Supreme Court Orders Release of Alleged Mastermind
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Wednesday 13th July, 2011 For example at Lord’s, there was this sce- might be ahead of the game, they were England captain David Gower hopes in vain as his Sri Lankan nario where England thought they could either able to bat their way out of trouble counterpart Duleep Mendis takes on Ian Botham in the 1984 afford to declare their second innings on or bowl their way out of trouble.” Lord’s Test. the final day, setting an improbable tar- Although Michael Holding was still been strong enough to say, get of 342 runs in five and a half playing, Malcolm Marshall was the quick- “look, I understand what you hours. est of the West Indian bowlers by then say, but surely we should bat But Gordon Greenidge had other and Headingley was a bizarre Test for and I am going to bat.” It ideas, smashing 214 off 242 deliver- him. Marshall had fractured his left was my decision. At the ies, the third highest score at thumb on the first day of the match, while end of the day on the team Lord’s at that time, after Don fielding. He had been advised 10 days rest, sheet it’s in front of my Bradman and Walter Hammond. but he batted one handed to help Larry name that the asterisk is West Indies cruised to a nine Gomes to his hundred and later picked up there as the captain. It was wicket win at the end to take a 2- career best figures of seven for 53, as West my decision, whoever who 0 lead and total psychological Indies took an unassailable 3-0 lead. gives you advice. Former advantage. “We dismissed them for a relatively England captain, Chairman “At Lord’s, we were able to at low score at Headingley.But Malcolm of Selectors, it’s my deci- least declare, a luxury not Marshall, bless him, one of the most love- sion. I regret doing that. afforded elsewhere. In fact, what ly blokes ever to play the game, he man- Obviously, the ball didn’t I do remember is that Peter May, aged to bowl us out with a broken hand. swing and Sidat batted very who was the Chairman of Luckily for them, that was the wrong well and we got off to a very Selectors, was keen that we hand. That just shows you their capacity bad start at the end of the declared early, which would at that time. They were dominating.” day.” have been quite right by the Sidat Wettimuny, opening maths of the 1960s, but obvious- the batting went onto score a ly not right by the maths of career best 190 and there 1980s. But I was more than dis- were contributions from mayed at how easily they got it. Duleep Mendis who scored a It was an absolute trouncing.” hundred and Arjuna Gower never peaked during Ranatunga, who scored 84 the series, managing just two (Amal Silva scored a hun- half-centuries in 10 innings. dred in the second innings). Was he mentally drained? “I am Gower’s tactics during the game were questioned as he placed three slips and a gully and got his bowlers to pitch it up, expecting Wettimuny to be caught behind the wicket while playing the drive. The tactics were persevered with well into the third session of day one, but Wettimuny kept on getting runs, driving. “I don’t remember what we said before the game or what discussions we had, but let’s face it. If you are putting a side in expecting the ball to swing when you have people like Botham in the team, what’s wrong in trying that? The clas- sic Botham dismissal is away from the right-hander and your slips come to play. That was the hope I had,” he said. “But if the ball doesn’t swing, you don’t get people caught in the slips. Sidat did play very well. I have no worries Former England captain dur- about giving Sidat absolute praise. For him it was a very special innings. For Sri ing Sri Lanka’s first tour to that Lanka, it was a very special Test match. country recounts the historic It wasn’t just him; there were Mendis and Silva and others. That was, however, a Test match glimpse of Sri Lanka’s future.” afraid the answer is quite obvious. job, but he made a big blunder Sri Lanka declared their first innings It’s very tough as a captain to lose when he put the Sri Lankans in REX CLEMENTINE at 491 for seven, as the hosts struggled. 5-0. It doesn’t happen often to most after winning the toss. However, reporting from Edinburgh Did Gower think at any point that he people,” he said. he claims that the blame for that could lose the Test. “I can’t remember “It did reflect the strengths of shouldn’t be placed at his door. he British press called him ‘lazy’, thinking that we are going to lose the the two teams. We had good play- “Looking back, it’s interesting. but despite that perceived laziness, Test. Only thing that could have gone ers; we had players like for When you have had a tough TDavid Gower scored over 8,000 Test wrong is if spin came into play and if we instance Alan Lamb, who got runs. series like against the West runs and when he retired, he was the played badly. But once the side that has He got a hundred at Lord’s, but if Indies, there’s something not highest run getter and the most capped batted first got a huge total, you have that you look at the power of the West alright. Your thinking, your con- player for his country. scoreboard pressure,” Gower, who went Indian batting and the power of fidence, all these things that help Gower, 54, joined the media soon after onto score a half-century in that Test West Indian bowling, which is still you win games, if they are not retiring and currently is the presenter of match said. the most fearsome attack I have hundred percent, it even things the Sky commentators’ panel, joining The Test ended in a draw with Sri seen and I dare say, we will ever out.” other former England captains such as Lanka taking a first innings lead of 121. see.” “We made one simple error, Sir Ian Botham, Michael Atherton and Were the Sri Lankans the better side on But the Australians, captained by Steve (Marshall died at the age of 43 of cancer). which was asking Sri Lanka to bat. Again, Nasser Hussain. that occasion? “It was a draw you know Waugh were quite ruthless as well, win- After the troubles against the West when you have got a relationship with Gower was elevated to the captaincy that. But the fact is that we were expected ning everywhere and breaking West Indies, the Sri Lankans arrived in London your Chairman of Selectors, where you barely four years after he made his Test to win and it was a draw that was bad for Indies’ record for 16 consecutive Test for a one off Test. The tourists were on have lost a series badly, you are not in the debut when he was 25. He was leading the us. I would always say that in any game wins. “The Australian teams were much their maiden Test tour to England and had same position of strength when it comes side when Sri Lanka toured England for of cricket if you’ve got 22 guys and if close to the West Indies. One salient fea- been in the big league for just over two to a discussion as to what has to be done.” their maiden Test match in that country someone plays well, you should be able to ture in the Australian sides was Warne. years and didn’t have some of their stal- Did Peter May, England’s Chief and the lead up for the one off Test wasn’t give credit to the people who played well. But the truth is West Indies hardly ever warts who had been banned after touring Selector, influence Gower’s decision to put ideal, as England suffered the first ever After all, that’s what the game is all needed a Warne. When Holding, Roberts, apartheid South Africa. Did Gower Sri Lanka in? “I can promise you it was ‘blackwash’ at the hands of the mighty about. “ Croft, Garner, Marshall and the rest of breathe easy? one of those mornings where at the nets West Indians. Having seen lot of cricket, which Sri them cleaned up the opposition, you don’t “It wasn’t a question of breathing easy. at the back of the ground, our bowlers “In brief, that series was a bit of a mis- Lankan does he rate the best? “It has to need a Warne.” But the Sri Lanka were a very different were swinging the ball everywhere and match,” Gower told ‘The Island’. “The be Mahela Jayawardene. I just like the Although the results suggest so, side to the West Indies. We were expected Peter May was watching that and he said relative strengths of the two sides meant way he bats. The pace and the timing are England weren’t quite a mismatch. There to come back from all the disappointment to me, “it will be a good day to bowl today.” that the West Indies were largely in com- simply too good.