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| Sunday, 23 November 2003 |
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Sri Lanka determined to keep winning run by RANJAN ANANDAPPA While Sri Lanka will look to round-it-off in style, England on the other hand, will be praying that their batting machinery will find its bearings to square things in the deciding day-night one-dayer to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium today. The Sri Lankans won the first one-dayer convincingly by 10 wickets at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, after an indifferent batting display by England while the second game at the R. Premadasa Stadium was abandoned due to a wet surface last Friday. "Winning the one-day series will be a psychological advantage for us as England are an experienced Test side and most of the one-day players will be in the Test Squad," said Sri Lankan captain, Marvan Atapattu during a net session at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday morning. Former captain Nasser Hussain who has retired from one-day cricket, Mark Butcher, Stephen Harmison, Mathew Hoggard, Geraint Jones, and Graham Thorpe will join the Test squad. "After the first game in Dambulla where England lost we were expecting them to comeback hard on using the second game, but, unfortunately the rain played a different role and the match had to be called off without a ball being bowled," added the Sri Lankan captain. "The most difficult thing to do is to just sit and wait in the pavilion till there is any possibility of play," quipped Atapattu with a somewhat worried look. Refereeing to the pitch, he said that he should expect an usual Khettarama pitch, slow and assisting the spin bowlers, but said that the final XI will be decided on only prior to the commencement of the game. Meanwhile, airing England's sentiments, Paul Collingwood, who was interestingly performing the unusual chore of the captain, in a familiarising routine for the younger English 'uns in the job with the media, hoped the pitch would favour their batsmen who would approach the game in a more positive manner to combat the Sri Lankan bowlers. "We are looking forward for Sunday's game, and try to build up good partnerships for a substantial total. The state of the pitch cannot be ascertained in advance as it could change with the prevailing conditions," said Collingwood, the England allrounder who was the top scorer in the first one-day game in Dambulla. Today's 'decider' will in all possibility played to a sell out crowd craving for a thriller in the wake of the wet weather which has taken away the entertainment. Sri Lanka (from) - Marvan Atapattu (Captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Russel Arnold, T.M. Dilshan, Upul Chandana, Kumara Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Dinusha Fernando, Muthiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa, Chamara Silva, Nuwan Kulasekera, Romesh Kaluwitharana (Wicket-keeper). England (from) - Michael Vaughan (Captain), James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Ian Blackwell, Rikki Clark, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Richard Johnson, James Kirtley, Anthony McGrath, Chris Read (Wicket-keeper), Vikram Solanki, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick. |
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