Bengal registered a close 17-run victory over Bihar in their RanjiTrophy one-day match at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, on Tuesday.Winning the toss, Bengal skipper Rohan Gavaskar elected to bat first.It looked like his batsmen were out to prove him wrong when the firsttwo wickets fell with just 17 runs on the board. Arindam Das andGavaskar then put on a mini-partnership of 72 runs before the latterwas dismissed for 28.Das also departed soon, for 42 made off 72 balls. Only knocks in thethirties from Soumen Singh, Sanjib Sanyal and Lakshmi Rattan Shuklasaw Bengal cross the 200-run mark.Bihar could only respond with 209 from their 50 overs, as all theBengal bowlers, in particular Utpal Chatterjee, bowled with restraintand guile. T Rehman was Bihar’s highest scorer, making 52 off 95balls. Anirban Das was named Man of the Match for his battingperformance.
Cape Town – South Africa’s reliance of the K factor emerged during the WorldCup last year when mostly Lance Klusener engineered victory out of any number ofimprobable situations. On occasions we also had Jacques Kallis embroidering afew fancy touches.At Newlands on Wednesday both combined to give England a double barrel blast inone of the more sensational finishes to a slogs event as we are going tosee in this particular triangular series.And at the end of it all, with four needed off the last ball to win, DarrenGough swings at a Kallis delivery and the best he can gallop is a two as SouthAfrica scrape home by one run.No doubt it will go down in the column of matches won by one run or less insome esoteric book of records and close finishes in LOIs; and yes, for many itwas a tad like the players enclosure being knee deep in chewed finger-nails(yet again). Even the Barmy Army pals were arguing whether or not to singthe “Run, Allan, run …” ditty they love trotting out so much on this tourThis time the refrain might be transferred to “Oh no, Goughie, we needed afour …” as Kallis, man of the match, bowled the last delivery in an over which had even a touch of Shakespearean drama as the finger of fate flicked first England’s way then South Africa’s.In the 49th over bowled by Shaun Pollock, five deliveries went for 16 runs asMark Ealham and Chris Read almost slogged their way into history. Two Pommiewins in this series over South Africa may have triggered an identity crisis.When did England last win consecutive matches is one question which suggeststhey are the sort of side which doesn’t know how to perform such miracles.Read clobbered a six and a four as well as a single as Pollock was pasted allover Newlands. Ealham swung and picked up a boundary. When he swung again andgot a delivery high on the bat (as near to the splice you are going to get) anJonty Rhodes took as pretty a safe catch as you are going to see.Andrew Caddick arrived and Read swung again grabbed a single, facing Kallisand the start of the last over. South Africa’s captain, Hansie Crone, seemed tohave trusted his instincts as well as gut feel on this one and declined tobowl himself or Pieter Strydom. He relied on his front five and backed them andthat was enough. Cronje admitted, though “the game was all too close”.Winning the toss and deciding that reputations being what they are after duskat Newlands batting first was the best option and the best way to turn aroundthat dreadful nine wickets thrashing in Bloemfontein on Sunday.The pitch was about as snail pace as was Goodyear Park in Bloem last Sundayand the outfield even slower than it was during the fourth Test. Boundaries werefar from easy and galloping threes was almost a compulsory exercise. So it wasno mean feat for the likes of Nick Knight to slap the first and Ealham tochalk up the second to bring England that little closer.Building partnerships was far from being an exercise as the slow puncture weexperienced in the South Africa innings all but repeated itself. Kallisknuckled down and built an innings of 43 as he watched the procession ofHerschelle Gibbs, Jonty Rhodes and his captain come and go. There had beenspeculation Rhodes would be ready for the game and he came in at four in theorder with Dale Benkenstein left out as the selectors made three necessarychanges: Mornantau Hayward for Nicky Boje, Rhodes for Benkenstein and Williamsfor David Terbrugge who had such a disappointing game in Bloemfontein.There was the suspicion Terbrugge was in need to a re-evaluation of hisbowling form having missed out at the Wanders and being pushed in against England in Bloemfontein. He should have played in the first game against Zimbabwe at the Wanderers to see what he can do. But the selectors have no doubt now got the idea that it was not a good idea in either Bloem or Newlands.Kallis was run out by an Ealham throw for 43: running slap into the rotundNatal umpire Wilf Diedricks and failing to make good his ground. It was atouch bizarre and ironic.Klusener took over, but as with Kallis runs were not easy: chipping away atold myths and new theories seemed to go hand in glove. He did what he could before the run out.It Kallis did what he could to nurse the total along Klusener looked forpartners to build the innings and take the score past the 200 mark. It was apsychological thing; South Africa needed to get their act together. Klusenerdid it with a typical flourish.What happened next is typical slogs flare. Every time South Africa startedbuilding a total new crisis would arise. On the face of it they were lucky toget to a pick up 200; after that it was a bonus. Gough bowled tidily with swing and seam and awkward angles.While Nasser Hussain went quickly to a peachy delivery; it was a question ofcollecting other wickets. There was some care, stubborn and solid resistancefrom Nick Knight and Graeme Hick with the pair building a partnership of 68.Then the two fell quickly (within in three balls as it were) with Hick fallinglbw to Kallis and Knight getting an edge. The rest of the innings started to lose its drive with some outstanding bowling and fielding which reduced their areas of frustration for South Africa.Chris Adams looked the part of a batsman trying to save the innings butonce he went the charade South Africa kept on plugging away and the result was in doubt until that final delivery – the crowd’s cheering drew attention that either side could win – it was that sort of uncertainty which comes over the game as the bowlers are hard to get away and the batsmen fret about putting runs on the board.England seemed to win and then lose the scent in their quest for runs. As the wickets fell the moon was just that extra too high to reach and Polly and Kallis were that much better than they had been in Bloemfontein.South Africa though proved to on top of the situation and with more slog thannudge and push, England almost got there before Kallis bowled that final over – in the end pushing the hosts into the log lead and silencing the Barmy Army.
West Ham United host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon in what is set to be a major contest in the race for Europe.
Both sides are in the hunt to achieve European qualification at the end of the season, with the hosts one place above their visitors in sixth, as well as having a two-point advantage.
However, the Hammers, who are in shaky form with one Premier League win in their last five outings, face one of the top-flight’s best sides currently, having won five of their last seven league games.
With the contest being a major fixture for the Hammers’ season, it’s crucial that manager David Moyes gets his team selection spot on, and that is why the Scotsman should hand 22-year-old right-back, Ben Johnson, a start against Bruno Lage’s men.
On the chalkboard
The Englishman’s campaign has petered out in recent weeks, having played eight consecutive league matches from October to December, with Johnson not playing for the first time in the top-flight since New Year’s Day last time out against Newcastle United.
With fellow right-back Ryan Fredericks booked in the first half of last Saturday’s 1-1 draw, Johnson was called upon to play the second half to protect the 29-year-old from being sent off.
First-choice right-back Vladimir Coufal is set to spend the next couple of weeks on the sidelines after undergoing groin surgery and therefore there was certainly a claim for the 22-year-old to start in the Czech Republic international’s place.
Whilst in the Hammers side, boyhood fan Johnson was involved in an impressive run of four consecutive victories over Everton, Tottenham, Aston Villa (whom Johnson scored against) and Liverpool which saw the East London outfit consolidate a place in the top-four.
When the 22-year-old has been in the starting lineup, West Ham have lost just two of 17 matches in all competitions, winning 13 of them, a seriously impressive record.
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Dealing with the in-form Rayan Ait-Nouri will be a tricky task, but not one that the right-back isn’t capable of overcoming, particularly after strong performances against both Liverpool and Tottenham, with David Moyes describing his performance against Spurs as “fabulous.”
From a defensive perspective, the full-back is versatile, having played left-back on occasion this term as well as playing at centre-back in an U23s game in August; the 22-year-old also played at left-midfield against Chelsea in December.
West Ham have kept six clean sheets in matches that Johnson has appeared in this campaign and with the right-back’s excellent winning record too, it appears to be a no brainer for Moyes to start the 22-year-old against Wolves on Sunday as the Hammers look to further support their bid for Champions League qualification.
In other news: Sold for £23m, now worth 5x less: West Ham played a blinder with “heated” 32 y/o flop
India Under-19s batsman Sarfaraz Khan, who scored 74 in India’s 79-run win against Ireland in Mirpur, has expressed disappointment at not being able to convert his fifty into a bigger knock. Sarfaraz’s 70-ball effort was the top score in India’s win but the batsman said he would have liked to score around “100-150″ since he had built up a strong start.The rest of India’s top five batsmen managed only 49 runs together as the Ireland bowlers moved the ball around. The repair work was then done by Sarfaraz and Washington Sundar (62) who led India to a competitive 268 for 9 with a partnership of 110. Ireland’s middle order also responded with two fifties but the rest of the batting line-up could not do enough and they were dismissed for 189.”I should have scored more because I had settled in well,” Sarfaraz said. “Hopefully, I will do better in the remaining matches. But it is good to start the tournament with a win.”I am quite sad because I know if you score big in your first match then you carry that confidence to the next game. But whatever has happened, has happened. I can’t keep thinking about it. To do well in the next game is in my control, and I will try to do that. I will try to ensure that the mistakes we did in the last World Cup are not repeated here, and we go on to become the champions.”India captain Ishan Kishan, who got out for a duck in the first over, also rued the shaky start against a side that had lost both its warm-up matches, against Afghanistan and Canada. “I am not that much happy with the batting as we lost early wickets but this was the first match and I am sure we’ll learn from this and do better in upcoming matches,” Kishan said.While Sarfaraz admitted there was “slight pressure” on the team, since it was their first match of the tournament, he stated he was not nervous about his performance and wanted to take his time to settle on a pitch that was assisting the bowlers early on. Sarfaraz was joined by Sundar at the score of 55 for 4 and the duo combined for a stand of 110 runs in 17.2 overs, scoring at more than six runs per over.”The wicket here was seaming a bit initially, but as the wicket improved we got better,” Sarfaraz said. “I had thought of taking my own time and it happened like that. But I thought had I batted for a bit longer I could have achieved a big score of 100-150. But, no problem I will get it next time.”It was a crucial partnership [with Sundar] because we had lost four wickets. He also opens the batting for our team, so I was confident that he would be able to tackle the swing and seam. Our lower order is fine, so we were focused on playing as long as possible.”Does he think India’s openers should change their approach and perhaps curb their attacking shots early on given the seam-friendly nature of the Shere Bangla pitch? It is where India will play their remaining league matches.”The ball will swing, bowlers will do their job, but an individual cannot change his game at this level. Yes, if the batsman understands the situation and plays it is good, but if those shots start connecting then the batsmen following him will have it easy. It depends on the day. Today was my day, it might be the top three’s day tomorrow.”Sarfaraz also agreed that the early jolts were a good reality check for the side. It reminded him of India’s opening match in the last Under-19 World Cup, against Pakistan, where his 74 had helped them recover from 94 for 4. The difference was that against Ireland he was the senior batsman in the partnership, while two years ago he was helped by the more experienced Sanju Samson.”Yes, it was a similar situation, though we were 94 for 4 in that game. After that, Sanju and me pulled the team out. Hopefully, in the upcoming matches, we will do well and qualify. That’s our first aim. We are going match by match.”The change in role meant Sarfaraz had to take on the onus and adapt to the situation, instead of attacking from the moment he arrived at the crease. “I am an attacking batsman, and till last year I was batting at No. 6, so I had to attack [right from the start],” he said. “This year I am batting at No. 4 so I have to take more responsibility and play. Everyone has a role in the team, and my role is to play as long as possible.”With a different approach and mindset, a fitter Sarfaraz was also on display and the batsman attributed it to spending time with Virat Kohli during the IPL days. “It has happened by seeing Virat ,” Sarfaraz said with a laugh. “After playing in IPL, you get to learn new things and you try to implement those things in your overall development. From Virat I have learned how much importance to give my fitness.”
Venkatesh Prasad, India’s bowling coach, expressed confidence in the ability of Sreesanth, following the bowler’s woeful performance in the second Test against England at Trent Bridge.”He’s not exactly struggling, it’s probably a phase,” Prasad said on the eve of India’s match against Sri Lanka A at Grace Road.Prasad admitted Sreesanth’s performance was a worry but showed faith in the youngster’s talent. “We’ve seen him bowl well, and win games in South Africa. I would say it’s a bit of a concern but he’s got all the talent to succeed at this level. He has a fantastic body language, his aggression is great – we’ve been talking about not crossing the line -, the approach to the crease is fantastic, and the seam position is great.”He also defended Sreesanth’s two deliveries – a beamer to Kevin Pietersen and a massive front-foot no-ball – that generated controversy during the Trent Bridge Test. “I’m sure that the full toss just slipped out of his hands – he apologised right there. Probably with the no-ball he could not get the right jump.”Prasad, who had performed well during India’s tour of England in 1996, agreed that Sreesanth needed to focus more on his bowling rather than on-field banter. “I think that’s one area that is of concern. I’ve been talking to him as a bowling coach, one-on-one, but he’s young. We need to respect the game, respect the rules. I as a bowling coach wouldn’t advice anyone to cross the line.” Sreesanth had been fined half his match fee for shoulder-barging Michael Vaughan during England’s second innings at Trent Bridge.However, Prasad was thrilled at the progress made by India’s left-armers, Zaheer Khan and RP Singh. “It was very satisfying at Trent Bridge, in terms of bowlers sticking to the lengths we’ve been talking about. Of course, we did bat extremely well but the bowlers did a tremendous job. There was Zaheer but we shouldn’t be forgetting RP Singh here, he took the crucial wickets of [Kevin] Pietersen and [Matt] Prior which were crucial for the team’s victory.”
Michael Vaughan has signed a new rolling contract with Yorkshire. The deal will become effective as soon as his central contract with England comes to an end.A statement from the club said they were pleased with the improvement on Vaughan’s injured knee, which has kept him out of international cricket for nearly a year: “We very pleased with the progress Michael is making since his operation earlier this year.”Stewart Regan, Yorkshire’s chief executive added: “We fully expect Michael to recover from his operation and are putting our faith in him with a new contract which will kick-in once he leaves the England team. We look forward to having him at Yorkshire for the rest of his first-class career.”Vaughan said: “I have played for Yorkshire since the age of 16 and am delighted to be signing a new contract which gives me the flexibility to remain with the county whilst ever I can play first-class cricket”.Vaughan will undergo another scan on his knee in a week, and a date for his departure for Perth in a bid to be fit for the Ashes will be agreed then. While out there, he will combine playing cricket with fitness training.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were outA double strike by Muthiah Muralitharan just before a torrential rainstorm forced players off the field left Sri Lanka in control after they had built a 182-run lead through painstaking half centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan , Thilan Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene. Bangladesh will start the third day on 36 for 3, still trailing by 146 runs. Their hopes of escaping defeat now rest firmly on the shoulders of their captain Habibul Bashar and the weather gods. This is the monsoon season so Bangladesh do have some hope, although three days of rain is improbable.The major obstacle, of course, was going to be Muralitharan on a track that has started to turn viciously. Earlier in the day, Mohammad Rafique’s made Sri Lankan batsmen worked hard for their runs with his snappy off-spin and picked up 5 for 114 . When Bangladesh started their second innings, it was only a matter of time before Muralitharan got in to the act.Shariar Nafees (13) played Muralitharan well during the one-day series but here he was bamboozled by the doosra. He raised his bat to what he thought was an offspinner but the ball hurried straight on and bowled him between his legs. Mohammad Ashraful was trapped lbw next ball, also padding away the doosra.Earlier, Lasith Malinga had struck with the new ball, somewhat fortuitously, as Javed Omar (nine) glanced down the leg-side. Kumar Sangakkara, who has been razor-sharp behind the stumps, moved quickly to take the ball two-handed.Many had predicted a run fest for Sri Lanka’s batsmen against a weakened Bangladesh attack but the slow and spin-friendly Premadasa pitch ensured that runs were hard to come for the normally free-scoring Sri Lankan batsmen.Bangladesh bowled well, especially Rafique, who made amends for his practice-session outburst last week. All the batsmen treated him warily and during the afternoon he added the scalps of Chaminda Vaas, Rangana Herath and Muttiah Muralitharan to that of Jayawardene in the morning to finish with 5 for 114 from 37 overs.Jayawardene was the only casualty of the morning session, feathering a catch to Khaled Mashud as he tried to cut through the off side. He also provided the most entertainment, stroking seven silky fours and a majestic six over extra cover off Rafique.Jayawardene and Samaraweera added 101 off 225 balls for the fourth wicket, saving Sri Lanka from potential embarrassment after Sangakkara’s fall last evening. Jayawardene eventually departed for 63 from 120 balls, a slow strike by his standards, which only proved the sluggishness of the pitch.
Dilshan started briskly before lunch and tried to be positive too in the afternoon, occasionally dancing down the pitch to drive inside-out through the covers. But he too was forced to be patient and the runs flowed slowly.Eventually, Shahadat Hossain brokethrough when Samaraweera glanced a catch down the legside, ending a 64-run stand. Samaraweera’s four-hour vigil had spanned 198 balls and included just six fours.Rafique kept plugging away and was rewarded with a couple of wickets in the final hour before tea. Chaminda Vaas was sent packing after trying to pad away a delivery that spun back sharply and Herath edged behind while cutting on the stroke of the break.After the break, Dilshan pressed his foot down on the accelerator. Muralitharan strode out confidently, looking for his 1000th run in Test cricket, but then lunged forward lamely and left disappointed. Dilshan cracked a couple of boundaries before being bowled off an ambitious pull.
Sri LankaMahela Jayawardene c Mashud b Rafique 63 (231 for 4) Thilan Samaraweera c Mashud b Hossain 78 (295 for 5) Chaminda Vaas lbw Rafique 5 (306 for 6) Rangana Herath c Mashud b Rafique 13 (337 for 7) Muttiah Muralitharan c Mashud b Rafique 3 (345 for 8) Tillakaratne Dilshan b Rasel 86 (370 for 9) BangladeshJaved Omar c Sangakkara b Malinga 9 (9 for 1) Shariar Nafees b Muralitharan 13 (35 for 2) Mohammad Ashraful lbw Muralitharan 0 (35 for 3)
Twelve countries have assembled in England to contest the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. Wisden Cricinfo takes a look at the teams, their prospects, and some of the names to look out for:
After chopping and changing for most of the summer, West Indies’ one-day team now has a settled look to it, even though they needed to stall for a while before retaining Brian Lara as captain. They have the kind of batting talent that most others can only dream of, while the bowling attack consists of a hotchpotch of the tried, tested and discarded, and the young and eager. It’s not a combination that has been treated kindly in Test cricket, but in the one-day game, short flashes of brilliance can turn matches. With first-hand experience of English conditions this year, and first-round matches against two demoralised opponents, West Indies have more than a ghost of a chance.Man to watch Chris Gayle had always been prone to manic bursts: now, however, he intersperses these with periods of accumulating, and when he bats through an innings, the opposition bowlers know about it all right. Seven of his nine hundreds have resulted in victories, and even the two that got away were scores over 140 that helped the team pass 300. Though Gayle’s lack of footwork still confounds, his remarkable hand-eye coordination more than compensates. But, like the rest of the West Indies side, he has been inconsistent; large hundreds are bracketed by poor scores. His innocuous spin is well utilised, and hugely under-estimated.New kid on the block With bat and ball, there’s a touch of pluck to Dwayne Bravo. He learnt his lessons quickly during the series in England, and impressed experienced players with his attitude and appreciation of the West Indian legacy. His fortunes were inversely proportional to those of his team, but it was clear that in Bravo, West Indies had quite a talent. In the midst of all the carnage, the image of a defiant Bravo remained: defying England’s bowlers, defying England’s batsmen, defying West Indies’ penchant for self-destruction. But defiance isn’t everything – he’ll need allies if West Indies are to progress. Rahul Bhatia
South Africa
For the first time in ten years, South Africa go into a one-day tournament as outsiders, and in the eyes of some, even no-hopers. Ten consecutive defeats in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, where they were largely listless, have left them vulnerable even against Bangladesh. Herschelle Gibbs has managed just one fifty in his last 22 games and no adequate replacements have been found for Gary Kirsten and Jonty Rhodes. To add to their woes, South Africa will face Brian Lara’s West Indies in the plumb tie of the pool, and it was a Lara special at Newlands last year that shoved South Africa towards an early exit from their own World Cup party. But Graeme Smith’s inspirational abilities, a surplus of allrounders – Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock and Nicky Boje – and a certain Jacques Kallis could produce a different script.Man To watch With an average of nearly 66 since the World Cup, Kallis is undoubtably South Africa’s linchpin. He will also have fond memories of this tournament, as he was one of the chief architects of South Africa’s triumph in the very first edition at Dhaka in 1998, when was declared the Man of the Series. Kallis’s 5 for 30 demolished West Indies in the final that day, and he has relished playing against them ever since.New kid on the block Jean-Paul Duminy, 20, could turn out to be South Africa’s surprise weapon in the tournament. Like many of the others, he couldn’t come to grips with the slow and low pitches in Sri Lanka, but the conditions in England will be a sea apart. As a floater in the middle-order and a part-time left-arm spinner, Duminy may be the man to complete the jigsaw. Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
Bangladesh
Still a long, long way from living up to their lofty status, but Bangladesh are far removed from the disjointed rabble who bombed out of the last World Cup with defeats to Kenya and Canada. Under the firm-but-fair guidance of Dav Whatmore, an emphasis on basic discipline and fitness is beginning to pay dividends, and their recent tour of the Caribbean demonstrated that the gap between them and the rest is closing, albeit slowly. The loss of their captain and leading batsmen, Habibul Bashar, is a grievous blow, but it could yet force the rest of a young squad to shelve their indiscretions.Man to watch If Ashley Giles can take 21 wickets on England’s midsummer pitches, then Mohammad Rafique, another spinner flushed with confidence at present, could also pose some significant questions – not least to the same West Indian left-handers who faltered against England this year. Quite apart from his ebullient bowling, Rafique is a tailend biffer who delights in the unorthodox, and has a Test century to his name to prove it.New kid on the block This time last year, 23-year-old Rajin Saleh had not been seen at international level. Now he is captain of Bangladesh, where his abilities are about to be scrutinized by millions on a global stage. It is a daunting prospect, but judging by his fearless approach to batting – he is never afraid to take his share of blows – Saleh is very much equipped for the task ahead. His devotion to physical fitness sets him apart from his peers, and suggests he will lead by example in all aspects of Bangladesh’s development. Andrew Miller
Other Pool previews
Pool A – Aussies remain the team to beat Pool B – Down on their luck Pool C – Pakistan in the ascendancy Pool D – Clash of the resurgents
Nasser Hussain began his captaincy with the press muttering that he was the least-liked player on the county circuit and a self-important brat. Through his obvious passion and his impressive early results he became "the man who put the steel back in English cricket". And by getting out when he did, most commentators agreed that he ended his reign with that reputation intact – just.From the day in 1988 when the England selectors knifed Mike Gatting ascaptain, to Margaret Thatcher’s tearful exit from Downing Street in 1991, Matthew Engel of The Guardian has seen plenty of sporting and political figures take their leave in inglorious style.While bringing characteristic perspective to Hussain’s resignation – "For sheer shock value, I can’t think of anything to match it since Harold Wilson walked out of Downing Street for no obvious reason 27 years ago" – he argues that Hussain got it just about right: "You have to hand it to Nasser. He got out when the going was, if not exactly good, then at least only mildly boggy. He could not leave in triumph – only Mike Brearley has managed that in the modern era – but he went on his own terms and in his own time."Christopher Martin-Jenkins agreed that Hussain’s reputation remained intact, admitting the effectiveness of his Jardine-like determination in The Times: "Hussain was a renowned street-fighter, not especially liked by his opponents, but that has never seemed to bother him. He has continued to give no quarter, missing few tricks on the field and being prepared to apply tactics that were more pragmatic than popular."He has succeeded in bringing to the dressing-room a bloody-mindeddetermination to give nothing away to any opposition. He has stopped the rot and the character that he has brought to a job that has exercised him severely on and off the field for the better part of five years won him an OBE last year."In The Independent, Gus Fraser, a former team-mate of Hussain’s,zeroed in on what he brought to the dressing room: "Through being honest and loyal to those who played under him and by being prepared to defend them and take the flak when it flew, Hussain won his players over."But not everyone thought Hussain had got out in time. For Mike Walters in The Mirror he had become an anachronism who clung on too long: "During his seven-week sabbatical in county cricket, Hussain had watched heir apparent Michael Vaughan plonk two limited-overs trophies on the Lord’s mantelpiece with a dynamic new leadership style of huddles and dressing-room democracy."And while South African openers Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs wereleaving trails of scorched earth across Birmingham, Hussain’s last penny in the fruit machine dropped. His time had come and gone."Nor did everyone tip-toe around the abrasive streak in Hussain’s make up: "He captained his country much as he led his working life, a human volcano constantly on the verge of an eruption,” wrote Derek Pringle in The Daily Telegraph. “Walking away from the job he craved and had invested so much effort in was more painful than any of the broken bones he suffered in the line of duty."But it was perhaps the Financial Times who caught the general mood mostsuccinctly. “He brought passion and a flinty resolve to a team that crumbled too easily… He transformed his team into a tough and combative Test unit capable of vying with all but the untouchable Australians."
Muttiah Muralitharan spun Sri Lanka to their first Test victory against theWest Indies on Saturday in front of a joyous Galle crowd as theinexperienced tourists batting betrayed their lack of confidence against topclass spin.Starting the final day on nine for one, 132 runs behind Sri Lanka, the WestIndies had had high hopes of batting out the day on a docile pitch, but werebowled out for 144 shortly before tea.Sri Lanka’s openers quickly knocked off the required runs to bring to an enda remarkable fight-back, started and ended by man of the match Muralitharan.On Wednesday afternoon a Sri Lankan victory appeared inconceivable with theWest Indies so well placed on 423 for four. However, Muralitharan inspired adramatic collapse in which five wickets fell for 25 runs to bowl them outfor 448 and let Sri Lanka back into the game.The home batsmen responded with 590 for nine (doubling their previoushighest score against the West Indies of 233 for eight in 1996/7 at St.Vincent) that spanned three days, to give them an unlikely 142 run lead andprovide Muralitharan with a chance to press for victory on the final day. Anopportunity that was taken, as the mysterious off-spinner picked up yetanother five-wicket haul.The victory was comparable in form to Sri Lanka’s equally astonishingvictory against England at the Oval in 1998 when the English scored 445 inthe first innings only to lose after Muralitharan grabbed 16 wickets.Muralitharan was the catalyst for the turnaround in Galle too, although foronce, he didn’t take the key wickets in the second innings. Still, he endedup with five for 44 in the second innings to finish with 11-169 in thematch.It was the eighth time he has taken ten-wickets in his 67 Test career. Itwas also the third time in consecutive Test matches and it is no wonder thenthat Sri Lanka have now won four out of their five last Tests.The day had begun well enough for the West Indies, with a 67 run partnershipbetween Trinidadian opener Daren Ganga and Guyanan number three RamnareshSarwan, but from the time Ganga sweep a ball from left-arm spinner NiroshanBandaratillake straight into the hands of Tillakaratne at square leg, theinnings slipped away.Having survived the best part of two hours without mishap, the West Indieslost Ganga, Sarwan and Carl Hooper all in the space of 22 minutes, to leavethem precariously placed on 92 for four at lunch.Sarwan had lived a charmed life in the middle, surviving an early shout fromChaminda Vaas and some close appeals from Muralitharan, in a memorable eightover tussle, but looked to have weathered the storm when Jayasuriya withdrewhis premier bowler from the attack.The decision, like many made in the day by Jayasuriya, who changed hisbowlers frequently and astutely, immediately brought dividends as Ganga (33)gifted his wicket.Straight away Muralitharan was pulled back into the attack and with hissecond ball he had Sarwan poking indecisively to be caught by theomnipresent Russel Arnold at silly point for 30.West Indian fate now lay firmly in the hands of the two senior players: Laraand Hooper. Lara had raised eyebrows when he had arrogantly declared thenight before that he was going to bag 150 to save the game, but no oneargued that his and Hooper’s wickets were the key.Bandaratillake ended Hooper’s innings, though, moments before lunch as theGuyanan right-handed drove loosely to be caught at short extra cover by ajubilant Jayasuriya.After lunch, Marlon Samuels (2) was hit on the full by Muralitharan andadjudged lbw to bring Ridley Jacobs to the crease with the score on 93 forfive.Jacobs and Lara raised hopes in a 38 run partnership and were on brink ofwiping out the deficit when disaster struck for the tourists.Off-spinning all-rounder Thilan Samaraweera, who had not bowled in theinnings and bowled like a drain in the first, came onto bowl in place ofMuralitharan. Lara relaxed and tried to hit his fourth ball over the top. Hemiscued and Muralitharan clung on safely to the catch at mid-wicket.West Indian hopes evaporated and the remaining four wickets tumbled withouta mumour of resistance. The collapse even surpassed their first inningsdebacle, as the last five wickets fell for just 13 runs.West Indies would have had realistic hopes of victory on Thursday afternoon,but leave Galle one-down and distraught. Their one ray of hope will be thefact that Sri Lankan minds are also ill at ease.Kandy, the venue for the next Test in four days time, has been as bad forthem, as Galle has been good, so much so that the superstitious Sri Lankan’srefer to it as the Kandy Hoodoo.West Indies are down, but by no means out.