S Thawfeeq: Aravinda Played The Finest Innings (19 Apr 1996)

19 April 1996

112 off 95 balls in B & H final at Lords

Aravinda played the finest innings

BY SA`ADI THAWFEEQ

By picking Sri Lanka vice-captain Aravinda de Silva as one of its `Five Cricketers of the Year`, in its 133rd year of publication, "Wisden Cricketers` Almanac 1996`` comments: "His 112 off 95 balls in the Benson and Hedges final was arguably the finest innings played in England last summer``.

De Silva becomes only the second Sri Lankan cricketer to be so honoured by the world`s most famous sports book.

Former Sri Lanka opener Sidath Wettimuny was the first, when he figured among the five cricketers of the year in the 1985 publication after his record-breaking innings of 190 against England on his debut at Lord`s in 1984.

The 1996 Almanac further states: "De Silva demonstrated all too vividly that top-class batsmen need not be constricted by the artificiality of oneday cricket. Even when the asking-rate was reaching absurd proportions, he did not have to resort to slogging. This was as felicitous a piece of batting seen in a limited-overs final since Asif Iqbal made 89 for the same county, Kent against the same opposition``.

`Wisden` says that De Silva unashamedly used his innings in the Benson and Hedges final as a platform to air his grievances of England not granting a Test to Sri Lanka during the summer of 1995.

"Since 1984 Sri Lanka has always played a one-off Test against England after each West Indies tour, but in 1995 we were dropped. It is disappointing beause we won the last time we played England, we feel we deserve a three-Test series and, given the opportunity, we would prove good value``, De Silva is quoted as telling the Almanac.

Although Kent, the county he represented finished at the bottom of the championship table, De Silva scored 1781 runs at an average of 59.36 with seven centuries and as many fifties to finish fourth in the overall firstclass batting averages for the season.

For the record Kent won the Sunday League title, but De Silva was not there to celebrate it as he had already left to join the Sri Lanka team in Pakistan. According to `Wisden`, De Silva was not present either to collect the award as `Kent`s Player of the Year`.

"Everyone did agree that Aravinda de Silva was a huge success as the county`s one-season overseas replacement for Carl Hooper. Full credit was due to Mark Benson, whose decision to bring De Silva to Canterbury was entirely justified after a few eye brows were raised,`` commented `Wisden`.

De Silva receives this honour by `Wisden` quite appropriately after playing the stellar role in guiding his side to win the Wills World Cup with a match-winning century in the final against Australia at Lahore last month. He was however nominated for that honour long before the World Cup commenced.

De Silva is in the exalted company of Indian Test leg-spinner Anil Kumble (the only bowler to top 100 wickets during the 1995 season), and Englishman Dominic Cork, Angus Fraser and Dermot Reeve, the others so honoured by `Wisden` in its 1996 publication which now runs into 1440 pages.

Sri Lankans occupy two of the 12-page colour section. De Silva of course gets his due place as one of the five cricketers of the year. The other is Sri Lanka`s leading bowler, off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan, who underwent a controversial tour of Australia being called twice for chucking. He is captioned by `Wisden` as: "Going Straight?``

The annual maintains its high standard of publication retaining its usual features which has become the hallmark of its production for over a century.

Source :: Daily News (http.//www.lanka.net)