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Comment by Elmo Rodrigopulle

Captain in waiting Marvan Atapattu played probably his best innings in one-day cricket to steer Sri Lanka to a memorable victory over South Africa in the third of five One-day Internationals at Benoni on Sunday.

Former Captain Aravinda de Silva who joined his vice captain at the fall of the second wicket was the one who inspired Atapattu to fire, when he played some audacious strokes to take the sting out of the African attack.

Atapattu who is easily the most technically correct batsman in the local game today, showed that he has the artillery to fire when needed and the manner in which he flayed the African attack to all corners showed that he was determined to stall the opponents victory run and keep the series open.

Atapattu is particularly strong off his legs. Deliveries pitched middle and leg, more often than not end up on the leg side fence, powered by his steely wrist work.

Atapattu started slowly. He watched De Silva wade into the attack after a fiery welcome from Allan Donald who tried to dislodge De Silva with a bouncer barrage.

Had Donald tried this when de Silva was in his prime, every bouncer would have ended over the boundary between square and fine leg. But when Donald pitched up he cut and drove with disdain to frustrate the bowler and also the South Africans.

Sri Lanka lost the two earlier games. Critics would want to grant this win as a flash in the pan. If the Lankans are to silence their critics, then they must give consistency to this win and triumph in the remaining two games to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with. Atapattu's 123 n.o. and De Silva's 71 were class acts. It was a treat while it lasted and we hope they will do similarly in the remainders. South Africa in making 253 for 7 after being 35 for 4 was a match winning effort. But they did not bargain for a run avalanche from Atapattu and De Silva.

Aussie 8 in-a-row

The Australians led and marshalled brilliantly by captain Stephen Waugh demolished the English cricketing castle with some excellent cricketing firepower and winning a record eight in-a-row Ashes series.

When a former Aussie great Keith Miller said that this Australian side was the greatest even surpassing the deeds of Sir Donald Bradman's 1948 invincibles, he knew what he was saying because he was one of the better players in that invincible side. The Australian game is so well organised and streamlined and it is the envy of all other cricket playing countries. Individually they are brilliant and under the superb leadership of Waugh they are a tremendous cricketing nation. While there is little to comment on the Aussie game, one must have nothing but sympathy for the English. Hussain the skipper was given a few hospital cases when the squad was picked and that is how they remain still.

Soccer improving

In the glow of the Aussie victory, it was sad to see the likeable Alex Tudor being felled by a delivery by Aussie pace ace Brett Lee. Tudor who ducked into a delivery that did not climb, was hit with the ball going through the grilling of his helmet which required Tudor be stretchered and later sutured.

In the past it was the norm for fast men not to fire bouncers at their opposite numbers or the tailenders. But with the game getting highly commercialised, all ethics have been blown with winning being everything. If the form shown by the Sri Lankan soccerites against the Vietnamese where they lost one and held the opponents in the next of two friendly internationals, is an indication then the game here is looking up.

Very rarely do the locals get an opportunity to pit their prowess against international opponents. With the Vietnamese coming here, the Lankans showed that they can give as much as they get and it was one of those things that the Lankans failed to chalk up victories in the last two games.

Even the Vietnamese coach was surprised with the improvement of the game here and predicted a bright future. The Lankans are preparing for the SAARC Games in Bangladesh next year.

This outing against the Vietnamese should stand them in good stead.

Today the FFSL headed by DIG Gamini Randeni has everything well organised. What is the envy of other associations is the manner in which they control and handle their finances. Headed by a very efficient Finance Committee that has honest and dedicated men, who know the subject they are handling, the funds are well spent and accounted for.

The FFSL has come in for good comment from the Ministry of Sports.

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