Sad Sri Lankans seek one-day redemption

Sri Lanka, chastened by losing the Test series in England they had craved for so long, are eager to salvage some measure of pride in the one-day triangular tournament starting next week.

Since becoming a Test-playing country 20 years ago, Sri Lanka had been confined to a one-off Test on their four previous visits to England but, having been given a three-match series this time, they were found wanting.

Sri Lanka lost 2-0 after Nasser Hussain's team dramatically won the final Test by 10 wickets on the last day at Old Trafford. It was England's first Test series victory for more than a year after drawing with Pakistan, losing to Australia and India and drawing with New Zealand.

The Sri Lankans now prepare for the limited-overs matches against England and India beginning at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on June 27.

"The one-day game is always something the boys look forward to," said Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore. "It gives us a fresh opportunity to play a different form of the game, one they all enjoy and have had a fair bit of success at."

WHATMORE DISAPPOINTMENT

Whatmore acknowledged their disappointment at the results of the Test matches but offered a contrasting reason to that of England captain Hussain for the outcome.

Hussain said: "I know Sri Lanka were a bit worried about playing on (typical English) May wickets but apart from the first morning (in the second Test) at Edgbaston we have played on three sub-continent (type) wickets with reverse swing and spin.

"Luckily we have been to the sub-continent recently so we knew what to do. A couple of years ago we would have come unstuck because the three matches were so very unlike (traditional) England Tests."

Yet Whatmore said: "The English boys are more used to bowling in these conditions than what we were. It's a learning curve for us to remember the direction and length we need in order to create the pressure and get the breakthroughs."

Apart from when they dismissed England for 275 in the first innings of the opening Test at Lord's, the touring team's attack was exposed as Hussain's side made three consecutive totals of more than 500.

ONE-MAN TEAM

Sri Lanka said before the tour they wanted to show they were not a one bowler team, relying on match-winning off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

Whatmore said they tried "extremely hard" to cover the loss of the injured Muralitharan in the first Test but added: "It was extremely disappointing the way in which we bowled at Edgbaston (where England scored 545)."

England had already piled up 529 at Lord's and added 512 at Old Trafford, for which Hussain said coach Duncan Fletcher should take much of the credit.

"Duncan has given each player a technique on how to play Muralitharan. (Marcus) Trescothick has worked with Fletcher for so long at the slog-sweep, then Alec Stewart gets a hundred against Murali at his home (Lancashire) ground," said Hussain.

"A lot of the credit obviously goes to the players but I would single out one person and that's the coach Duncan Fletcher."

Mail Cricket Editor