Tuesday 15th August, 2006 19 by Renuke Wijayawardhane argue that if Bandara was included in hat makes a great Test match? the team Sri Lanka would not have had Under-15 Division IV cricket Good batting, clever bowling, to battle it’s tooth and nail to win the Wmemorable fightbacks, series. enthralling moments, two teams battling Who’s getting bored If Chaminda Vaas’ resurgence in bat- Who’s getting bored ting in the recent past was a revelation it out of their skins, well, the list can be Seethawaka MV endless. But above all a great Test match the same cannot be said about his bowl- is a statement for maintaining stan- ing. He has only taken 17 wickets in his dards, something unique to Test cricket. last 8 tests at 39.64 - hardly the kind of It should build up the momentum, allow performance expected from the coun- going great guns it to grow on you slowly and then bring try’s premier paceman. The same with Test cricket? applies to Farveez Maharoof. Although by Reemus Fernando it to a climax, creating a lasting memory with Test cricket? he has shown good temperament in his thereafter. To me, that’s what a great If you are measuring the batting, his record is hardly impressive Test match is all about. If Edgebaston stances. From a comfortable 94 for 1 they overall performance of the team as well. strengths of new school cricket sides 2005 was the greatest Test match of all when it comes to his main task, bowling. slumped to 201 for 5. Then came another One cannot be found fault with for draw- then the new kids on the block time, P. Saravanamuttu 2006 has to be recovery and by lunch on the 5th day ing a parallel between Mahela Maharoof has only taken 12 wickets in Seethawaka MV Awissawella would the greatest involving Sri Lanka. they were breathing comfortably at 333 Jayewardene and Ricky Ponting at this his last 9 tests at a costly average of come first in your list this season as The second Test between Sri Lanka for 6, just 19 runs short with 4 wickets in stage. They are both dynamic, natural 53.66. Comparatively Lasith Malinga and they are going from strength to and South Africa played at P. hand. However there was one final twist leaders who have a very positive Dilhara Fernando have come up with Saravanamuttu stadium had it all. A to this saga. South Africa made a spec- approach towards their game. Both of improved performances in the bowling strength having completed their first masterful innings from a rejuvenated tacular comeback after lunch, which saw them lead from the front and refuse to department. round matches of the Inter School Sri Lankan captain, an exhibition of 3 wickets falling as the suspense reached compromise. As frontline batsmen they It is a question of realizing your main Under-15 Division IV,unbeaten. While quality spin bowling by a genius, an a climax. Ultimately it was left to the Sri can be aggressive and also be reliable at role in the team and living upto it. It scoring over 300 runs in an innings in excellent spell of fiery pace bowling by Lankan last pair to score the winning the same time. would be unwise to get the supplemen- three out of four matches, they did the 2nd ranked bowler in the world, a runs, which they did to seal off a memo- Of course a Sri Lankan victory is a tary roles mixed up with the primary well in the bowling department as display of attacking batting by the mid- rable win. The beauty of this Test match near impossibility without a big contri- task of a player. It is fine to improve well to record two outright victories dle order batsmen of both sides result- was that the winner was revealed only at bution from Muttiah Muralitharan. He your batting as a bowler/bowling all and two first innings wins. ing in three fantastic century partner- the very last moment. continues to torment the South rounder, but not at the cost of your pri- While right arm paceman Aloka ships, breathtaking slip catching in the The only sad part in this match was Africans. 104 out of his 657 test victims mary chore, which is penetrative bowl- Malshan has been the bowling spear- dying moments of the game and to cap it that there was only one winner who took happen to be South Africans; this clearly ing. This is one difference we see head for Awissawella lads with a rich between the Australians and others. The all scores over 300 runs in each of the it all in the end. Perhaps a tie would shows the weakness in their batting haul of 24 wickets in four matches, Aussie bowlers, such as Shane Warne four innings of the match - all contribut- have been a more fitting result for the against quality spin bowling. But the big skipper Sachith Wickramasinghe was and Brett Lee in particular, have ing to a classic Test match. simple reason that both sides did not question is for how long are we going to the chief anchor bat with a tally of In terms of suspense and drama this improved their batting whilst maintain- deserve to lose such an enthralling con- rely on Muali to win Test matches? Are over 300 runs. Test match has to be right up there. It test. If Test cricket could maintain the we expecting Murali to bowl 80 overs in ing their standard in bowling. Paceman Malshan picked up eight saw fortunes fluctuating from one team kind of standard that we saw at P. Sara each Test? What about support for him? Upul Tharanga should realize his wickets and ten wickets in their to the other in a fascinating manner. It stadium, it is not difficult to create a In this context the selection of worth in the team and adjust his game matches against Dudley Senanayake was an absorbing and a gripping contest mass appeal towards Test cricket, which Prasanna Jayewardene as the wicket according to the situation. Building a and Dharmaraja Vidyalaya, where both teams refused to give up is dwindling rapidly in this country. Test keeper will come into close scrutiny. It is Test innings is not all about trying to from hopeless positions on many an cricket, in this form, is no longer boring. doubtful whether his wicket keeping is launch a rollicking start. And at the Piliyandala respectively to guide occasion. First it was South Africa who If there was one man who was any better than Kumar Sangakkara’s. same time he should realize that there is them to outright victories. recovered from 70 for 4 to 361 all out. responsible for bringing this win for Sri Jayewardena had a few lapses in the two a way of treating different bowlers. You Right hander Wickramasinghe hit Then Sri Lanka followed suit – from a Lanka it had to be the captain Mahela Tests and his glove work behind the don’t treat Makhaya Ntini the same way a fine century (against Dharmaraja precarious 85 for 5 they ended up with Jayawardene. In terms of value his mas- stumps was also rather untidy. The rea- you treat Kabir Ali. Vidyalaya) and two half tons in his 321. In the second innings South Africa terful 123 in the second innings of this son for this may be the lack of consis- The Ashes 2005 was a fine example as tally of over 300 runs. were sitting pretty at one stage when Test match can be rated even higher tent exposure at this level. In spite of his to how Test cricket should be played. they were 119 for 1, a healthy lead of 159 than the 374 he scored at the SSC in the substantial contribution with the bat The 2nd Test between Sri Lanka and Beat Dudley Senanayake College outright runs with 9 wickets in tact, during the 1st Test. His consistency in the recent one feels that Prasanna Jayewardene’s South Africa was also in the same SCORES afternoon session on the 3rd day. past has been a revelation. It is refresh- inclusion in the team has upset the bal- league. As this match amply demonstrat- Seethawaka MV 346 for 8 in 34 overs (Nuwan However they were restricted to 311. Sri ing to see that Mahela is finally living ance composition of the side. It has defi- ed, Test cricket, when it's played in this Shanaka 58, Aloka Malshan 84, Denuwan Rangana Lankans were set a winning target of upto his true potential. The impact of nitely prevented the inclusion of ferocity and competitiveness, can hold 58, R. Samadi 35; M.A.U. Kavinda 2/38) 352, a daunting task under any circum- Mahela’s brilliance is mirrored in the Malinga Bandara in the team. Some the audiences thoroughly absorbed even Dudley Senanayake 91 in 30 overs (K.G.D. for a period as long as five days. Kaushalya 24; Aloka Malshan 3/20, Nipun Theekshana 2/02, Denuwan Rangana 2/02) and 90 in 27 overs (M.A.K. Kavinda 20; D.P.S. Wickramasinghe 4/15, Aloka Malshan 5/34) SLC Cricket Academy Beat Dharmaraja Vidyalaya, Piliyandala SCORES beats fighting Victorian The greatest Seethawaka MV 306 for 8 in 34 overs (Chanaka The greatest Welikala 58, K.D.S. Perera 21, Sachith Wickramasinghe 118, Mohamed Ramesh 20, Aloka Cricket Academy Malshan 20, K. Lakmal 2/40, I. Sampath 2/59, K.