Don Bradman showed way for Sri Lanka to climb up

Sri Lanka's early cricket fans - say in the 1930s had the glorious opportunity of witnessing the great Sir Donald Bradman play in this country. His first innings outside Australia occurred in a one-day match against All-Ceylon in 1930.

Chaminda Vaas – turned out to be a fine bowler and grew in stature as the season progressed.

Aravinda de Silva grew in stature during the 1989-90 series against Australia. He made 167 and Sri Lanka led on the first innings by 418 runs to 367, but the Test ended in a draw.

A record crowd hoped to watch Bradman in full flight, but he batted with restraint to score 40 out of a modest total of 213. The great Australian batsman did not play in Sri Lanka in 1934 and 1938 owing to ill health.

In 1948 Bradman made his final appearance in Colombo when he scored a carefully made 20 on a pitch subsequently found to be two yards short. Bradman really showed the way for Sri Lanka's desire to forge ahead.

The Australians have been welcome visitors to Sri Lanka and in 1969/70 the team led by Bill Lawry had a longer stay in Sri Lanka enroute to a tour of India and later South Africa. Four matches were played including a first-class match which was drawn.

For much of the century Australian cricketers have been well received in Sri Lanka and their occasional visits for one or two festival games have generated great excitement.

The prospect of watching Bradman bat or Keith Miller bowl offered Sri Lankans a chance to watch these world class players. The visits of champion Australian teams also provided an opportunity for Sri Lankans to measure how far their own game was progressing.

Australia and Sri Lanka first met at the inaugural World Cup Cricket Tournament in England in 1975 and there Australia hit up a huge score of 328 for 5 wickets off 55 overs. While the Sri Lankans never seriously chased this total, the Australian attack found it difficult to take wickets and Jeff Thomson, who bowled a fiery spell of short-pitched balls that forced two Sri Lankan batsman to retire hurt, cue in for severe criticism.

Australia and Sri Lanka first met at the inaugural World Cup in England in 1975 and thereafter Lanka became a full member of the ICC in April 1981, Australia played its first Test against Sri Lanka in Kandy in 1982/83 winning by an innings and 38 runs when Kepler Wessels (141) and David Hookes (143 not out) set up a huge total (514/4) and thereafter Australian spinners Bruce Yardley and Tem Hogan were the leading bowlers who helped them to dismiss Sri Lanka for 271 and 205.

Shane Warne – from a somewhat poor start with 335 for 1 wkt, he took 3 for C and Australia went on to win the Test by 16 runs in the Test in Sri Lanka.

Romesh Kaluwitharana made two fine starts – getting 77 and 74 in limited over games against the Aussies that helped Sri Lanka to win the two matches.

Sir Don Bradman – played two matches in Sri Lanka in 1930. He made 40 in a short but fine display. In 1948 he made his final display.

While the Test match was one-sides, Sri Lanka dominated the limited-overs series, winning the only two matches decided - the other two produced no results.

Sri Lanka had its first victory on Australian soil when it won a limited-overs match at the Melbourne cricket ground in 1984/85. After restricting Australia to 226 for 9 wickets, Sri Lanka reached 230 for 4 wickets when Aravinda de Silva came into his attacking best and went towards victory in fine style, hitting a six off the second ball of the last over. It was the only Sri Lankan win in 10 matches that season: The Lankans had lost four times to Australia and five times to the West Indies.

Lankans colourful cricketers

Sri Lankans were represented in the Australian media in the 1980s as colourful and exotic cricketers with long names which Australians found difficult to pronounce and the Aussies came to knew that the Lankans had great enthusiasm for the game and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Sri Lankans played their first Test in Australia in 1987-88, but they were outclassed at the WACA ground in Perth - not the easiest ground to play on in Australia and the Aussies romped home by an innings and 108 runs.

Sri Lanka was far more competitive when it played two more Tests against Australia in 1989-90. With Aravinda de Silva scoring 167, Sri Lanka on the first innings by 418 runs to 367, but this Test ended in a draw.

Aussies win 2nd Test

Australia won the 2nd Test at Bellerine Oval by 173 runs but, set 522 for victory in the 4th innings, Sri Lanka batted courageously to reach 348.

Asanka Gurusinha – scored a century against the Australian Test team.

Kepler Wessels (Australia) made a fine knock of 141 in the huge Australian score of 514 for 4 wickets which helped Australia to beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 38 runs in Kandy in 1982/83.

David Hookes – made 143 not out along with Kepler Wessels set up a huge total of 514 for 4 wickets that helped Australia to win the match against Sri Lanka by an innings and 38 runs in Kandy.

Sri Lanka appeared set to win its first Test against Australia in Colombo in 1992/93. Sri Lanka established a huge first innings lead of 291 runs after Asanka Gurusinha scored 137 and Kaluwitharana made a slashing 132 not out in his debut.

Although Australia scored 472 in their second innings, Sri Lanka was set only 180 runs for victory. At 127 for 2 wickets Sri Lanka appeared to be coasting to victory, but Allan Border's gamble to turn to Shane Warne proved decisive. Although Warne had Test figures at that point of only 335/1, he took 3 for 1 and Australia won the Test by 16 runs. The remaining two Tests were drawn. Sri Lanka won the Limited Overs series by 2 matches to one.

Sri Lanka well beaten in 1995/96

The Sri Lankans were well beaten in 1995/96, though the team had to struggle against injury. Strike bowler Chaminda Vaas grew in stature as the season progressed and Tillekeratne, Gurusinha and Jayasuriya all scored attractive centuries. The Test series was far closer than the three-nil result indicates.

Sri Lanka was more successful in the limited overs competition, squaring the lead-up matches two-all. Both Lankan wins were achieved when Sri Lanka batted second, winning close matches by three wickets. The Sri Lanka 'tail' proved that it had the moral courage to with stand all the pressure that the Australians could muster.

On both occasions Sri Lanka achieved a flying start, courtesy of the flashing bat of Kaluwitharana who scored 77 and 74.

The relationship between Australia and Sri Lanka has been transformed in just 15 years from the one-sided matches between the might of Australia and the minnows of Sri Lanka to exciting and competitive contests which feature two differing styles of play, the exciting innovation of the Sri Lankans as against the hard nosed percentage playing Australian team.

The clash between the two sides in the World Cup was classic confrontation. Some of the Australians have found it difficult to accept that the former cricket pupils have learnt their lessons with such speed. Others were not used to eating humble pie after all the lead-up drama and the decisive World Cup defeat. It was all obvious that there was some difference between some of the Australians - masters of intimidation and sledging - don't take kindly to players of other countries returning that treatment in kind. The Sri Lanka cricketers are exuberant and entertaining.