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Sri
Lanka Tour to UK. April 2004
Some fantastic
indoor cricket has been played around the UK recently, during
Sri Lanka's short, week long tour.
There were
three warm up games and three Test Matches in total. The crowds
at Derby, Ipswich and Cradley Heath were given plenty to talk
about as they witnessed Sri Lanka's first tour to Britain. England
were determined to get revenge for a 3-0 reverse of their score
in Columbo two years ago.
Following
a narrow 9 run warm up defeat to a spirited midlands select team
at Cradley Heath, Sri Lanka settled down in the midlands and approached
the second warm up game at Derby with optimism. The visitors won
this game well 95-27; although it was against a side stripped
of six of its players selected for the England Squad. The night
ended on a sour note due to the Sri Lankan bus being broken into
and several personal bags and items stolen.
Then the moment
all England fans had been waiting for arrived, the first Test.
England v Sri Lanka, venue, Willows Derby.
This was
a great game, see-sawing both ways, finally going to the home
side by 10 runs, 92-82, much to the pleasure of the home fans.
The evening was made complete by an impromptu "whip round" by
the crowd to help cushion the blow suffered by the Sri Lankans'
theft. Craig Slocombe, the Aussie born Sri Lankan coach, thanked
the fans in his post match speech.
After Derby,
it was on to Ipswich, on the east coast, to a warm up game and
Test. The visitors had an easy warm up win, 21-123, against an
Ipswich side deprived of several of their "National" squad.
With everything
to play for in the second test, the players did not let the fans
down. It was a hard fought and aggressive game. England won with
a wide off the last ball giving them victory by 3 runs, 91-94.
With the series
now in the bag, the Sri Lankan's only had pride to play for in
the final test, held at Cradley Ball Park, West Midlands. They
played with sheer determination and gusto, coming out with all
guns blazing to win the last test by a victorious 117-76.
England had
won their first Test Series since beating South Africa 3-0 in
1991.
Credit must
go to the two international sides who both worked hard and entertained
the crowds. They will both be hoping for similar performances
come the World Cup, held in Columbo, Sri Lanka, later this year.
Photos
from the series here
(Report,
results and photographs kindly provided by two of Indoor Cricket
World's long-standing friends, Alison and Barry McCormick. Alison
and Barry are now Media Officers for the British
Indoor Cricket Association, and Indoor Cricket World thanks
both Ali and Baz and the BICA for the material)
Results
Warm
up games :
Stumps
select 91, Sri Lanka 82
Derby select
27, Sri Lanka 95
Ipswich select
21, Sri Lanka 123
Test
Matches :
1. England
92, Sri Lanka 82 -- Man of the Match: Ian Darlington, England.
2. England
94, Sri Lanka 91 -- Man of the Match: Gavin Driver, England.
3. England
76, Sri Lanka 117 -- Man of the Match: Roshan
Weerasinghe, Sri Lanka.
England's
Player of the Series:
Jason Green (Stumps).
Sri Lanka's
Player of the Series:
Roshan
Weerasinghe
©
2004 Alison and Barry McCormick, BICA. Used with permission.
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