Wednesday 19th August, 2009

Mahela on par with Gary Sobers with 26 hundreds Jack of all trades thrilled with his effort Rex Clementine consolidate after reporting from

Tillekeratne Dilshan is a unique cricketer in the sense that whatever the requirement of the team, he’s there to fit in and does a terrific job Dilshan hits record breaking 50 too. Having batted the whole of his Test career at number five, six or seven, he was provided with an Rex Clementine ing and opportunity to open the innings yes- reporting from Galle departing in the very next over, terday due to his success in the Dilshan didn’t hold back any shorter versions of the game in illekeratne Dilshan is in punches playing each ball on recent times and like he proved the form of his life that its merit and denying the New while keeping in the Test Tno new role is too big for Zealanders further advantage. series against , there seems him. Before the start of the last His counterattack took the nothing that’s impossible for the 32- series, he was asked to keep Kiwis by complete surprise as year-old. wickets, where he did more they would have expected the He bats in the middle order, than a commendable job and batsman to be cautious having fields anywhere, keeps wickets, on this occasion opening bat- seen the fall of early wickets, bowls tidy off-spin and is even able ting, he hit the fastest half-cen- but Dilshan would have none of to open in a Test Match! Is tury by a Sri Lankan as the it cutting and pulling with bru- there anything that’s left for the hosts reached a strong 293 for tal power, not to forget those dashing right-hander to complete in three wickets after being asked drives which were timed to per- his Test career? “I have done almost to bat in overcast conditions fection. everything in Test up to here at the Galle International Dilshan took just 30 deliver- now. The only think that I now need Stadium on the opening day of ies for his half- and to do is to open bowling and will see the opening Test Match against broke a record that had stood whether I can do that too. Certainly . for 23 long years. Former cap- this is the best phase of my cricket It was a day where New tain held career and I am enjoying it,” Zealand’s limitations were the record for the fastest half- Dilshan told journalists yesterday badly exposed as after century by a Sri Lankan when after hammering a thrilling 92 in 72 Dilshan’s heroics, Mahela he reached the milestone in 31 balls. Jayawardene grounded the deliveries in 1986 in Kanpur Dilshan who broke the Sri against and Dilshan Lankan record for the fastest half- required one ball less than the century, reaching the milestone in former . Incidentally, 30 deliveries, could have had the Ranatunga’s half-century had fastest hundred by a Sri Lankan too, come with him batting at num- but that was cut short by a Ian ber seven while Dilshan did it O’Brien that bowled him off the new ball while the off the edge. Kiwis were on top. None of the “I am Disappointed in getting bowlers were spared by Sri Lankan batsman hits a ball as New Zealand keeper Brendon out for 92 after doing so well. That Dilshan, who was particularly McCullum looks on during the first day’s play of the first match between Sri Lanka and would have been my ninth Test hun- harsh on Ian O’Brien, who con- New Zealand in Galle, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009. (AP Photos/Eranga Jayawardena) dred. I generally don’t think that I ceded 40 runs in his first spell. am in the 90s or that we are four or After lunch, five wickets down when I am bat- O’Brien had some con- SCOREBOARD ting. If there’s a lose ball I would go solation when Dilshan who was for it. What happened today was chopped one onto his Sri Lanka Innings Mathews, N. Kulasekara, A. that I was too early on that shot,” he on 108*, acknowledges the stumps to be dismissed crowd at the end of the first Mendis, M. Muralitharan, T. said. nine short of a T. P’vitana c McCullum b Martin 0 Thushara. “I would say it’s much easier to day of the first Test cricket well deserved hundred. match between Sri Lanka and T.M. Dilshan b O’Brien 92 Bowling: Martin 15-2-59-2, open. There’s not much of pressure He needed just 72 deliv- as an opener. When you lose a few New Zealand, in Galle, Sri K. S’kkara c Flynn b Martin 8 O’Brien 14-1-90-1 (1w), Oram 7- eries for his 92 and dur- wickets it’s not easy to bat at num- Lanka, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009. M. Jayawardene 108 1-25-0, Vettori 24-5-48-0, Patel ing the knock hit 12 T. Samaraweera not out 82 15-1-60-0, Ryder 3-1-9-0. ber six or seven. Now with hardly boundaries and a six, a Extras: (1b, 1lb, 1w) 3 Toss: New Zealand. any pressure I can play my natural hook over deep back- Kiwi attack posting his 26th TOTAL: (for three wickets) 293 Umpires: D. Harper, (Aus), N. game and play my shots. I feel a lot ward square leg off Test hundred and passed 8500 Overs: 78. Llong, (Eng). comfortable opening the innings. O’Brien. career runs, by far the most by Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-16, 3-134. Third umpire: A. de Silva, (SL). It’s difficult to go for shots batting He also missed out a Sri Lankan. He was involved Still to bat: P. Jayawardene, A. Match referee: A. Pycroft, (Zim). in the middle order as you know in an unfinished 159 run stand on the fastest Test hun- that you are the last recognized dred by a Sri Lankan, a with for ture, the entertainment didn’t India’s . batsmen and also when you come in record held by Mahela immaculate 167, widely consid- the fourth wicket as Sri Lanka cease, as with sheer elegance, Thilan Samaraweera on the at number six the field is spread out Jayawardene, who reached the ered his best knock in Test looked set to consolidate on Jayawardene went onto post other end looked solid with an and it’s difficult,” he said explain- landmark in 81 deliveries cricket when this venue hosted day two. his third hundred against New unbeaten 82 that came in 167 ing the roles of opening the innings against in 2001 at its first Test Match. It was Jayawardene’s knock Zealand and the fifth at this deliveries with 11 boundaries. and batting in the middle order. SSC. After Dilshan had taken Incidentally it was also against that gave the Sri Lankans the venue by pulling O’Brien for Jayawardene meanwhile hit 14 the momentum away from the New Zealand and such was his edge, but it was Dilshan who four. His 26th career Test hun- boundaries. Play was delayed Kiwis and with the bowlers dominance on that occasion 11 certainly gave them momen- dred equaled Sir Gary Sobers’ by 90 minutes due to overnight lacking penetration, years ago that the next best Bolt through tum in his new role as opener. career Test hundreds and rain and ended 25 minutes Jayawardene cashed in at a individual score was Nathan Despite witnessing from the Jayawardene now shares the before schedule due to bad BERLIN (AP) - Looking for his second venue where he has many fond Astle’s 53 as the Kiwis crashed none-striker’s end Tharanga joint tenth place for most num- light. Play will resume today at gold medal of the world championships, memories. It was here he post- to an innings and 16 run defeat. Paranavithana fall for no score ber of century markers, a posi- 15 minutes before schedule at Usain Bolt easily advanced to the sec- ed his maiden Test hundred, an Even after Dilshan’s depar- ond round of the 200 metres Tuesday. in the third ball of the morn- tion he shares with Sobers and 9:45 am. Two days after setting a world record of 9.58 seconds to win the 100, Bolt was sleepy coming into the stadi- um and still set the early morning the complexion of the innings. A by Trevor Chesterfield alight by winning his heat, even though master at batting with soft hands his 20.70 was 1.40 off his world record. Galle: New Zealand seam Kiwis lament lack of pressure gave the Kiwis a taste of what was “All right,” was all the biggest star of bowler Chris Martin was quick to to follow. The was his fifth the championships said of his perform- pay a tribute to former Sri Lanka century at this Galle venue and a ance. captain Mahela Jayawardene after repeat of his 167 against the same Bolt was as short on words as on the first day of the opening Test after early breakthrough visitors when the ground was antics. Even his playacting was sub- opened as a Test venue in June dued, putting both hands to his cheeks yesterday. changed. With Iain O’Brien bowl- declined to admit that it was in the hunt at least. 1998. and pushing his head into them to show Martin, who surpassed Danny ing loose and failing to hit the right O’Brien’s bowling which let the Dilshan’s innings of 92, ended Jayawardene’s style has how sleepy he was. Morrison’s record of 160 wickets length as well as line, the pressure tourists’ down at a crucial stage of with a loose attempt to cut a ball always been one to admire and In the absence of injured defending with two quick dismissals after Sri of the two early wickets and the the first, shortened session. He too close to his body and the champion Tyson Gay, Bolt is the over- the way he handled the task of Lanka had been asked to bat fol- reason why New Zealand captain gave away 40 runs in four overs result was O’Brien earning a wick- whelming favourite for gold. British rebuilding the innings under pres- lowing a 90 minute delay because Daniel Vettori decided to ask Sri and from that point the pressure et he had not deserved at any sprinter Dwain Chambers also pulled sure is an example of his cool of rain at Galle International, left Lanka to bat first, was lost. needed was gone. stage of the Sri Lanka innings. It out of the event through injury after style of play. no doubt in the minds of those “The idea had been to create O’Brien’s only success was was a matter of Dilshan’s stand finishing sixth in the 100 final. As for the rest, the Kiwis didn’t who cared to listen how it was the early pressure,” said Martin who through an error if batting judge- and deliver, anchored as he was bowl with the same sort of pres- calm approach by Jayawardene collected the two wickets within a ment. This is where O’Brien, being on this occasion to the crease. sure you would expect with two who rescued his side. matter of 12 deliveries. “This didn’t thumped around the venue The ball caught the edge and can- early wickets; and later, as the ball Hashan’s mother-in-law Martin’s pace and ability to get quite work out that way as through some handsome and noned into the stumps and the grew softer, it became a more diffi- sideways movement placed early Jayawardene arrived and the way flamboyant strokes by new opener century as the Seela passes away cult to build any type of pressure pressure on Sri Lanka with a wick- he batted showed us why he is Tillekeratne Dilshan. And how he incarnate became elusive. Before Mrs. Seela Singhabahu, the and allowed Sri Lanka to end well et with the third ball of the opening such a classy batsman.” made the tourists suffer in a short- committing hari-kari, his cuts, pulls mother-in-law of former Test cap- in front with four days and 12 ses- over of the game as he removed “We needed another early ened pre-lunch spell because of and drives and working the ball tain Hashan Tillekeratne passed sions remaining. Tharanga Paranavithana. And wicket at that stage as the ball rain. The bowlers who delivered around with assured hands gave away in the early hours of yester- Jayawardene’s century, and when Kumar Sangakkara fell at was doing a bit and there was anything too straight, or short and him the chance to dominate as he day (Tuesday). Her remains lie at elegant pull to leg, off O’Brien was the end of the third over, the Kiwis enough moisture to help us but it even slightly adrift of a good thrilled a thin crowd, mainly 41/5, Vidyalawatarouma Mawatha, an example of success by the were well pleased with their initial didn’t quite work the way we length were made to pay for their because of the rain at the start. Piliyandala. The funeral will take batsman and concern by bowler efforts. planned.” blemishes as they lost the accura- Yet as Martin admitted, the place at 4 p.m. at Thumbowila, who really hand no answer to the But then Jayawardene arrived Like all good teammates, he cy needed to keep New Zealand arrival of Jayawardene changed Piliyandala Cemetery. She was 61 and the image of the game batsman’s skill in scoring runs. at the time of her demise.

Wednesday 19th August, 2009