeva mattered took notice of Herath’s loyalty to Sri moved to his right and swallowed the ball is Sri Lankan cricket’s other greatest moment. Vidyalaya and Moors SC. (Only two seasons back Lankan cricket. Little would he have realized that with his stomach as much as his hands. Herath or Cheese kota, as we fondly call him at he left Moors after an association of 14 years in two weeks time he himself would be playing Once again, perseverance proved to be after the club got demoted) the press box, will be remembered for that for not the most important attribute of a spinner. for the country? Loyalty and perseverance are two virtues of Just 48 hours prior to the opening Test Match even the great Muralitharan was able to win us a Herath hung in until his luck turned – Test in South Africa. and England’s faintest hopes turned to Herath that we should admire. between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle, the same substance as the surface of Galle’s pitch. Even though this was the first time Herath had taken ten wickets in a Test, only Murali and Chaminda Vaas – the left- arm medium-pacer who will open the bowling for SL paddlers Sri Lanka’s all-time XI – has taken a ten-wicket Broad pulls out Brazil’s lower house passes Test haul more often, and Vaas did it twice. Herath is now third in Sri Lanka’s list of all- time wicket-takers, after Murali and Vaas. Only of Sri Lanka tour key WCup bill, finally in final Lasith Malinga indeed, who will open the bowling for the all-time XI, dreadlocks flapping, has taken with calf strain Sri Lanka beat 100 Test wickets apart from these three. BY TALES AZZONI sale of alcohol inside stadiums, currently Trinidad and The fact is that bowling spin in Sri Lanka is GALLE, Sri against the law in Brazil but demanded by Tobago 3-2 in hard work, fit only for those who persevere. The Lanka (AP) — SAO PAULO (AP) — The lower house FIFA. pitches turn, for sure, but the soil means the ball the semi finals England of Brazil’s Congress on Wednesday finally The approved legislation doesn’t specif- comes slowly off the track – and most of your of the World Twenty20 cap- passed a bill giving FIFA the guarantees ically authorize alcohol sales, but the gov- opponents have learned to belt spinners from Table Tennis tain Stuart needed to organize the 2014 World Cup. ernment says other articles in the legisla- their earliest schooldays. The Congress approved the bill after tion mean it can meet FIFA’s requirement. Team It is no disgrace that England could not chase Broad has pulled out of several delays which had raised concerns Opposition lawmakers tried to veto the Championships down 340. It was a disgrace that they could not bat about whether Brazil could fulfill the com- sale of alcohol at venues but were defeat- for 50 overs at their first attempt, which was when the team’s tour (5th Div) in mitments it made to FIFA when it accept- ed.