Records Can Be Broken . . . Even After 60 Years
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Monday 18th August, 2008 15 was not to hit square as it sets the batsman up for an lbw decision. Others though failed to read him well and their big mistake is that they didn’t pass on what they had Records can be broken . learnt to other members of the team. But with his experience of fac- ing Ramadhin, Hutton read Jack Iverson by far the easiest of the England batsmen on the 1950-51 even after 60 years tour. There had been though a cer- tain doubt about Ramadhin’s action and why he kept his sleeves but- Facts count not fiction toned. Yet, contrary to what appeared t has, Yahaluweni, become quite war that has found its way into any in a recent story on Ramadhin in a an interesting conundrum. number of books of quotations of local daily last week, his mystery I the game. web was unravelled in Australia in Yet, media hype being what it is ‘ . The curious thing is that it 1951-52, not England in 1957. The there is certain sensationalism attracts the incompetents as well as facts are that the Australian bats- about breaking records that obfus- those who cannot make a run and men had few problems with the cates how the record broken had cannot bowl, and yet, doomed to Trinidadian born Indian bowler. He first been established. dreary waiting in the managed only 13 wickets for 642 Anyway, before Sir The Chesterfield pavilion and fatiguing runs and his average of 49.38; it Alec Bedser’s name fielding they turn up meant that he was hardly an enig- cropped up on the gog- Files punctually on every ma to the Australians. gle box, it is doubtful occasion, hoping at Johnnie Moyes, a formed state whether Ajantha best, and even, such is player and famed radio commenta- Mendis or half of Sri the human heart’s tor, noted in his book of the tour Lanka for that matter buoyancy, expecting that by the time of the fifth Test of had heard of, or even it.’ the series, played in Sydney, remembered, the Remembering Ramadhin had lost confidence. His name of the former Bedser from the short figures were one for 102 in 32 overs great England Test 1946/47 MCC tour of in the second innings of that Test bowler. Or really knew New Zealand, and where bush fires and humidity of the sixty-two year- again in 1950-51, he reduced both sides to low first old record. struck a chill and a innings totals. When the big fear within that the On that tour, he toiled his way Surrey seamer estab- Kiwis wouldn’t sur- through 220 eight-ball overs for lished it, there was no vive. To a point, they meagre returns which suggests that great price placed on did, but the man the Australian batsmen, notably such achievements – knighted some two Lindsay Hassett, Arthur Morris, not in 1946. Wounds years ago for his serv- Colin McDonald and Neil Harvey from a lacerating war by Trevor ices to the game, also had worked out the Ramadhin puz- were still very real Chesterfield was the giant who all zle. and rebuilding lives too often troubled The The West Indies on that tour and a creating a future Don as well. also had a vaunted trio in the were more important in those now There is one delivery that Sir famed classic Ws trio (Worrall, distant days. Alec recalls in an interview marking Weekes and Walcott – often referred Interestingly, when questions his 90th birthday when he dis- to as wonderful, wallop and woe). were initially asked about Sir Alec, missed the other Knight, Sir Donald As with Sri Lanka this Indian tour, there was some confusion where in Bradman, on the 1946/47 tour Down the big names were found out and India he established the record. All Under. Bradman, always meticulous, Everton Weekes’ penchant for the it needed was a checklist of the sat and pondered the flight of the hook often had him in trouble game’s history to know that this ball as it swung and seamed and was against the pace and bounce of brilliant seam and swing bowler did- caught in a cunning leg-trap posi- Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall. n’t play in Asia. tion. The recent article erroneously In 1946, Bedser was also making The Don played the delivery over suggested that it was only in his Test debut, ironically against the in his mind and later described it as England in 1957, when Peter May Indians, led by the Nawab of one of the most perfect deliveries he and Colin Cowdrey (later Lord Pataudi (Snr), with the third game of had faced in his career. Cowdrey of Tonbridge) who had that series heavily affected by rain. Mendis with 26 wickets at 18.38 worked him out with pad and bat It suggests that he would have taken tells its own story. The highest num- play. What is fact is the change in more wickets than 24. ber of wickets in a three-match Test law that particular batting exhibi- A big man, his massive hands series to beat Sir Alec’s long-stand- tion achieved. made the ball appear as small as an ing record, set against India in Strategies of course don’t egg. He swung the ball and seamed it England in 1946 when Walter always work the way they are with sublime skill and precision that Hammond captained England. It is a Sir Alec Bedser planned, but in the case of Sri impressed Sir Donald Bradman great start to a Test career. Lanka and India, it also seems that when he toured Australia in 1946/47. Yet the mentoring that looking for answers that need to be players. It suggests that the big three by playing on the Mendis riddle As written in the first of the two Muralitharan (21 wickets at 22.23) worked out. have become predictable in their from the Asia Cup campaign, it books about himself and his identi- gave Mendis cannot be ignored in Yet, despite Sehwag’s batting approach to the game. worked well. cal twin Eric, the first Test of that this last series against India. strategy in both innings, Mendis They tried to play him by hitting Of India’s top six batsmen, 1946 series at Lord’s was only the The other aspect is that Sri managed ten wickets in that Galle him square off the pads, not as did Mendis dismissed Dravid four second Test he had watched. The Lanka used only five bowlers during match and explains the niche in Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir or VVS times; Laxman five times (two lbw); first had been in 1936 when India the series while India used six, which he now finds himself. Sehwag Laxman by hitting straight, off the Gambhir three times (twice lbw) were the touring side and the first although Sehwag and Ganguly were though read the spinner off the pitch. There is a big difference. and Tendulkar once. This gives Test was at Lord’s, where he had called on as light relief and the pitch and took the fight to him. You Sir Leonard Hutton discovered him 13 of his record 26 wickets, been a spectator, taken to see the absence of Ishant Sharma from can guarantee that he will face simi- this with the West Indian Sonny while Muralitharan cleaned up game by his parish vicar. bowling in the Sri Lanka second lar treatment when he meets the Ramadhin. Here is the original Ganguly and Tendulkar more Noted English writer, author and innings may or may not have caused Australians: Michael Clarke and post-World War II mystery spinner, often. commentator John Arlott wrote a difference. Mike Hussey will have picked up on and he realised there is a major dif- It is the pressure which counted about the tour in a slim volume India though, need to look at this and will do something similar. ference between pad and bat play and this is where the bowling fig- titled ‘Indian Summer’ where the their future, especially as the youth But it is the way the Sri Lankans and playing him off the pitch. ures show a certain consistency story of the Test series is recorded policy, to an extent, failed in the went about attacking the Indian In 1950, Hutton, a master techni- and underlines Mahela in Arlott’s early style prose. There is Asia Cup and now the seniors have middle order through the double- cian and tactician, took until The Jayawardene’s comments of how one sentence in the book reflecting disappointed in the Tests. There will edged sword of spin that created Oval Test to fathom out the spin the strategic plan worked. the game after the years of Hitler’s be a lot of thinking going on and doubt in the minds of the big name mystery of Ramadhin. The secret email: [email protected] Uva in search of past glory while celebrating 100 years of rugby by Farook Lantra rugby standards declined which result- ed in them being relegated to the Up- The Uva Club is a famous rugby Country League’ B Division tournament playing club in the country, with a in 1977. proud history stretching back from 1908 According to Belantha Silva (Uva to 1970 which not only matched up to Club rugby captain 1991) and present clubs like Havelocks, CR & FC, Army President, Uva Province Rugby Union, CH & FC, Police, Dimbulla and Dickoya, under his leadership the club entered to but beat those clubs several times in the play ‘A’ in the Division Segment II past.