When fortune favoured the brave

There are times when in cricketing life fortune favours the brave. There are also times when rare acts of bravery and courage make winners out of a losing situation. These attributes were never better exemplified than when what happened at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on Wednesday when Sri Lanka played Australia in the First of Three one-day internationals.

With Sri Lanka tottering at 107 for 8 chasing 240 to win, the game was good as over bar the shouting. Angelo Mathews and number 10 Lasith Malinga would not have been faulted had they been cautious in their approach.

But they threw caution to the winds and showing bravery took the fight to the Aussies. They seemed to have modeled their approach on - attack is the best form of defence - and didn't that daring approach pay rich dividends!

Mathews and Malinga played their natural attacking game. And did they not upset the Aussies and their game plan as they began to spray the bowling all over the park and, and what is more, over it as well with batsmanship of the highest class. No wonder then that they helped Sri Lanka to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Jig of joy

When this unbelievable and impossible victory was achieved the explosion and exposition of joyous celebration reached a fever pitch. And the large contingent of Sri Lankans domiciled in Melbourne jumped for joy, did the jig and sang the Lankan Sinhala perennials to the sounds of the papara, papara bands.

After Thisara Perera made inroads into the Aussie batting with great figures of 5 for 46, the Lankans seemed to have thrown away his good work by collapsing to 107 for 8 with some irresponsible batting.

Sports fans were once again reminded that a match is not won or lost till the final ball is delivered as Mathews and Malinga put on a marathon record breaking and scintillating partnership of 132 in 110 balls.

Man of the match Mathews remained unbeaten on 77 made in 84 balls. Malinga blasted 56 in 48 balls which included two huge sixes. In putting on this stand they broke a ninth wicket record that was to the credit of Kapil Dev and Seyd Kirmani who put on 126 in the World Cup game against Zimbabwe which game India won and went on to win the World Cup in England in 1983.

Aussies in the dumps

As for the Aussies nothing seems to be gong right these days. They were done in by the Indians in India. Lost the Twenty20 game in Perth and now gifted the 50-over game to the Sri Lankans. This having been recorded, it would be patently unfair to give any impression that the Sri Lankan win was more because of the weaknesses in the Aussie camp. Noting can be further from the truth: the Sri Lankan's gutsy performance can surely be attributed to the spunk and spark that our tailenders could and would display.

Now that the Lankans have drawn first blood, they must endeavour to remain that way. What they need to do is believe in themselves and then the pieces will fall right. With the cricketing gods willing, the Sri Lankan's first one-day series against the Aussies in kangarooland will be in the bag.

The Sri Lankan cricketers had a walk in the park against Australia in the only Twenty20 mock cricket bash beating the home team by seven wickets at the Gabba in Perth, Western Australia. After the Aussies could mange only 133 for 8 in their 20, Sri Lanka got there making 134 for 3 with seven wickets standing.

But this victory was of little or no significance because, the pot of gold is the 2011- 50 over-World Cup to be contested in the sub continent. Twenty20 cricket is a mockery stapled on the game by the International Cricket Council.

Book cricket at best

Where there is money the ICC will pitch camp. Progress of the established game it seems is no real concern of the ICC but rather the pecuniary benefits it seems that matters most to the organization.

If some bright spark modifies the 'book cricket' that we used to play as school kids by turning the pages and hitting six after six, and inveigle the ICC into believing that it will bring in the ship loads of dollars, the ICC will jump at the idea, grab it and give it international recognition.

Pakistan cricket which has been riddled with controversy in recent times, enjoyed one of their better days when a Jessopian- style lighting innings by that brilliant all rounder Abdur Razzak piloted them to a memorable victory against the South Africans.

Forced to play their home games in neutral venues because the unsettled security situation at home, Pakistan are hosting the South African to five 50 over one-day internationals at the picturesque international cricket stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Proteas cropped

After tamely losing the first game, the Pakistanis raised their game Phoenix-like from the ashes to crop the Proteas in the second bash by one wicket with one ball to spare.

When the Proteas batted first and ran up a formidable score of 286 for 8 in their quota of 50 overs, helped by an elegant 100 from Colin Ingram and 65 from Hashim Amla and 54 from Jean Paul Duminy, it looked as though the Pakistanis would surrender again.

Razzak strode in to the centre with Pakistan precariously placed on 136 for 5 and staring down the barrel. He quickly studied the behaviour and dynamics of the wicket and did not take long to get a feel of the South African bowlers.

Playing like a real star with celestial power, Razzak used his experience and big hitting prowess to bash the South African bowlers 10 times over the boundary and seven times along the ground to the fence in his unbeaten three figure score that came in 72 deliveries.

Awesome power

The Abu Dhabi stadium which is new to international cricket has not seen and is not likely to see an innings of such awesome power and display. Razzak's stroke play had to be seen to be believed. His timing was out of this world, as he used his feet to get to the pitch of the ball when the bowlers pitched up to go over the top, or moved back cleverly to cut and pull to the fence when the ball was pitched short.

Sadly Razzak has not been a permanent fixture in the Pakistan squad. As such he has not been able to deliver as he would like and for the good of their game. Pakistan selectors need not be told that allrounders don't come dime a dozen.

In Razzak, Pakistan has a player that has the potential of a world class ranker. His arrival and entry to first class cricket is better late than never, it is said and one hopes that the Pakistan hierarchy will at least now see the match winning all round qualities in the dashing right hander and play him consistently. His innings kept the series live with one win to each team. Believe it or not he scored 63 of the last 65 runs.

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