SL Presidents XI v England
Saturday, November 29 2003
Rain, as predictable as the sunrise, came to the rescue of the home side in Colombo today and in the process curtailed England's 'War of the Twirls' in mid-afternoon on the final day.
England fielded a 1960's India-like three spinners in the side - Croft, Giles and Batty - in what was, in all likelihood, a final eliminator to fill two slots for the first test, starting next Tuesday.
Russel Arnold won the toss for the Presidents XI and elected to bat on day 1, and the home side were almost immediately in trouble, a position they never really extricated themselves from throughout the game. James Kirtley did the damage, snapping up the first four wickets to fall - three before lunch - in a game which should not even have been graced with his presence.
The fact that Kirtley was even present owed more to an impromptu game of squash between himself and James Anderson than anything else. Kirtley was due to fly home with the discarded members of the under-worked one-day squad on Monday, but Anderson's injury meant that additional cover in the seam department was essential on the eve of the first test.
After Kirtley had staked his own claim for extended residence in Sri Lanka, matters got down to the business in hand - deciding the fate of the spinners. Ashley Giles and Gareth Batty grabbed three and one respectively before the heavens opened, leaving the home side on 142-8 at the end of the first day.
Bathiya Perera moved from his overnight total of 29 through to a well-constructed undefeated half-century, although it could be argued that he should not have made it through the thirties. Kirtley was the unfortunate bowler as Geraint Jones grassed a difficult chance.
Andrew Flintoff removed Lakshitha before Jones redeemed himself with his second stumping of the innings to further inflate the bowling analysis of Ashley Giles as the Presidents XI ended on 181.
The regular drenchings which the grounds have been subjected to on this tour have meant that a number of the batsmen have almost needed an introduction to each other, so little time have they spent together in the middle. Vaughan and Trescothick were not playing, so Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain formed an unfamiliar, makeshift opening partnership.
Unfortunately for Hussain, his tenure at the wicket lasted precisely four balls as Dilhara Fernando bowled him off his pads. Thorpe and Flintoff benefited from feeling bat on ball, but it was Butcher, so disappointing in Bangladesh, who reaped the greatest benefit. By the time that rain forced play to be abandoned for the day with England on 225-5, he had moved imperiously into three figures, and more to the point into splendid nick.
A quick blast by Butcher on the morning of day three, ably supported by Ashley Giles, allowed him to move past 150 and the tourists on to 314-9 before the declaration came.
The Sri Lankans had little trouble in proceeding past 50 without loss at lunch with Vandort in particularly fine touch, but the main event was the continuing contest between England's three front-line spinners.
Predictably, James Kirtley further clouded already muddy waters with another impressive display of seam-up before he broke through, nipping out Sudarshana with one which nipped back.
On to the spin contest. Batty, Giles and Croft bagged a wicket apiece as England fought to extract an unlikely result from the savagely-curtailed game, but just as it was getting interesting, once again the monsoon had the final word.
England's batters look sound, the form of Kirtley is a real bonus should Anderson fail to recover from his twisted ankle in time to take the field on Tuesday next, but the spin department still offers plenty of opportunity for debate. Will one play or two - and which ones?
If the England selectors thought that this game would give them plenty of food for thought, they were correct. If they thought that it would answer any questions, they were probably wrong. When England next take to the field, it will be for real - and three into two doesn't go.
England 314-9 dcl (Butcher 151*, Flintoff 47, Fernando 3-79)
drew with
Sri Lankan Presidents XI 181 (Perera 55*, Kirtley 4-41, Giles 3-25)
and 135-4 (Vandort 42)
Posted by Eddie
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