Date-stamped : 18 Mar96 - 02:14 ODI # 1075 Wills World Cup 1996, Quarterfinal 1 England v Sri Lanka Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. 9 March 1996 ====> REPORT (Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka) Sri Lanka Sails Into World Cup Semi-Final Heavyweight Jayasuriya KOs England . By Sa`adi Thawfeeq FAISALABAD, March 9 - Sri Lanka sailed into a World Cup semi- final for the first time in their history when they defeated England by five wickets with nearly ten overs to spare in the first quarter- final played at Iqbal Stadium here today. The win which was achieved comprehensively, put them in line for a semi-final clash with either India or Pakistan at Calcutta on March 13, under lights. In five previous World Cup tournaments, Sri Lanka had a rather dismissal record of just four wins from 25 matches. But in the current tournament they have improved on those figures with four wins in as many matches (technically six out of six as the walk-overs from Australia and West Indies in the league stage also counted as wins). Knowing Sri Lanka are very good at chasing, England captain Michael Atherton yet opted to bat first on winning the toss. But England`s total of 235 for 8 off 50 overs was hardly the one they were looking for on a grassless batting track and fast outfield. The total presented hardly a challenge to Sri Lanka`s powerful bating line-up who sped past that total in the 41st over. Left-hander Sanath Jayasuriya set a scorching pace with a thunderous innings of 82 off only 44 balls that had the England attack in total disarray. Partly successful England`s ploy of using a spinner to open the bowling was partly successful when left-armer Richard Illingworth bowled Romesh Kaluwitharana around his legs going for a sweep off his fourth delivery and had the misfortune to see Darren Gough dropping Asanka Gurusinha (2) at mid-off in his second over. Had that catch been taken, England`s plan would have worked out as they expected. The miss proved costly as Gurusinha and Jayasuriya sent the England fielders scurrying to all corners with a second wicket partnership of 101 off 68 balls. By the time Jayasuriya left in the 13th over, stumped down the leg side off Dermot Reeve - the previous delivery he was bowled off a no- ball - Sri Lanka were averaging 8.69 runs an over. In his stay of 66 minutes, Jayasuriya entertained a rather disappointing crowd of 3,000 to a spectacular display of batting, equalling the World Cup record for the fastest fifty which he reached off 30 balls and now shares with Chris Old of England in 1975, Imran Khan of Pakistan in 1983 and Martin Crowe of New Zealand in 1992. Overall, Jayasuriya hit three sixes and 13 fours and with the wickets of England`s two top run-getters in their innings - Phillip DeFreitas (67) and Dermot Reeve (35) for 26 runs in nine overs, easily took the `Man of the Match` award. In the four matches Sri Lanka have played in the current World Cup competition, Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva have shared the `Man of the Match` awards winning it twice each - Jayasuriya last win it against India for his knock of 79 at Delhi. Illingworth and DeFreitas suffered most from Jayasuriya`s assault, the former going for 72 runs in 10 overs and the latter 38 in 3.4 overs. Graeme Hick bowling off-spin later conceded 34 off four overs when Arjuna Ranatunga hit five fours in his brief innings of 25 scored off 17 balls. The only time England enjoyed setting an attacking field was when Sri Lanka lost the wickets of Ranatunga and Gurusinha for four runs in 10 balls. But the run rate required was well below two an over which did not place undue pressure on the sixth wicket pair Hashan Tillekeratne and Roshan Mahanama who got Sri Lanka through quite comfortably. First turn Mahanama had his first batting turn in the tournament after three matches and looked quite out of touch at the beginning before settling down to play his usual game. His inclusion ahead of Upul Chandana became a formality when Aravinda de Silva declared himself fit to resume bowling his off-spinners. He had not done so since straining his side during the World Series Cup match in Australia. After DeFreitas had completed his maiden fifty in one-day cricket - 67 off 64 balls with two sixes and five fours, it was England`s tail that got them past the 200-run mark, which at one time seemed unlikely, when they were 173 for 7 in the 41st over. Reeve and Gough with some deft placements and hard running between the wickets added 62 off 57 balls for the eighth wicket which was the highest partnership in a disappointing England batting performance which failed to justify batting first. Sri Lanka bowled to a plan and contained England to a total which they could feel satisfied. Apart from De Silva, who went for seven an over, the rest of the bowlers kept an immaculate line and length. England`s weakness against spin was once more amply demonstrated with Muralitharan, Dharmasena and Jayasuriya sharing six wickets among them of the seven that fell to bowlers. A revolution England captain Mike Atherton said that Sri Lanka`s approach to batting in the first 15 overs may bring about a revolution in the one- day game. ``Sri Lanka has taken it to a new level. They probably benefit when they bat in the first 15 overs more than any other side,`` said Atherton after his team was knocked out of a place in a World Cup semi-final for the first time in the history of the competition. ``The way the Sri Lankans play, basically, they are taking the first 15 overs as the last 15 of the innings. The first 15 now has come to the death period. It`s a difficult period for bowlers. They`ve gonna have to come up with new ideas. The captains got to think really carefully about the fielders,`` he said. Source:: Sunday Observer (http://www.lanka.net) < ====> REPORT (Electronic Telegraph, UK) Electronic Telegraph Monday 11 March 1996 World Cup: Sri Lanka outwit England By Scyld Berry Sri Lanka (236-5) beat England (235-8) by 5 wickets ENGLAND were defeated not only by Sri Lanka. They were beaten by a plan of attack beyond their imaginations, and never dreamt about in their own "play-the-percentages" philosophy. As Mike Atherton conceded afterwards, Sri Lanka have suddenly be- come the foremost exponents of a new approach to one-day cricket, one which turns the conventional English version on its head. Their batsmen opt for vertical take-off in the first 15 overs, not the last 15, and only then do they throttle back. It seems to be a spectacular way to fly. A belter of a pitch is one essential prerequisite. Throwing the bat at a ball seaming sideways initially, as often happens in England, is far less likely to succeed. Wiser to wait, in this case, before going on the rampage. The second requirement is having the right players, and in Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana, Sri Lanka have two stroke- makers of the highest-calibre, not just cowboys, since both of them have scored a Test century against Australia. They are helped, too, by being all-rounders, who have other work to con- tribute if they should fail to score. And if only two fielders are permitted outside the semi-circles in the first 15 overs - a measure only to be found this coming summer in the Benson & Hedges Cup among our domestic competitions - such a plan of attack, given all these circumstances, has to be the right way to go. Undoubtedly it was yesterday, when Sri Lanka`s game-plan showed up England`s to be not so much conven- tional as utterly out- dated. At the outset of both innings, batsmen were on top, masters of a pitch as heartless as Pakistan alone now provides, and of a fast field. England had scored 31 by the time they lost their first wicket - Atherton attempting another of his steers to third man - in the eighth over, and 58 by the 15th over when Graeme Hick - hitting in the air as usual as he tried to break out - was caught at square-leg, supposedly only 15 yards from the bat. The second decision went against Phillip DeFreitas, perhaps on moral grounds, for walking premeditatedly in front of his stumps. England can argue that two poor decisions went against them, but then why should fortune favour the unadventurous? England had made 66 by the 18th over when Robin Smith, after turning to short fine-leg, was given run out when Jayasuriya`s throw (the first of his contributions) hit the bowler`s stumps. To judge by televi- sion, V K Ramaswamy of India, the third umpire, should have dismissed the case for lack of evidence. The second decision went against Phillip DeFreitas, perhaps on moral grounds, for walking premeditatedly in front of his stumps. As a sensible measure, but an all too desperate one, DeFreitas had been sent in at No 5 to disturb the spinners, mainly turning in to the right-handed bat, ahead of Alec Stewart, who was to stroke them all too often to the fielders. DeFreitas posted his maiden 50 in 101 one-day internationals, and went on to reach 67 off 64 balls, with two sixes, before Mahboob Shah`s decision. However, 32 runs were to be hit off his first 12 balls as a seamer, and he returned at the end reincarnated as an off-spinner. Whatever one might think of the legitimacy of Sri Lanka`s two off-spinners, England did not play them well, and both Graham Thorpe, running hard at least, and Jack Russell, his runs long dried up, were bowled sweeping by Kumara Dharmasena, the quicker of the two, operating from round the wicket. Apart from DeFrei- tas, nobody gained any momentum until Gough scored a run a ball, and Dermot Reeve almost managed to do so. But England`s ambi- tion, according to Atherton subsequently, had been 300. England hit 17 fours in their innings. Jayasuriya hit 13 fours off his own bat, and three sixes, from only 44 balls. This was cricket "on the go", as C L R James called it, one of those rare occasions when inspiration likes what it sees and hastens down the pavilion steps to join a batsman at the wicket; and cricket, above all, that was enjoyed by its author. But for that setback of losing his partner third ball, sweeping, for eight, Jayasuriya might have been quite aggressive. Now in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time, the Sri Lan- kans are more experienced, fitter and better at fielding than ever before. The whippy left-hander scored mainly to leg, as England placed only three men on that side, all in the semi-circle, tempting him to swing at and miss a straight one. But Jayasuriya swung and connected, taking four consecutive fours off Richard Illingworth, who opened the bowling as a novelty, though if he was a joker, it was only the Sri Lankans whom he amused. While Peter Martin`s outswing kept a semblance of control from one end, the first six overs from the pavilion end - two each by Illingworth, Gough and DeFreitas - cost 76 runs all told. Jayasuriya flat-batted DeFreitas over long-on, square-drove four and lofted him over long-off and on to the pavilion roof for 16 from three consecutive balls. The Sri Lankan 100 came up giddily off 11.3 overs. If Jayasuriya had not been stumped down the leg side, but had reined himself back to score one run a ball, he would still have made the fastest century in all one-day internationals. While Asanka Gurusinha was relatively sedate, Aravinda de Silva batted for - as opposed to hit - 31 off 30 balls, Arjuna Ranatun- ga for 25 off 17. By the 26th over, when Ranatunga was leg be- fore, Sri Lanka, after their VTO, had rocketed to 194. When Gurusinha soon followed, run out by Gough in his follow- through, they could afford to throttle back, take their time, and use up 14 overs in knocking off the last 42 runs without any further mishap. It was a feast which merited a greater crowd than 2,500. Now in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time, the Sri Lan- kans are more experienced, fitter and better at fielding than ever before. If England had managed 280 even, the effects of heat and tension might have told more, but Roshan Mahanama, who needed a net as he has not had a bat in this tournament, and Hashan Til- lekeratne did not let them show. There will be one Asian semi-final in Calcutta, between Sri Lanka and India, and one non-Asian in Mohali. As for England, every single person involved in their on-field performance on this tour should now consider his position. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http.//www.telegraph.co.uk) ====> REPORT (The Hindu, India) Cricket: Jayasuriya`s blitzkrieg enables Sri Lanka enter By G. Viswanath FAISALABAD, March 9. Sanath Jayasuriya does not have a swaggering gait, but he is always in a mood to whack rival bowlers. And that is also his secret for success with the bat. On a typical batting pitch at the Iqbal Stadium on Saturday, Jayasuriya played another of his swashbuckling knocks that enabled Sri Lanka vanquish England in the Wills World Cup quarterfinal. It was a kind of onslaught England had suffered in the past from a host of West Indian batsmen, most prominently Viv Richards. The left-hander, Jayasuriya`s outstanding batting represented a specimen of the Sri Lankan spirit which had been on view since its opening match of the competition against Zimbabwe. Jayasuriya snapped into action against the England bowlers from the very first ball he faced from Peter Martin. And in the first hour of his presence, he made sure that Sri Lanka would make the semi-finals. Jayasuriya`s 82 of 43 balls knocked the stuffings out of the England bowling. Three 6s and 13 fours studded his stirring innings and sent England out of the Cup. It also marked England`s worst ever performance in six World Cups. The huge hiatus was evident after the exit of Jayasuriya, whose 50 had come off 30 balls that equalled Chris Old`s fastest half century record in World Cup. After being bowled off a no ball by Dermot Reeve, Jayasuriya moved forward to be stumped by Jack Russell of the last ball of the 13th over. And from 113 for two, Sri Lanka took 27.4 overs to knock off 123 runs. It was, yet, a convincing win, but the number of overs taken by the subsequent Sri Lankan batsmen clearly pointed to some pressure they were in. Asanka Gurusinha, Arvinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga made contributions just enough to achieve the expected win in the 41st over. Characteristic knock It was once again a characteristic start by Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana, though the target was under five runs an over. The option of using left-arm spinner Richard Illingworth was meant to deny the two openers speed and bounce. But Kaluwitharana cover drove and on drove Illingworth off successive balls to indicate his intentions. But England had moments to jump in glee after Illingworth bowled Kaluwitharana while trying to sweep. It was a good breakthrough and a ploy that worked for England. p73 But what was in store for the England bowlers was a sort of a nightmare. Jayasuriya`s offensive started with two over the top boundary shots off Martin and Illingworth. Jayasuriya was inclined to throw his bat at everything that came within his range. Illingworth`s new role as a new ball spinner lasted two overs. For Jayasuriya had sent signals to Atherton to take away the left arm spinner from the attack by smashing four 4s in his second over. Martin was whacked over mid-wicket and when treatment to Darren Gough was frightening. Three on-side strokes over mid-wicket, through mid-on and over square leg was another instance of Jayasuriya pounding the bowler in one over. Atherton`s last resort to contain Jayasuriya was DeFreitas, who had saved England`s ruination in the morning session. Jayasuriya had struck 17 off Illingworth and 13 off Gough, but he took 22 off DeFreitas. Two 6s, two 4s and a two were the last of Jayasuriya`s show of belligerence. Asanka Gurusinha, too, had played a few delightful shots, pulling and off-driving Martin. But it was just a matter Jayasuriya playing the star role and Gurusinha (45, 63 balls, 5 x 4s) the supporting role. Hence the focus on Jayasuriya. As Sri Lanka victory became inevitable after Jayasuriya`s onslaught. Gurusinha, Arvinda de Silva (31, 30 balls, 5 x 4s) and Ranatunga (25, 17 balls, 5 x 4s) kept up the tempo which diminished after the dismissal of Ranatunga. Hashan Tillekaratne and Roshan Mahanama completed the formality in a sedate manner. A square cut by Tillekaratne brought the end and passage to Calcutta for the Sri Lankans. And the English saw an Australian hand in Dav Whatmore plotting their defeat. Strategic more There is no counter to the argument that the England players by virtue of the amount of work they put during 20 weeks of County cricket from April to September are the most experienced professionals. It is a hard and tedious grind, but the system throws up opportunities to improve and excel and also experiment. DeFreitas is a typical product of this system and has been acknowledged as a proficient allrounder. England made one strategic move against Sri Lanka to get some quick runs. The decision to send the Dominican born allrounder, ahead of Alec Stewart and Jack Russell, not only clicked, but pointedly helped England`s innings to last the 50 overs. DeFreitas, bats at No. 7 or 8 for his Derbyshire and recently in South Africa opened the England innings in one- dayers. Atherton saw merit in promoting DeFreitas with a clear intention of shoring up the middle innings. He is England`s experienced player in one-dayers, and on Saturday he came on par with Ian Botham`s 22 appearances in World Cup for England. DeFreitas had batted well against South Africa before being run out by Fanie De Villiers` accurate throw. What elevated DeFreitas to a top drawer effort was his fluent stroke making. There was the element of certainty when he picked the ball off the pitch and when he went inside out to clear the ball over cover and extracover. It was during DeFreitas` tenure in the middle that England looked like dominating the Sri Lankan bowling, mainly the spinners. After having lost three wickets following a solid and confident start from Atherton and Robin Smith, England did not have a batsman with a capacity to go hammer and tongs, and put the aggregate beyond 250. In the circumstances DeFreitas` clean hitting and improvised shots, exerted pressure on the Sri Lankans who had picked up the wickets of Smith, Atherton and Graeme Hick. England`s assertion that it will be a different side from the quarterfinals seemed to fructify when Atherton and Smith got their feet working to perfection and their strokes directed between gaps and to the advertising boards on the boundary line. Atherton`s play suggested that he was keen to see England change tack from the listless to being bright. There was the apparent belief in the England captain that he will be able to tackle the Sri Lankan bowlers and set a high target. Obviously his confidence had been boosted following the 147 runs stand between him and Smith against Pakistan at the National Stadium, Karachi. Sri Lanka`s decision to choose Pramodaya Wickremasinghe for Ravindra Pushpakumara backfired. Atherton and Smith found Wickremasinghe an easy pick and forced the pace at nearly five an over. The bounce off the pitch came at comfortable height and even a defensive push was good enough for Atherton to see the ball speeding between Wickremasinghe and mid-on to the fence. Atherton rolled up his sleeve and appeared to be quite determined. A square drive thudded towards the point fence and England at least put pressure on a bowler who had gained the confidence of his skipper, Arjuna Ranatunga. Smith stepped out and punched Wickremasinghe to midwicket fence and slashed him over backward point, the first shot hit over the top. Wickremashinghe had gone for 33 runs which compelled Ranatunga to bring in Muthiah Muralitharan. Chaminda Vaas put an end to the opening stand with a delivery that pitched around the off stump and seamed away. Atherton nicked it to be caught by Romesh Kaluwitharana. There was an element of surprise for Vaas seemed to be in some discomfort as he turned back after the finishing stride. It may have been just an irritating back. Off the next ball, he sent the England captain back. Smith was the next to go; his runout dismissal being confirmed by the third umpire Mr. V. K. Ramaswamy. Smith played the ball to Jayasuriya positioned inside the circle at fine leg and darted down the pitch for a single. But Jayasuriya`s direct hit at the non-strikers` end was good enough for umpire Ian Robinson to seek assistance from the third umpire. And when Hick was held high by Ranatunga off Muralitharan, England had surrendered the advantage of winning the toss. Irresponsible act With Sri Lanka`s bowling not as intimidating as its batsmen, Ranatunga had to keep shuffling the spinners, Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Jayasuriya and Arvinda De Silva. Muralitharan was the pick of the four. He took the wicket of Hick and troubled Graham Thorpe. It was at this stage that DeFreitas` uninhibited stroke play gained the edge over the bowlers. Muralitharan was smacked over longon for a six and the second six was sent over the extracover fence off Jayasuriya. An over-the- mid-on shot, a cover and a straight drive saw DeFreitas speeding to his 50 off 46 balls. The fifth wicket stand between DeFreitas and Alec Stewart put England back on course, but the England vice-captain`s irresponsible act of charging out to Muralitharan shut the doors on England to think of setting a five plus target. By the 41st over England was down to 171 for seven with DeFreitas (67, 64 balls, 2x6s, 5x4s) being trapped leg before wicket by Jayasuriya while trying to sweep. England`s best bet was Dermot Reeve and Darren Gough. And the most profitable over for England was the 50th when Reeve (35, 34 balls) and Gough scored 13 runs. England`s final tally was at short by too many runs, for a reason that any target is considered unsafe against Sri Lanka`s batting powerhouse. The admirable aspect was Sri Lanka with its limited bowling resources just four specialist bowlers in Wickremasinghe, Vaas, Muralitharan and Dharmasena was able to hit back after the early start fashioned by Atherton and Smith. Without DeFreitas` show of aggression England would have been in a real plight. DeFreitas helped England`s embarrassment turn into a utter humiliation. Source :: The Hindu Contributed by vg (vpg0001@*.acs.unt.edu).