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Plays of the day
Jayawardene's gains and Prior's losses
Andrew Miller at Galle
December 19, 2007
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Mahela Jayawardene proved the single biggest threat to England's bid for a series-levelling victory
© AFP
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Batsman of the day
Unbeaten on 51 overnight, nobody doubted what he had in mind.
Mahela Jayawardene was the single biggest threat to England's bid for
a series-levelling victory, and he lay down in their path with the
determination and immovability of a protesting monk. After spanking
six boundaries in a relatively brisk start to his innings, he added
just three more en route to his hundred - and two of those were
involuntary. England batsmen haven't yet passed three figures once this
series, Jayawardene's now done it in back-to-back innings. It's one of
many reasons why Sri Lanka deserve the series win that is now very
much in their grasp.
Agenda-setter of the day
It was a screamer, but such opportunities cannot afford to be
squandered, especially in such oppressive environments at Galle. Ryan
Sidebottom was bowling his fourth ball of the morning and Tillakaratne
Dilshan had not added to his overnight seven when he slashed at a wide
one and sent a flying edge into the gully. Alistair Cook leapt but without
conviction and the moment - and the momentum - was lost. Ironically,
their best gully fieldsman is Paul Collingwood, but England have
such a paucity of specialist close catchers, he's been pressed into
service at second slip instead. Which is where he dropped a sitter
yesterday off Upul Tharanga.
Drop(s) of the day
All things considered, it was a desperate day in the field for
England and poor Matt Prior was right in the thick of things. First
he allowed a low chance from Jayawardene to slip unchallenged below
his right mitt, and then, ten overs later, he launched himself in
front of first slip and tipped an edge from Dilshan
onto Ian Bell's ankles. That second spill was the fourth opportunity
he's missed off Sidebottom in six Tests, and all of them have
come when diving to his right ...
Non-catch of the day
It's a different story when Prior takes off to his left, however. He's
been flawless in that direction all series with three excellent
catches at Kandy and Colombo as well as this outstanding take.
Dilshan gloved a lifter from Matthew Hoggard down the leg side and England
went up in unison, but umpire Harper was unmoved. Not for the first
time this series, replays showed he had made a bad misjudgement. The
ball took a big deflection off the knuckles, and Prior - not for the
first time either - was livid. He realised there and then he'd been
robbed of his chance for tabloid redemption.
Misjudgment of the day
Dilshan had been out of the Test team since July but
today he batted with such aggression and intent that a fifth Test
century was his for the taking. In the end it wasn't to be, but at
least he'll have earned some brownie points in the manner of his
dismissal. With tea approaching, his captain Jayawardene was on 99 and
looking edgy for the first time in the match. When he jabbed Ravi
Bopara down into the crease, Dilshan hurtled down the wicket looking
for the landmark single. Cook swooped at gully and, in England's only
decent piece of fielding all day, broke the wicket with Dilshan's bat
still crossing the line. The decision was so marginal and took such a
long time to be given, that Dilshan left the field clutching a bottle
of water - which can't happen very often.
Wicket of the day
Bopara's Test-bowling credentials haven't been adequately examined in
his short career to date, but at least he's now up and running in the
averages after a timely breakthrough on the stroke of tea. Three balls
after Dilshan's demise, Prasanna Jayawardene - a pesky presence in the
first two Tests - prodded at an off-stump delivery and this time Prior
held on low to his right. It was a fillip for a side that had been drifting aimlessly all
afternoon, but England soon reverted to type
Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo
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