Sanath Jayasuriya

There was much pre-tournament speculation about what the most valuable player of the 1996 World Cup -- Sanath Jayasuriya to give him a name -- would do. Informed opinion was that his sledge-hammer batting wouldn't quite work in English conditions -- but someone forgot to tell him that.

On the day, Jayasuriya batted as if he imagined himself back on a sub-continental belter -- and cut a very sorry figure indeed. Darren Gough in particular kept turning him inside out, seaming the ball both ways and leaving the batsman clueless.

But the real key was Ian Austin -- the kind of bowler the Matara Mauler would have gone berserk against in more conducive conditions. Here, Jayasuriya kept swishing and missing, his feet locked in place, his bat flailing all over the place. Thus, when the ball did hit the bat with some conviction, it seemed more a case of the odd swing connecting -- there was no point, during his innings, when Jayasuriya looked to have an idea what he was doing.

Thus, his dismissal came as no surprise -- or rather, the only surprise was he lasted as long as he did. A regulation away-seamer saw him pushing with bat away from body, to put second slip in business.

Sanath Jayasuriya caught Hick bowled Mullaly 29/52, FoW: 3-63 (16.5 overs).

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