Sangakkara plays umpire, Dilshan's recurring nightmare
Plays of the day for the first ODI between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo
The Dilswipe - A familiar sight with Tillakaratne Dilshan • AFP
The no ball
In the 46th over, Ryan McLaren might have thought he had had Kumar Sangakkara cleaned up, when the batsman moved across his stumps and missed a full toss that he attempted to scoop, and had his stumps rattled. But having not skipped a beat, Sangakkara began vigorously appealing to the umpires before McLaren could even begin his celebration. Pointing with agitation at the fielders on the fence, Sangakkara indicated that there were too many men outside the circle, and the umpires perhaps by their own calculation, acknowledged his complaint by awarding a no-ball. Worse for South Africa, Sangakkara attempted the same shot next ball, and connected well enough to send it to the fine leg fence.
In the 46th over, Ryan McLaren might have thought he had had Kumar Sangakkara cleaned up, when the batsman moved across his stumps and missed a full toss that he attempted to scoop, and had his stumps rattled. But having not skipped a beat, Sangakkara began vigorously appealing to the umpires before McLaren could even begin his celebration. Pointing with agitation at the fielders on the fence, Sangakkara indicated that there were too many men outside the circle, and the umpires perhaps by their own calculation, acknowledged his complaint by awarding a no-ball. Worse for South Africa, Sangakkara attempted the same shot next ball, and connected well enough to send it to the fine leg fence.
The mauling
Sangakkara was 66 off 91 at the beginning of the 39th over, but Chris Morris served up an over of woeful death bowling inside the batting Powerplay and set Sangakkara on the track that saw him plunder 103 off the next 46 balls. A wide, overpitched delivery first sped over point, before a long-hop was hammered over the deep square leg rope, as the batsman backed away. Another short delivery was clipped finer on the leg side, and to finish the quartet, Sangakkara lofted Morris over wide mid-on. The four-ball burst had cost 18 and the over went for 20. Sri Lanka did not slow down after that, hitting 117 from the remaining 11 overs.
Sangakkara was 66 off 91 at the beginning of the 39th over, but Chris Morris served up an over of woeful death bowling inside the batting Powerplay and set Sangakkara on the track that saw him plunder 103 off the next 46 balls. A wide, overpitched delivery first sped over point, before a long-hop was hammered over the deep square leg rope, as the batsman backed away. Another short delivery was clipped finer on the leg side, and to finish the quartet, Sangakkara lofted Morris over wide mid-on. The four-ball burst had cost 18 and the over went for 20. Sri Lanka did not slow down after that, hitting 117 from the remaining 11 overs.
The start
The small Premadasa crowd could hardly be more ecstatic after Sri Lanka's furious finish, but were in raptures again after Lasith Malinga removed Colin Ingram with a yorker in the first ball of South Africa's innings. Swinging in the opposite direction to the way he usually moves the ball, Malinga snuck the ball between pad, and Ingram's bat, which not only came down too late, but was playing the wrong line anyway.
The small Premadasa crowd could hardly be more ecstatic after Sri Lanka's furious finish, but were in raptures again after Lasith Malinga removed Colin Ingram with a yorker in the first ball of South Africa's innings. Swinging in the opposite direction to the way he usually moves the ball, Malinga snuck the ball between pad, and Ingram's bat, which not only came down too late, but was playing the wrong line anyway.
The recurring nightmare
Length balls on the stumps are usually a straightforward proposition for most batsmen, but Tillakaratne Dilshan probably wakes up in a cold sweat with visions of that delivery playing in his head. Even just in the last seven months, Dilshan has had his stumps splayed by that very delivery in three different continents. Amid a slew of early wides, Chris Morris got one to go straight and despite having vowed he had corrected the malaise in March, Dilshan found himself swiping towards the leg side, and walking back to the pavilion soon after.
Length balls on the stumps are usually a straightforward proposition for most batsmen, but Tillakaratne Dilshan probably wakes up in a cold sweat with visions of that delivery playing in his head. Even just in the last seven months, Dilshan has had his stumps splayed by that very delivery in three different continents. Amid a slew of early wides, Chris Morris got one to go straight and despite having vowed he had corrected the malaise in March, Dilshan found himself swiping towards the leg side, and walking back to the pavilion soon after.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. He tweets here