What Swann says on Lanka's defeat

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

In a column written by world's best off spinner Greame Swann in 'The Sun' this morning, starting with a strap line - Club sides are often dismissed in 24 overs but this was .. and the fantastic headline of over 100 point type ... WINCREDIBLE, he goes hard at the Lankans for their timid effort in being bowled out in 24.4 overs.

The scene of this tale was the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff where the Lankans were bowled out for 82 in 24.4 overs.

Swann admits that beating Sri Lanka in the First Test did not give them a bigger thrill than winning the Ashes or the World Twenty20 and that it would be daft. Continuing Swann says: 'First things first. I gather there had been mutterings about possible match-fixing or stuff like that, because Sri Lanka collapsed so quickly. I know we live in a cynical world and that corruption has been an issue in cricket. 'But anybody watching the game- and certainly those playing know it was all above board. So we can kill off any such talk straight away'.

Swann goes on to say that when they came in for tea on the final day, with two wickets down and Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jaawardena at the crease, he was first to admit that the match was dead.

'I said to the lads that, unless we remove them both in the next six overs, it would be a couple of hours of virtual net practice out in the middle. Litlte did I know we would have won within an hour. The game turned on its head out of no where'.

Swann who had a good run in the Ashes series that England won so convincingly and added to his stature as the world's best spin bowler, had the Lankan batsmen in a web with some high class off spin bowling returning the figures of 4 for 16.

The column also gives the 10 lowest scores made by Sri Lanka.

71 v Pakistan (Kandy, Aug.1994)

81 v England (Colombo, March 2001)

82 v India (Chanddigrah, Nov.19890)

93 v New Zealand, (Welington), March1983)

95 v South Africa, (Cape Town, Jan 2001)

97 v New Zealand, ( Kandy, March, 1984)

97 v Australia (Darwin, July 2004)

109 v Pakistan, Kady,Feb. 1986)

119 v South Africa (Centurion, Jan. 2001)

England have bowled out a rival Test team for less than100 an amazing five times in 10 months.

72 v Pkistan (Edgbaston, Aug.2010)

74 v Pakistan, (Lord's Aug. 2010)

80 v Pakistan, Trent Bridge, Jul. 2010)

82 v Sri Lanka, Cardiff, May 2011)

98 v Australia, Melbourne, Dec 2010)

Wednesday