Thomson junior bounces the Lankans
Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from Australia
To the present set of Sri Lankan cricketers the name of Jeff Thomson
might not sound anything. Possible that they mey have read about his
exploits in the books.
But in the seventies Thomson and Dennis Lillee formed a terrifying
pair of fast bowlers and terrorised opposing batsmen who were running
for dear life when up against them.
Lillee and Thomson were bold and arrogant in their approach and in
Ian Chappell they had a dream captain who supported them when they
launched their life threatening attacks.
When the Lankans had their first net at the Allan Borded Field after
arriving from Adelaide, a bowler who was asked to bowl at the Lankans
was Matt, son of the fearsome former Aussie pace ace Jeff.
Watching the son of the famous father hurling down the leather
reminded me of the thunderbolts hurled by his father Jeff.
The 24 year old who is a first grade cricketer here in Brisbane, is a
chip of the old block and has a slinging action like his father did.
The Sri Lankan batsmen unaware that Matt was the son of Jeff, were
taken aback by the pace and bounce that this youngster was able to
extract and were finding it difficult to face him.
However with the Lankan batsmen likely to run into incessant fast
short pitched deliveries from the Aussie pacemen Brett Lee, Mickael
Johnson and Stuart Clarke during the Test matches, this was a good test
and should do the batting a lot of good.
The present set of cricketers would do well to speak to Duleep Mendis,
the present chief executive of Sri Lanka Cricket and Sunil Wettimuny
when they get back. To recap, it was the First World Cup in England in
1975 when Sri Lanka were playing the Australians. Chasing a big Aussie
score, the Lankans were going well.
Unable to break through the tough resistance put up by the Lankan
batsmen, skipper Chappel apparently asked his two hit men, Lillee and
Thomson to let fly.
Then followed one of the most terrifying spells of fast bowling when
Thomson sent Mendis and Wettimuny to hospital.
Thomson hit Wettimuny three times before he was stretchered. Thomson
next hit Mendis right between the eyes when he missed hooking a bouncer
and it is said that it was the timely rush to hospital that saved Mendis
and allowed him to tell the tale.
Matt Thomson revealed that he was overjoyed to have a go at the Sri
Lankan batsmen.
Brisbane, Queensland, Thursday |