[Video] Chamara Silva 67 Vs West Indies | 1st ODI, Trinidad 2008

Silva loves the Queens park oval in Trinidad. In 5 innings at the Queens park Oval Silva averages 78.33.

Click to expand...

[Video] The New Murali? | Ajantha Mendis

Mendis in full flight, All his variations and dismissals narrated by Colin Croft for Sky Sports.

Click expand below if no video is visible above..

Click to expand...

[Video] Sri Lanka Vs West Indies | 3rd ODI, 1st Session H/L

April 15, 2008

West Indies v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, St Lucia

Sri Lanka 257 for 8 (Udawatte 73, Dilshan 64) v West Indies 81 for 2 - match abandoned
Scorecard

Match package
Bulletin - Match abandoned after heavy rain
Gallery - Washout curtails West Indies chase

Preview package
Preview - West Indies target whitewash
News - Sammy excited by St Lucia match

© Cricinfo

Click to expand...

Be positive even in defeat | Kumar Sangakkara

As sportsmen you have to be positive, even in defeat. And this week we have been able to reflect back on the 1-1 series draw with West Indies and pick-out a few silver linings. However, sadly, those silver linings cannot erase the frustration of having shared a series we should have definitely won.

In my book this Sri Lanka team should have won 2-0 against West Indies. They have some quality players but as an overall group we should have been stronger. And having taken a 1-0 lead we should definitely have closed out the series. Unfortunately, in Trinidad, the basic truth is that we were outplayed.

Mid-way through that Test I believed we would win. Indeed, on the final day I also thought we would defend the 253-target and win. However, we lost our grip on the game during a crucial third morning, losing too many wickets against the new ball in our second innings.

Personally, I was extremely disappointed. First, I was involved in a run out - a criminal offence in such a tight game. Second, surprised by some extra bounce, I guided the simplest of catches in the gully. It was a poor stroke and with hindsight I was guilty of not taking greater time and care over constructing my innings.

Mahela's dismissal was also crucial. He was the victim of an unplayable delivery in the first innings, but he was still our form man in the second dig. We desperately needed him to spend some time in the middle. His second unfortunate dismissal, an inside edge onto the stumps this time, was a serious blow.

We started the second innings with a plan to bat four to five sessions. We realized the new ball would be a danger period. But we also knew that batting should become much easier afterwards. However, by the time it got easier half the side were back in the hutch. We lost too many wickets too quickly.

We still had a chance to clinch the game, though, thanks to Thilan Samaraweera's superb hundred, one of the best innings I have seen. He came into the second innings under huge personal pressure on what was a comeback tour. To bat like he did with us in such disarray was a huge show of character and hunger. To win, however, we needed to be faultless in the field. We were far from that. With the new ball, despite a couple of early wickets, we were guilty of giving Ramnaresh Sarwan too many scoring opportunities, helping him establish himself at the crease. We also missed a couple of half chances.

All credit to Sarwan, once started he batted beautifully. He stayed positive throughout, albeit helped by our ill-discipline, and his shot selection was excellent. He was troubled by Vaasy - the shining light of the series for us - who alone amongst the quick bowlers was able to maintain a tight line and length, and by Murali throughout, but he also played them skilfully and hung on in there.

It's not the first time that Sarwan has played well against us. During two home tours he has been a major thorn in our sides. I think this reflects the fact that his game is ideally suited to the kind of conditions we've played each other. His game was learned on the slow, turning surfaces of Guyana, similar conditions to what we Sri Lankans are used to.

The key to handling Sarwan is to tie him down, bowl one side of the wicket and make him search for runs. He is patient but he likes to see the ball disappear to the boundary. Vaasy exploited this expertly in the first Test. But in Trinidad the bowling unit could not create the same level of control.

"Some people were surprised by Sarwan and Chanderpaul's survival against Murali for so long on a fourth day pitch. I don't think you can read too much into that.

They both looked to be struggling against him to me, and they were helped by the docility of the pitch. If anything, Murali was forced to try perhaps a little too hard because the support at the forthcoming was not consistent."

As I have said, despite the loss, there were crumbs of comfort with some fine individual performances. Malinda Warnapura looked the part in Guyana and for a while in Trinidad. Michael Vandort batted sensibly and resolutely. Thilan produced a gem of an innings and generally showed how gutsy he is. Dilshan and Chamara batted beautifully together. Thilan Thushara can look back on a great first Test. As a team, I think we can be encouraged by those individual performances. I think we have a decent team structure now in Test cricket and we are gelling more and more. Both the openers and the middle order seem to be developing and there are bowlers emerging to support the injured trio we had to leave at home.

Straight after the Test, after one day's rest to reflect back on the game, we quickly had to switch gear and focus for the ODI series. This is a completely different challenge with a new team and game plan. After two losing ODI tours against England and in the CB Series in Australia, this is a chance to start rebuilding. We have some new faces and I hope some of them can make an impression this week. Click to expand...

[Video] What makes Murali so great

Courtesy CricketCrowd


Lance Gibbs on Murali Magic..

Click to expand...

[Video] Nuwan Kulasekera Vs West Indies | 2nd ODI Trinidad 2008

Fantastic bowling by Nuwan to rip through the Windies top order.

Click to expand...

[Video] Sri Lanka Vs West Indies | 2nd ODI | Brief H/L

CBC News wrap up..

Brief Highlights and match wrap up, 2nd ODI Port of Spain Trinidad 2008.

WI v SL 2nd ODI scorecard

Click to expand...

Chanderpaul and Samuels seal series for West Indies

Cricinfo: Shivnarine Chanderpaul came to West Indies' rescue for the second time in three days, cracking an unbeaten 52 to guide his side to a seven-wicket win in Trindad and, in doing so, they take the series.

It may not have matched Thursday for drama, but West Indies can be proud of dominating Sri Lanka for most of the day. Their bowlers, led by the increasingly mature Jerome Taylor, tied Sri Lanka in knots while the batsmen for once coped with the jolt of losing three early wickets. They cantered home in the end, but two hours beforehand the match was heading for a soggy conclusion as the clouds evacuated a torrent of rain on the Queen's Park Oval. Such is the superb drainage at the ground that play was able to resume, though cricket's favourite double act, Duckworth and Lewis, revised West Indies' total to a rather generous 125 from 25 overs.

Predictably, they did their best to make a meal of it. Nuwan Kulasekara exposed Dwayne Bravo's gaping gate, cutting one back to bowl him, and Chris Gayle wellied the same bowler straight to mid-on to leave them tottering on 15 for 2. Kulasekara wasn't finished: he trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan in front for 1, and West Indies still needed 107 from 113 balls.

Enter Chanderpaul. After his nail-biting last-ball six in the first one-dayer, today's scenario was far less worrisome and he casually calmed West Indies' nerves, nudging and nurdling singles before exploding when the loose balls presented themselves. Kaushalya Weeraratne thought he had him caught behind for five but it was turned down, prompting Chanderpaul into a furious onslaught. A premeditated pull through midwicket was followed by a sweetly pinged six over deep midwicket, and he made it a triplet of boundaries with a third pulled four in the same region. He and West Indies were in no mood to kowtow to Sri Lanka's medium pacers.

Meanwhile, Samuels was at his belligerent best, bashing Chaminda Vaas for consecutive fours; hoiking Kapugedera for six over midwicket, then another at long-on. West Indies were racing towards their target, and Samuels made sure of it with another huge six off Sri Lanka's mystery spinner, Ajantha Mendis, who tonight was rather more earthly than his deliciously mercurial display in the first ODI. Samuels' slap for six over long-off hit the top tier of the stand, simultaneously burying Sri Lanka's spirits. Chanderpaul notched his fifty from 40 balls; Samuels' took 48 and West Indies galloped home with 27 balls to spare.

For all Chanderpaul and Samuels' ease in reaching their target, they have their bowlers to thank for restricting Sri Lanka so well. Taylor led the attack brilliantly, ably supported by Daren Powell, the pair tying Sri Lanka in knots. Taylor took 1 for 6 in his opening spell, rarely straying from the off stump and troubling both Upul Tharanga and Mahela Udawatte. Udawatte, who fell for nought on debut two days ago, broke his international duck with a neat tuck off his hips through midwicket. There is a consensus of opinion that Udawatte is a dead ringer - stylistically at any rate - for Sanath Jayasuriya, and when he crashed Fidel Edwards for four over point, the similarities were clear. After clouting another four in the same over, he fell to a superb slower-ball from Taylor, trying to launch him over point.

Then followed a steady partnership of 40 between Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara, before the first of two rain showers interrupted proceedings. Afterwards, Sri Lanka's approach smacked of desperation and they lost 3 for 7 in 13 balls, with Gayle removing Sangakkara and Chamara Silva. It was a position from which they couldn't recover, though the second rain break didn't give them chance to make amends.

Chanderpaul won the first ODI almost single handedly, and again he has thwarted Sri Lanka with another matchwinning knock. What price experience? It is a question which might be haunting Mahela Jayawardene and his new young side.

Will Luke is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Click to expand...

The Mendis factor: Sri Lanka's new spin-king looks the heir to Murali's cricket throne

The 23-year-old army recruit was brought to the West Indies as a filler for Muttiah Muralitharan. One mesmerising spell of 10 overs in his ODI debut was enough to persuade Sportingo's Mark Rivlin that Ajantha Mendis is going to be a massive success.

Having been married for nearly 20 years, and therefore not having much to excite me in the evenings, I put my feet up with a cool beer and settled down to the last 30 overs of the West Indies chasing 236 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

And my testosterone levels were revived at the sight of what could be the future of international spin bowling.

When Ajantha Mendis was thrown the ball by Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene I thought to myself, 'Ah, here's the gofer the tourists have brought along to replace Muttiah Muralitharan'.

My words were not just eaten, they were devoured by a truly mesmerising spell of spin bowling which was translated into fabulous figures of 3-39 in 10 overs. Any bowler in the world - Murali included - would be proud of these figures but, considering this was Mendis' debut in international cricket, they are astounding.

The 23-year-old, we were told, plays his cricket for the Sri Lankan army. I suggest he's going to make a right officers' mess of hundreds of international batsmen's stumps in years to come.

This guy is the real deal. We were told he is a finger spinner, and he certainly is. But he's also a whole lot more. He has the lot - wrist spin, doosra, leg-break, off-break and, in the case of Darren Sammy, stump break. The nearest comparison I could make would be legendary Aussie Jack Iverson, the so-called "mystery spinner" whose action and grip caused havoc in the '40s and '50s.

What I liked most about Mendis was his cheeky confidence. He knew he had the Windies top order under his spell and he strutted around like a new kid on the block that no one was going to mess with. This is the mark of a young player who has the potential to become massive.

All this is great for cricket. It will not be long before a legend in the shape of Murali finds himself in the commentary box, and his successor is ready for action. What a treat for the fans.

The game itself was one of those once-in-a-decade classics with Shivnarine Chanderpaul hitting a near-impossible 10 off two balls to win the game for the Windies (I wouldn't have minded a spread bet on that outcome). Chaminda Vaas, with more than 300 ODIs under his belt, couldn't tie Chanderpaul down for two balls.

Jayawardene will learn from this. In future run chases he should throw the ball to his junior spin doctor who, on Thursday's performance, will have his team-mates in stitches.

Roll on Saturday for the next instalment.


Click to expand...

The new Murali?

To steal shamelessly from Jon Landau, the man entrusted with selling a scraggy wannabe Bob Dylan by the name of Bruce Springsteen to the planet in 1975, I have just seen the future of spin bowling – and his name is Ajantha Mendis. Writes Rob Steen for Rob's Lobs on Cricinfo.

Until now, given the recent stumbles of Danish Kaneria and the apparent failure of several young Australian twirlers to live up to their billing, detecting the seeds of a new generation of spinners worthy of following the holy trinity of Warne, Murali and Kumble has been a troubling and deflating quest. Whisper it softly, but on the evidence of his international debut in Port-of-Spain today, however chastening his team’s astonishing defeat may have been, this wide-eyed 23-year-old member of the Sri Lankan army could well emerge as the leader of the new pack.

Friends in Colombo had warned me that something special was on the horizon, trumpeting Mendis as the owner of the freakiest fingers since Jack Iverson. They weren’t exaggerating by much. Googlies, leggies, offies and flippers all eased effortlessly from that precociously adaptable right hand, facilitated by three distinct modes of release – barely discernible to the devoted couch potato and leaving the batsmen groping and clueless.

The ball that bamboozled and lbw-ed Chris Gayle, just as the West Indies captain was threatening to turn a tricky chase into a jaunt, was a worthy calling card. The one that curved in and straightened to take off stump was utterly wasted on Darren Sammy. No less impressive was the way Mendis held his nerve after Jerome Taylor clouted him for six, tossing the next ball up in similar fashion and reaping the reward of an outfield catch.

With the game reeling groggily as the implications of the IPL set traditionalists against innovators, old world against new, Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s improbable sixes off the fifth and last balls of the final over in Trinidad were a profoundly welcome shot in the arm, a reminder that sport is more about drama and improbability than dollars and nonsense. The advent of Mendis could be that and much, much more.


Click to expand...

[Video] West Indies v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, Trinidad '08 | 2nd Session H/L

West Indies 236 for 9 (Chanderpaul 62*, Gayle 52, Mendis 3-39) beat Sri Lanka 235 for 7 (Kapugedera 95, Silva 67, Bravo 4-32) by one wicket
Scorecard and commentary

Match package

Bulletin - Chanderpaul clinches final-ball thriller
Gallery Archive - Going, going ... gone

Courtesy Cricinfo.

Click to expand...

[Video] West Indies v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI, Trinidad '08 | 1st Session H/L

West Indies 236 for 9 (Chanderpaul 62*, Gayle 52, Mendis 3-39) beat Sri Lanka 235 for 7 (Kapugedera 95, Silva 67, Bravo 4-32) by one wicket

Match package

Bulletin - Chanderpaul clinches final-ball thriller
Gallery Archive - Going, going ... gone

Courtesy Cricinfo

Click to expand...

[Video] Chamara Kapugedera 95 VS West Indies | 1st ODI '08

1st ODI Sri Lanka Vs West Indies 10 APR 08

Click to expand...

Lankans make sweeping changes for ODIs

CricketNext: Sri Lanka will use the three-match one-day international series against West Indies which opens here on Thursday to kick-start their preparations for the 2011 World Cup.

Sri Lanka have made sweeping changes to the squad which drew the preceding two-Test series 1-1 with their hosts, and seven new players have been included to boost their stocks.


"There are a lot of youngsters, and what we are trying to do is develop a team for the next World Cup," Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said.


"We are going to try a few guys, some exciting youngsters. We want to be competitive against West Indies and see where we are in terms of our preparation for the World Cup.


"It's going to be a very good series because West Indies are a very good one-day unit as well."


Joining the squad for the ODI series are openers Upul Tharanga and Chamara Kapugedera, batsmen Ajantha Mendis, Mahela Udawatte, and Jehan Mubarak, all-rounder Kaushalya Weeraratne, and leg-spinner Malinga Bandara.


They have replaced Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ishara Amerasinge, and Chanaka Welegedara.


"Test cricket and ODI cricket are totally different, and you need to totally focus yourself on the ODIs differently," Jayawardene said.


"We've got new guys coming into the set-up. Our challenge is to try and blend quickly as possible, get them going and play some good cricket. We're looking forward to it."


Sri Lanka will jointly host the 2011 World Cup with India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and Jayawardene disclosed that his side is again setting itself the goal of reaching the Final as they did in the 2007 version in the Caribbean where they lost to three-time defending champions Australia.


"Cricket is going to go on, and players will come and go," he said. "We just need to make sure we have the right combinations going.


"It is just two-and-a-half years away from the World Cup. We need to make sure we get the personnel right and give opportunities.


"If you are going to bring youngsters in, those guys need to play at least 40 or 50 ODIs before the World Cup."


Click to expand...

[Videos] Sarwan guides windies home | SL VS WI DAY 4 H/L 2008

Courtesy Cricketcrowd

Sri Lanka Vs WI | 2nd Test Day 4 | Queens park Oval, Trinidad | 6TH APR 2008

Click to expand...

[Video] Sri Lanka Vs West Indies | 2nd Test | Presentation ceremony

Queens park Oval | Trinidad & Tobago | 6TH APR 2008

Click to expand...

Victorious Windies deny Sri Lanka Test sweep

AFP: PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP) — Sri Lanka failed in their bid to win a Test series in the Caribbean for the first time when Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul led the West Indies to a six-wicket victory in the second and final Test on Sunday.

Sarwan hit 102, his 10th Test century, while Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 86, as West Indies, chasing 253, reached their target a little over an hour after tea, when Devon Smith hit a delivery from Muttiah Muralitharan through cover for four to a cacophony of noise from the 8,000 crowd at the Queen's Park Oval.

The result meant that the two-Test series ended 1-1 after Sri Lanka won the opening Test by 121 runs in Guyana.

West Indies avoided being swept in a home Test series of any length for the first time in their eight decades of Test involvement.

For three and a quarter hours, Sri Lanka toiled to dislodge either Sarwan or Chanderpaul, but they failed until West Indies were will within sight of victory with 23 runs left to get.

Prior to this innings, Sarwan had scores of 80, 72, and 57 in the series, and he was a relieved man when he hit Muralitharan to deep fine leg for the last of his 15 boundaries to reach his hundred.

Unfortunately, he was not able to carry West Indies all the way to victory, and Muralitharan finally broke through, when the home team vice-captain, moving down the pitch, inside-edged a delivery into his pad and was caught at second slip.

But there was no letting up at the other end as Chanderpaul, who had been a shadow of himself throughout the series with scores of 23, 3, and 18, suddenly blossomed.

He too, looked satisfied, after reaching 50, when he guided Thilan Thushara to wide third man for a single.

Sri Lanka started the day knowing that history was on their side since West Indies had been successful in only one of their last five run chases at this venue, and that was a decade ago, when they pursued 282 to beat England.

When the visitors captured three wickets - two to Chaminda Vaas - to hold the early advantage before rain prompted an early lunch with the home team on 93 for three, they would have been optimistic.

The hardworking Thilan Thushara produced the breakthrough when West Indies captain Chris Gayle recklessly slashed at a delivery of no great merit and was caught at backward point for 10.

Next over, Vaas struck, when he had Chattergoon lbw for 11 playing forward and across a well-pitched delivery moving back from outside the off-stump to leave West Indies 24 for two.

But Sri Lanka's progress was slowed, when the embattled Marlon Samuels joined Sarwan at the wicket and they settled the nerves with a stand of 49 for the third wicket.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene brought back Vaas for a second spell from the Queen's Park Cricket Club pavilion end and he broke the partnership.

Vaas tempted Samuels with a juicy half-volley outside the off-stump which the batsman drove loosely and was caught low down at cover for 11.

After lunch, Sri Lanka's bowlers failed to make a breakthrough as Sarwan and Chanderpaul knuckled down to carry West Indies to 194 for three when rain prompted an earlier than scheduled tea.

Jayawardene could not find an appropriate combination to put a lid on the West Indies scoring, and this allowed Chanderpaul the freedom to come through a shaky early period to reach his 50.

The two sides now contest a three-match ODI series.

The first two games are here on Thursday and Saturday. The series ends on April 15 with a day/night fixture in St. Lucia.


Click to expand...

[Video] Sri Lanka Vs West Indies | 2nd Test, Day 3 | Evening Session | Trinidad '08

Queens park oval | 5th APR 2008

Click to expand...