South Africa dethrones England, Massacre by Mahela and Sidath
becomes Golf Champ
 South
African cricketers led by left handed opening batsman Graeme Smith must
certainly be having that over the moon feeling, now that they have
dethroned England and reached cricket’s Mount Everest.
The Proteas are now the crowned Kings of Test cricket and they are
sure to jealously and proudly guard that hard won honour and stay top of
the pops for a long, long time to come.
When the Three Test series began at the home of cricket England, the
host team led by another South African Andrew Strauss was the champions
of the game. South Africa had brought out with them a set of dour
fighters.
Brilliant in every aspect of the game they could perform in the
fickle conditions and bring England down to earth.
Captains clever thinkers
The captains were South Africans, Andrew Strauss of England and
Graeme Smith of South Africa. Both were clever thinkers of the game and
had proved their captaincy abilities by being number one and two in the
Test rankings.
In addition, they were with the same batting styles, left handers who
could put any attack to the sword with their attacking batting. They had
proved this with many centuries and double centuries to their credit.
England had got to the top by dint of some hard work.
Their chinks showed when they toured Sri Lanka and lost the First
Test at Galle and then played from out of their skins to win the Second
Test at the P. Sara Stadium.
Then they got whacked three nil by Pakistan in the desert which would
have been galling to them. Defeats which would not have done any good to
their cricket and confidence.
Billed as blockbusters
When the South African tour to England began, it was billed as going
to be a blockbuster of a series. It was even suggested that this series
which was going to decide whether England would stay top or would be
dethroned, should really have been a Five Test series.
But the privilege of playing Five Test series is reserved for England
and Australia! Some cricketing quarter think, rightly, that this is
unfair. However that is how the game goes and there is no use splitting
hairs on that.
The teams trained hard and England were determined not to cave in,
while South Africa with nothing to lose, were going to give it their
all.
To them this was a ‘make or break series’.
South Africa shook England when they thrashed the home team byinnings
in the First Test at the Oval. The Second Test at Headingley was a no
decision with rain proving to be a spoil sport.
Holy Land of cricket
When the final Test began at the Holy Land of cricket – Lord’s,
with the South Africans leading one-nil, they had to stave off defeat
to grab the top spot in ICC Test Rankings while England had to win to
maintain their status quo.
But in an exciting game, which could have gone either way, the
South Africans strained every nerve and sinew to the maximum and that
they won was poetic justice.
Did not the South African cricketers do the jig of joy and
congratulate each other when the Man-of –the Match, the consistent
medium pace seam bowler Vernon Philander had last man Steve Finch caught
by Jacques Kallis.
Philander who has performed admirably and consistently since sporting
SA colours had the enviable figures of 5 for 30 which he will treasure
and remember for the rest of his career.
Grand triumph
Others who starred in this grand triumph were Hashim Amla with a
triple century in the First Test, Jacques Kallis who added to his
stature with a century also in the First Test.
However it was a team effort that won for the South Africans the
coveted title as World Champions. While all other Test playing countries
will be envying their effort, they will have to guard against
complacency, which has been the downfall of many.
They will need to guard this hard won honour.
While basking in the glory of this phenomenal success, one who must
not be forgotten is their former big scoring left hand batsman and now
coach Gary Kirsten.
Kirsten took Indian cricket to the top by showing them how to win the
2011 World Cup 50 over tournament after 29 years. Kirsten in outthinking
and outplaying his counterpart Zimbabwean Andy Flower who took England
cricket to the top, will be in greater demand now.
Guard the laurels
While South Africa will strive to guard the laurels, England will
have to go back to drawing boards and study where their wheels came off
and try to re-fix them again. As is customary, now the British
cricketing journalists, like all journalists are wont to do when their
country loses will be daggers drawn, baying for the blood of Captain
Andrew Strauss and
coach Andy Flower.The campaign for their removal will be even more
devastating considering that Strauss is a South African and Andy Flower
is a Zimbabwean. They will be demanding for a captain and coach with a
‘Made in England’ tag. They cannot be faulted.
Mahela massacre at Pallekele
It could be best described as a massacre by Mahela at Pallekele — the
ruthless manner in which he set about dissecting and demolishing the
Nagenahira bowlers in the SLPL Twenty20 match at the lovely Pallekele
Stadium under lights.
Mahela seems to have rejuvenated, the manner in which he put together
a Gordon Greenidge-like blistering 96 which saw 11 fours and 5 sweetly
timed sixes off his bat which bat was used rapier like.
The Nagenahira bowlers and fielders could only just watch transfixed
as Mahela rocket-launched his boundaries in staccato style.
His sixes left spectators running for cover, fearing these
thunderbolts could strike them down.
After such a display of fireworks, that lit the night sky at
Pallekele, he strode back to field and led his troops like a true
general, switching his bowlers cleverly and placing fields that could
not be pierced by the batsmen.
This telling show must have given a knockout blow like a left
hook from former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Frank Tyson to his
frustrated critics, who it said are again raising their hydra heads
plotting his removal as captain.
Mahela will do well to always keep in mind the adage that – god save
me from my friends.With my enemies I know where I stand,especially those
who are wolves in sheep clothing. They could look ‘ALANKARA’, but in
fact who are ‘EERSHAKARA’.
Lord Sid golf champion
It was great to know that former Sri Lankan opening batsman Sidath
Wettimuny, taking the golfing scene by storm by emerging golf champion
carrying away the Mark Bostock Trophy. While the SLPL Twenyty20 was
taking place in Pallekele,Wettimuny holed this trophy at the annual Mark
Bostock Memorial Golf Championship at the lovely Victoria golf course at
Rajawella on Saturday.
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