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| Sunday, 20 March 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Something to remember by A.C. de Silva The month of April is a happy one for Sri Lanka's new cricket manager, Brendon Kuruppu. He takes Sri Lanka's Test cricket team for the two-Test tour of New Zealand, the first of which will be in Napier from April 4 to 8 and the second in Wellington from April 11 to 15. The Sri Lankan cricketers leave on March 24 morning.
Manager Kuruppu will obviously remember the month of April for a long, long time. He really made his mark in Sri Lanka's Test scene in April 1987 when he made a spectacular debut for the country in Colombo against the very same country - New Zealand. It was not only a debut that Kuruppu made, but it was a stunning one with many records to his credit. The joyous scenes were enacted at the Colombo Cricket Club grounds when Kuruppu, who was 25 years then and labelled as a 'one-day' cricketer, was thrown into the Lion's den, as it were, for Sri Lanka's Silver Jubilee Test against New Zealand on April 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21. Though languishing in the wilderness Kuruppu did not lose heart but stuck to the game he loved best. Then came the news, that Sri Lanka had to find an opener for Sidath Wettimuny who announced his retirement from International cricket after the Indian tour and Brendon was the ultimate choice. Came April 16th 1987 and after being put in to bat by the New Zealand skipper Jeff Crowe, Sri Lanka had to weather the onslaughts of pacemen Hadlee and Ewen Chatfield. The pacemen made it difficult for the batsmen to play them. Hadlee, on a couple of occasions, made the ball to lift, but Brendon and Roshan Mahanama tackled the attack competently. Determination and guts, the two qualities that Kuruppu had in abundance, helped him emerge with flying colours in the Colombo Test. He put to shame the selectors of the past who kept him out of the Test squad. Brendon Kuruppu made a dream debut in this Test, making 201 not out and thereby helping Sri Lanka to make 397 for 9 wickets in 778 minutes and then declaring. Records tumbled like nine-pins when Brendon Kuruppu was at the wicket. 1. He became the first Sri Lankan batsman to score a century in his Test debut. 2. He became the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred in Test cricket (in the span of 25 Tests played by Sri Lanka). 3. He became the third batsman in Test history to score 200 runs in his Test debut. 4. As a wicket-keeper, he made hundred in his Test debut. 5. As an opener, he scored the highest number of runs on debut. 6. He played 778 minutes for his double hundred. Thus, he played the longest innings for his country. In terms of time limit, it was the third longest innings played by a batsman in the world. 7. He scored the slowest double hundred in Test cricket. 8. It was Kuruppu's innings which helped Sri Lanka to compile its highest score against New Zealand. 9. Kuruppu became the 52nd batsman in the world to score a century in his debut. However, it was somewhat sad that after this first Test, New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka ended abruptly as a bomb blast on the final day of the Test, a kilometre away from the hotel where the tourists were staying left more than 100 dead and 288 injured. On the representations made by the two teams it was mutually agreed to abadon the tour. |
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