Atapattu anchors Sri Lanka's solid start

By Ted Corbett

GALLE, FEB. 22. Marvan Atapattu batted all day for 85 to kill one of the most popular misconceptions in cricket as he provided the solid rock on which Sri Lanka built what may prove to be a match- winning - indeed a series-winning - innings on the first day against England.

The world has come to believe that Sri Lankan batsman can, after their World Cup triumph in 1996, blast the ball to all parts of the ground or get out cheaply. But erect a long innings which will be the first step towards an innings win? Forget it, they don't play that way.

This myth was given added credence during the humiliating series in South Africa recently when their batsmen failed too often to be taken seriously and at the start of the England tour there seemed to be an attempt to restore Hashan Tillekaratne to the middle order. Tillekaratne made few runs and the Sri Lankan selectors were forced to fill the No. 4 space with Aravinda de Silva, whose Test average is still above 42, but who at 35, was one of the flops in South Africa and New Zealand.

Today he showed the selectors they were right to restore him to the ranks and helped the younger men take the first day score to 221 for two. Now the stage is set for a Sri Lankan victory against emerging England if, as the spread betting firms predict, they reach 450.

They began strongly after Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss for the 14th time in 19 Tests on a slow, firm pitch. Two of his best square cuts proclaimed his status but at 14 he hit a third straight from Darren Gough to Craig White at gully and, although Atapattu had already shown a mean streak without a run in 58 minutes, there might have been a collapse since the No. 3 Kumar Sangakkara is a dasher. But the ball turned slowly, and appeals by Ashley Giles against him with his first ball and one for a stumping in Robert Croft's first over were turned down.

By lunch the partners had taken the score to 70 for one and the spectators on the wall of the 17th century fort - surely the most stylish free seat in the world - began to suspect that a long England rearguard battle would be necessary to save this match. Afterwards the England spinners concentrated on a plan to capture wickets on the drive and at 110, Sangakkara gave White his second catch of the day at mid-wicket off Croft. Sangakkara has a career ahead of him after this 160-minute innings but whether the key No. 3 spot is his natural home is another question.

When De Silva reached the wicket, the atmosphere changed. At his best, around the 1996 World Cup he was, if not the Little Master, certainly the Miniature Marvel, but now he is the Aged Seer, still capable of playing a constructive innings on this sort of pitch and never capable of an inelegant shot nor a cheap gesture. He hit Croft for six and four in an over and placed the ball as delicately as a Sri Lankan dancer treads her way through the petals.

Aravinda might have been caught in the gully off Gough and run out at 48 but the TV camera had a poor angle and there were too many doubts to confirm the decision. A few minutes later he was running wide round the wickets and raising his bat to mark a fifty that may win the match.

England will not surrender but the day has gone badly as we saw and heard in the final over by Andrew Caddick. De Silva hit him for the first four off his bowling all day, there was a lot of pointing and shouting and it was clear that worries about the good sportsmanship of this series may be well founded.

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