Sri Lanka Find Two Willing Warriors In Their Time Of Need
Newcastle Herald
Monday November 19, 2007
HEROES have been thin on the ground for Sri Lanka in recent weeks, but out of the rubble of the Hobart Test emerged a pair of cricketers whose valour brought colour, if not parity, to the series.
Mahela Jayawardene's century against an Australian attack circling for the kill was a lesson in defiance, and one several of his top-order teammates might care to analyse. Slightly less prolific, but every bit as courageous, was Farveez Maharoof the bowler who, on the very day he was ruled out of Sri Lanka's forthcoming Test series with ankle stress fractures, took his place in the Sri Lankan batting order in what was essentially a hopeless cause.Between them, Jayawardene and Maharoof brought cheer to Sri Lankan fans, who have all but given up hope of a competitive series, or of Muttiah Muralitharan usurping Shane Warne's Test wickets record on the hostile turf of Australia. With little in the way of support from their teammates, Jayawardene and Maharoof may not have turned the match, or altered the outcome of the series, but they were most effective in delivering a fight where previously there was none.Jayawardene's innings will surely rank among his most satisfying even if, as is almost certain, it will come in a losing effort. With Stuart Clark, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson at the peak of their game, and Stuart MacGill close enough, the Sri Lankan captain overcame a tour of disappointment to score almost half his team's first-innings total, setting an example for those less inclined to take the challenge to the Australians.His willingness to use his feet to MacGill and drive on the up was a highlight, as was his bravery in the face of Lee's testing short deliveries. It was against Lee that Jayawardene raised his century fittingly with a crisp cover drive to the boundary. It was Lee, too, who ended his brave stand four runs later, closing out the Sri Lankan innings for 246.But there was no shame in Jayawardene's dismissal, caught at mid-wicket attempting to blast over the infield. Batting with the tail, the veteran right-hander was forced to farm the strike and blaze for the fences. Risks were inevitable. Had he greater support earlier in the innings, Jayawardene might well have guided the tourists past Australia's follow-on target. That, though, has been the problem with the Sri Lankans thus far in the series always forced to scrap, and never in a position to dominate.The prospect of the scrap did not seem to bother Maharoof, however. Diagnosed yesterday with ankle stress fractures a condition deemed serious enough to sideline him for the next five weeks the Sri Lankan lower-order batsman was not expected to appear again in this Test match, and certainly not when his side was trailing so badly.And yet there he was, hobbling out to the crease with a runner, Prasanna Jayawardene, by his side. Though Maharoof, with a career average of 20.60, was an unlikely candidate to guide Sri Lanka past the follow-on target and into a position to challenge, the tailender was nonetheless determined to add his name to his country's cause.For 35 deliveries he fought with determination and persistence. With pain shooting through his ankle, Maharoof stood firm against an Australian attack in a frenzied state having scented the kill. On 19, Maharoof was dismissed not by his own hand, but by his runner, who was caught short of his ground.SMH
© 2007 Newcastle Herald