A tale of two Tests

It’s been a while and I don’t really know where to start.

Firstly, I guess, we lost the first Test. Old news really, but it wasn’t a strong enough performance from us. To go down as we did in the fourth innings was, well, weak.

While in Galle, 12 of the 15 guys got sick. It seemed like it was just a matter of time before the whole travelling party got sick. Over the course of the match a few of the guys were so ill that they couldn’t even get themselves to the ground. It wasn’t pretty. The thing about whatever we got was that it lasted less than 24 hours but the side-effects of being sick meant that energy was hard to find for the next few days afterwards.

I got sick at the end of day three. We had come off for tea and Sri Lanka had declared; it was about an hour after that that I started to go downhill. Soon after I was vomiting and feeling very average. The timing of the onset was as good as it could have been, if there is ever a good time to get sick. I knew that I’d be back at the hotel soon and be able to spend as much time as I had to that night going back and forth from my bed and the toilet; and there were quite a few trips. I felt okay in the morning; I had the option to stay at the hotel for the morning and come down to the ground at lunch. I wanted to watch the boys bat and be a part of the changing room so I headed down with the team.

Recovering from it has taken longer than I thought. Putting the weight back on and getting energy back has been tough. The two days training before the match were a little subdued, still getting through what I needed to be ready for this Test.

I was a little nervous about selection for this Test. I hadn’t had a great game in Galle, three wickets that cost me around 60 a piece and going for almost six runs per over. Not good at all. So on the one hand I was prepared to make way for Tuffey and on the other I was thinking that before that Test I had been a pretty good performer and deserved the next Test. I think, so far in this Test, I’ve generally performed up to the standard I’ve set myself in the previous 12-18 months.

We really wanted to bat first in this match and when, from the changing room, we saw Kumar head to the toss interview first, we knew we were bowling; no one needed to ask Dan to make sure.

I had a good first spell, sweat pouring off and my face getting redder and redder. I managed to keep Dilshan quiet, something I couldn’t do at Galle, with better lengths. My first spell of six overs went for 10. That’s 30 runs less than my first four overs at Galle!!?? It was in my second spell when I picked up a wicket. The first ball of my eighth over Dilshan smashed one back to me, I guess I have to call it a dropped chance, but if I had caught that one you’d still be hearing me celebrating it. It hit me hard; I hardly had time to move my hands even in self defence. I followed through and asked Dilshan “is that all you’ve got, you’re going to have to hit it harder than that!” I do say some silly things sometimes. Next ball, it didn’t quite come out of my hand quite right and was shorter and slower, it held up and a leading edge back to me with a whole lot pace on it. I grabbed it with delight; it was a big one for me and the team.

My third spell for the day was not good. I came out after tea and really wanted to consolidate the work I had done up until here and get through three or four good overs. I didn’t. My legs decided that they didn’t really want to carry me and I had to fight to get to the wicket let alone try to get into my jump. I really had nothing in the tank for this spell and bowled poorly. I went off just after drinks to get my hand looked at (the one I tried to catch that Dilshan shot with earlier) but before I left the park Dan wanted a quick group chat. He gave it to us, it’s not often Dan gets angry, but he let us have it. The hour after tea had been poor, not even close to the standards we need to achieve to win a Test match. It was deserved and it’s fair to say from there to the end of the day we were better.

I got three overs with the new ball before the day was over. The energy came back, my jump was strong and I bowled a lot better. It was good to come off the park finishing with a good spell. I was knackered though, it was going to be a meal and a very early night.

I opened up this morning and continued on where I left off last night. Things felt pretty good. I had got through four overs and I could feel that Dan was toying with replacing me, I tried to get into the umpire and give him my hat and glasses before he had a chance to, I got a fifth over. Mahela had hardly played a bad shot in his innings, and the cover drive he played in this over was as good as any. I was then rather happy when he nicked one through to Baz for a catch and his wicket when he was on 92. Happy days, a breakthrough and it would then open up an end.

Kapugedera and the keeper Jayawardene hung about with the very in-form Samaraweera for a couple of very good partnerships. After they both were dismissed it was then a fight for the ball. I couldn’t get it and it was left to Jeetan and Dan to clean up the tail. Jeets finished with a well deserved four-wicket haul and we picked up the last seven wickets for around 150 and the last five for just 27. Brilliant.

More tomorrow......