Caribbean awaits mercurial Sanath's explosive batting
 

by Richard Dwight

It could without any reservations be said, that the best thing to happen for the good of Sri Lanka cricket, was the coming to be of Sanath Teran Jayasuriya, the willow wizard.

The decision not to merely confine the game to the metropolis, but to revitalise it in greater perspective in the districts and the rural areas, saw Sanath and yet other talented cricketers emerge.

The 37-year-old Sanath, who was born on the 30th June 1969, grew up in the fishing town of Matara and had his primary and secondary education at St. Servatious College where he played cricket. His introduction to the local cricket tournament was through the Colombo Cricket Club and, his cricket thereafter did blossom out at Bloomfield, of which club he continues to be still a member.

The mild mannered, unassuming friendly Sanath, given to sober disciplined ways is ever conscious of keeping fit. Evidence of this is seen in his left handed batting, bowling, fielding and, the advancing years resting lightly on him.

In those earlier years there was nothing special about his cricket, but he did have the makings of becoming a fine all rounder. And with time he made his test debut against New Zealand in 1990/1, but really stormed on to the international scene during the 1996 World Cup, when he was named as player of the tournament.

He lost little or no time in establishing himself as a belligerent hitter of the ball to become one of the World's most feared one-day batsman because of his ability to win matches in such a short space of time.

Indeed a boost and pride to this small third world developing country beset with quite a few problems. It resounds to his credit that he devised a strategic ploy for one-dayers, where he smashed the bowlers to all corners of the field to make the maximum amount of runs within the first 15 overs.

This came as a surprise to the major cricket playing countries, a shattering experience. Sanath was a nightmare to them, who were solely pre-occupied with, as to how quickly they could dismiss him.

He tore apart the bowling of condescending arrogant pacemen, with fleet of foot and twinkling steps to send the ball speeding along to the boundary or soaring over it with a fury that virtually brought the bowlers to their knees. All this did serve us to release our pent up downcast, frustrated feelings, that arise from the dismal environment we find ourselves in.

Sanath the sensational batting star is not only an adept one-day cricketer, but also a reputed batsman in Test cricket, with a career best score of 340 against India.

He is a fitness, addict and found ageless for cricket, and it is because of this and his batting prowess, that he earned a recall to play against England last year - where he bludgeoned his way in a belligerent mood for TV commentators to go into raptures with Michael Holding describing him as a 'destroyer', Ian Botham carried away, repeatedly said this is 'carnage' whilst David Gower in polished language kept praising Sanath's batting.

Against all this and more he now heads for the World Cup matches, having scored 6791 runs in 107 test matches, averaging 40.42 with 14 centuries and 30 fifties, and having taken 96 wickets at an average of 34.7 whilst in the one-dayers he has scored 11,538 runs off 379 matches at an average of 32.87 with 23 centuries and 62 fifties and has captured 285 wickets averaging 36.96.