Lightning Bolt strikes twice in Berlin

We leave the cricket field to appreciate, applaud and offer our heartiest congratulations to Usain Bolt, tagged the JAMAICAN JAGUAR for his incredible running feats at the World Athletic Championships in Berlin. It is said that lightning does not strike twice in the same place. But this saying was hit for six by Jamaica’s Usain Bolt who struck like bolts of lightning twice on the track in Berlin to rewrite the record books and establish world records in the 100 and 200 metre men’s finals.

Bolt held the world records for these two sprints which he clocked at the Olympic Games in Bejing last year with times of 9.69 secs in the 100 and 19.30 secs in the 200 metre events. When it was thought that those records would stay for who knows when, Bolt leaps out of the starting blocks like a JAGUAR to devour the track and munch his own records and set new records of 9.58 secs in the 100 and 19.19 secs in the 200 metres.

Writing cricket I have said that the days of miracles in sport are not over. And Bolt wrought two miracles with his jaguar like running which made the world stand still and bow in veneration to this black superman who promises to make more miracles happen on the track in the future.

In the past it was the American athletes who dominated the track and rewrote the record books. But now that domination is a thing of the past and it is good for track sport that the athletes from the Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have taken over the mantle.

It was indeed breath taking seeing the highlights on Rupavahini and watching Bolt burn the track as it were and scorching to the winning post leaving all his rivals far behind and sprinting majestically to the two new world records.

There is no doubt that the graceful looking athlete Usain Bolt is god’s gift to the world of sport. In fact he is made in heaven. Under starter’s orders he is cool shows no nerves and once he takes off the blocks like a bolt of lightning, there is no stopping him as he flies the distance with ease.

Bolt is a once in a life time athlete. And it was a once in a life time opportunity for Dinesh Weerawansa, Sports Editor of the ‘Daily News’ and Editor-in-chief of the ‘Sunday Observer’ to be the only Sri Lankan journalist on the spot covering these once in a life time record breaking events for the newspaper group. Weerawansa the newspaper groups expert athletics reporter was there in Bejing, China when Bolt set up the two new world records says it was unbelievable being in the media box watching lightning strike twice in the same place in Berlin and world records being rewritten.

Weerawansa with his tremendous expertise in athletic reporting, having covered Asian Games, Olympic Games and World Athletic Championships brought Bolt’s feats as it was happening on the track and his wonderful descriptions were lapped up by our numerous readers. Sports promoters Mobitel who sponsored Weerawansa to the championships too chalked up wonderful exposure for their product.

Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Test

The First of Two Test matches that was won by Sri Lanka by 202 runs against New Zealand in Galle on Saturday will go down as Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Test and that he won the man of the match award was great. Pushed into the opener’s slot for the first time in his Test career, Dilshan from the first ball blasted the listless Kiwi attack to all possible places on the field and over it as well as he raced to scores of 92 in the first knock and a scintillating 123 not out in the second innings.

Before going on to sing the praises of Dilshan’s batting efforts, one must also congratulate Mahela Jayawardena and Thilan Samaraweera for their brilliant and well made centuries. After their heroics with the bat, pace bowlers Nuwan Kulasekera and Thilana Thusara and spinners Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitheran put their baffling spin on show to bemuse and lure the Kiwis to defeat

Muralitheran set up two records in the process getting 100 wickets at the Galle Stadium and also becoming the bowler to send down the most number of maiden overs in Test cricket.

Jayawardena and Samaraweera batted in the manner born and their three figure scores went to expose the weak Kiwi bowling, which certainly is not up to Test class. Pity that they are lacking Test class bowlers. Vettori is the only bowler of international class.

To Dilshan and he was apparently not happy in being pushed in to open. He would have preferred to stick to batting in the middle order. But circumstances beyond his control made him open and did he not revel in that new spot.

With wicket keeper Prasanna Jayawardena getting back into gloves after missing the Pakistan tour due to injury, there was no place for Dilshan to bat in the middle. If he was to be kept in the team, then the only option was to open with him and make the excuse that regular opener Malinda Warnapura is short of runs.

Dilshan is on record saying that he would open a few more times and then see how he goes from there. But the way he kept bashing the bowling around showed that he was hitting hard at his critics. It was interesting to watch the way he carved his innings. From the first ball he was positive and moved into attack mode and batted in his natural instincts. He has based his batting on the belief that the ball is there to hit. And did he not hit it. There were no ‘come or go, Chicago shots’.

It was all clean and from the copybook.

That is how he should continue to go in the next Test beginning at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground tomorrow and he is sure to bring crowds flocking back to watch Test cricket that has become boring due to lack of entertainers of the calibre of Dilshan.

Dilshan’s blast brought back memories of opening batsmen who used to attempt to hit the cover off each ball. Names that come to mind are those of Keith Stackpole and Matthew Hayden of Australia, Roy Fredricks and Gordon Greenidge of West Indies, Bob Barber and Colin Milburn of England, Barry Richards and Herchelle Gibbs of South Africa, Vivender Sehwag of India, Saeed Anwar of Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s own mauler Sanath Jayasuriya. Dilshan should join this select band before long if he continues in the same manner.

As for the New Zealanders, the least said the better. True they would give illness as the excuse for their thrashing. But they must be told that excuses however good are unacceptable once in the big league.