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Giles torments Sri Lanka

Wednesday, December 3 2003

Much-maligned Ashley Giles answered his critics in no uncertain terms today with a fine spell of attacking spin bowling to give England the ascendancy in a rain-interrupted first day's play in the first test match against Sri Lanka at Galle today.

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first against an England side giving Paul Collingwood his test match debut as replacement for Nasser Hussain who had come down with a virus. Whilst the weather had shown much improvement following the monsoon-ravaged one-day series, it was still sufficiently inclement to cause a 15 minute delay before proceedings even commenced here today.

Marvan Atapattu opened his account in the first over bowled by Matthew Hoggard, pouncing on a short one to swing it through the vacant deep backward square leg area for the first boundary of the innings. Sanath Jayasuriya was quick to respond in kind, taking on a ball from Richard Johnson which was only fractionally short, and he too started with runs - a couple - behind square on the leg side.

Jayasuriya's first boundary, a cut through third man off Johnson, was rapidly followed by a glorious straight drive off the same bowler as both openers, by and large, were having very little difficulty in preserving their tenure in the middle. Atapattu backed away and cut Hoggard to the third man fence as Sri Lanka continued to make progress against the English opening bowlers.

The first bowling change so nearly brought immediate reward for England, Atapattu the fortunate batsman as he edged Andrew Flintoff agonisingly wide of second slip for a boundary. Another beauty from the perennially unfortunate Lancastrian defeated the groping Atapattu outside the off stump as England strived to make early inroads.

Paul Collingwood, given the ball ahead of either main-line spinner, was comprehensively despatched for a brace of boundaries by Atapattu before Gareth Batty was introduced into the attack, starting with a tidy maiden. Flintoff continued in miserly mood, giving neither batsman anything to hit before he turned to a round-the-wicket line, spearing the ball in at the body to left-hander and right-hander alike.

With Batty and Flintoff keeping things exceedingly tight and both batsmen having one eye on the approaching luncheon interval, it was cricket for the purist, a near stalemate between bat and ball. When the rain-shortened opening session came to an end, Sri Lanka had ground their way to just 46 from 21 overs, but more to the point they still had all ten wickets intact.

Both opening batsmen seemed to start the afternoon session with renewed urgency and when Sanath Jayasuriya slammed Richard Johnson's first delivery of his second spell to the boundary, it took the batsman's account at this ground to 500 runs in test match cricket and, more to the point, took Sri Lanka past 50 in this game.

Batty dropped short to Jayasuriya who bludgeoned the ball to the point boundary for his fifth four, then Atapattu danced down the track to a more flighted one from the same bowler and simply caressed the ball through mid-off as the opening partnership continued to blossom.

Further punishment for Batty prompted Michael Vaughan to turn to Ashley Giles; almost immediately batting looked to be a much more difficult prospect and in just his second over, he achieved the desperately-required breakthrough. Jayasuriya, two short of a half-century, pushed half-forward, the ball flicked the inside edge of his bat before popping up off his pad to Paul Collingwood at short leg who gleefully held the straightforward chance to leave the home side on 76-1.

Matthew Hoggard replaced Johnson and bowled a tight over to Marvan Atapattu, then Kumar Sangakkara got off the mark with an exquisite cover drive for four off Giles. With the weather closing in, eyes were continually being cast skywards and it wasn't long before the heavens opened once more, sending both sides scurrying for the sanctuary of the dressing rooms.

Following a long delay, Hoggard completed his rain-interrupted over before Vaughan turned once more to Andrew Flintoff, and this time the big man did not disappoint. A superb delivery had Atapattu (29) groping outside off stump, then in attempting to turn a short ball to leg the opener could only succeed in gloving it through to Chris Read who took the catch down by his toes with the total on 88.

Giles and Flintoff were bowling superbly, economy personified, and both bowlers continually posed a threat as England sought to wrest the initiative from the home side. Mahela Jayawardene, without looking totally secure, and the watchful Sangakkara took the total beyond a hundred as Flintoff in particular continued to bowl his heart out on the very placid pitch which was offering little lateral movement for spinner or seamer alike.

Batty and Giles, operating in tandem, continued to apply pressure before Giles struck for a second time, this time picking up Jayawardene for a scratchy 17 in a carbon copy of Jayasuriya's dismissal, bringing the Sri Lankan captain to the wicket in indifferent light.

With both batsmen seemingly set on survival, Michael Vaughan took the opportunity to apply a little more pressure with men surrounding the bat, and the spinners bowled maiden after maiden before Ashley Giles capped a good day for England and a superb one for himself.

With the scoreboard locked on 132 for fully seven overs, Tillakaratne pounced on a ball from the excellent Giles which was slightly shorter, slightly quicker and altogether far too close to the off stump to cut. A thickish edge, a big deflection and an excellent reaction catch by Chris Read meant three wickets for Giles and a miserable duck for the Sri Lankan skipper.

Sangakkara and Thilan Sumaraweera successfully negotiated a couple of overs in the by now rapidly fading light before Sangakkara superbly cut Batty to backward point for a much-needed boundary. It was to be the last cricketing action of the day as a blinking Venkat, peering at his light-meter with a frown to rival one of Dickie Bird's finest, finally offered the light to the beleaguered batsmen.

It had been England's session by a mile as they moved into a position of some ascendancy in the game. Sri Lanka bat a long way down, though, and with England destined to bat last and with the enigmatic Muttiah Muralitharan waiting in the wings with a new 'mystery ball' supposedly ready and waiting, early wickets tomorrow are very much a necessity.

Day 1 summary
Sri Lanka 138-4 (Jayasuriya 48, Sangakkara 39*, Giles 3-13)


Posted by Eddie