All posts by csb10.top

Whatever the personnel when the sides are announced prior to the start ofthe second Ashes Test in Adelaide, Australia will start the match as firmfavourites to go two-nil up in the series. England’s plans have been throwninto disarray by a succession of injuries, while Australia could put theirsecond eleven on to the field and still be favourites to win. Australia Acould not force a win in Hobart in the tourists’ last match, but theycertainly did nothing to restore England’s confidence.Before dwelling on England’s misfortunes, it should be said that Australiathemselves are not completely free of injury doubts. Jason Gillespie isstill feeling the effects of his calf strain and is being given as long aspossible to recover. If he cannot do so, Brett Lee will come back into theside.Lee has taken 21 wickets for New South Wales since being dropped from theside for the first Test in Brisbane and has recaptured the speed that madehim such a fearsome proposition until his recent dip in form. If Gillespieis fit, Lee might have to wait until Perth before regaining his place as hehas said himself that his replacement, Andy Bichel, has done a perfectlygood job for the side.England would dearly love to have a problem like that of the Australians. Atthe start of the tour, captain Nasser Hussain said that his side stood achance of regaining the Ashes provided fortune smiled and he could call on afull complement of fit players. The decimation of the party and their dreambegan before they left England. That was when Graham Thorpe dropped out ofthe original selection to be replaced by Robert Key.A damaging blow, but at least Key was fit and raring to go. The same couldnot be said for the rest of the party. Darren Gough (knee), Michael Vaughan(knee), Mark Butcher (knee), Andrew Flintoff (hernia), and Simon Jones (rib)were all travelling with injuries of varying degrees of seriousness toovercome.Vaughan and Butcher came through without further mishap. Gough never tookthe field before returning home to seek further career-saving medical help.Flintoff has simply failed to get over his hernia operation as expected andis now said to be out until the fourth Test. There was no problem aboutJones’ rib, but then he suffered that horrendous knee injury on day one atBrisbane and is out for the rest of the tour and into the foreseeablefuture.Add to that casualty list the shoulder scare concerning Marcus Trescothick,the shin splints suffered by Steve Harmison, and a bout of concussion, thebruised hip that makes John Crawley doubtful for Adelaide, and the fracturedwrist sustained by Ashley Giles, and it is no wonder that the Englanddressing room resembles a casualty clearing station. Of the 16 namesannounced by the selectors on 10th September, only six have not featured inmedical bulletins.That is all history. What matters now is that England manage to restore somepride and make the most of what they have available. Whatever the result, abattling performance in which team and individuals do themselves justicewould go a long way towards bolstering credibility. And a little bit of luck would not go amiss.As for the Australians, they must be really worried. Consider the dilemmathat is occupying them even once they get the Gillespie situation sortedout. How do they resolve the problem of getting Martin Love – the man whoaverages 451 in two innings against the tourists – into the Test side. Nowonder their selectors have furrowed brows.

Pakistan will meet hosts Kenya in the opening match of next month’s cricket tri-series which was shifted to a neutral venue over security fears in Pakistan.World champions Australia, who cited security concerns over playing in Pakistan, is the third team in the competition to be held in Nairobi from Aug 29 to Sept 7.Australia play in the second match of the competition against Pakistan on Aug 30. The top two teams clash in the final on Sept 7.The Australian Cricket Board has approved the itinerary and Pakistan and Australian officials will visit Nairobi to oversee the final arrangements later this week.Meanwhile PCB official said Tuesday President Pervez Musharraf had contacted Australian Prime Minister John Howard to help convinced the Australian Cricket Board to undertake their Test tour of the country planned for OctoberTri-series schedule:Aug 29: Pakistan vs KenyaAug 30: Pakistan vs AustraliaAug 31: Rest daySept 1: Pakistan vs KenyaSept 2: Australia vs KenyaSept 3: Rest daySept 4: Australia vs PakistanSept 5: Australia vs KenyaSept 6: Rest daySept 7: Finals

India and South Africa have not played each other a lot in recent times; unlike say India and England.However, the Indians will want few changes to the script that was followed during their convincing win over England when they take on South Africa today in the semi-final of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy 2002.For starters, it’s almost certain that India will play an unchanged side. However, that is something that could easily change with the Indians. It’s not entirely unusual for the Indian think tank to make a change to the side just as the captain walks out to toss. The one change that is possible, if you stretch the imagination a bit, is that Ajit Agarkar could come into the side in place of VVS Laxman. The Mumbai medium-pacer could be brought in to bolster India’s bowling, given that neither Dinesh Mongia nor Laxman have contributed anything special batting at No 3.The bowlers Ganguly used to fill in as the ‘fifth bowler’ in the game against England went for 66 off 11 overs. The Indian captain however, on the surface, is not worried about this aspect of India’s plans, “Our bowlers just have to bowl better. I have full faith in (Virender) Sehwag, Sachin (Tendulkar), Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) and myself,” said Ganguly.There is a school of thought that believes in the philosophy, “never change a winning combination,” but one is not sure whether Ganguly and John Wright subscribe to this or not. There will surely be no change in the winning philosophy though.”We’ll have to play well to beat South Africa. They’re a good side; they’re a good one-day unit,” began Ganguly, overstating the obvious. The Indian skipper went on in the same vein, “Whoever plays well on the day will win,” he said.The bowling, however, will not be central to India’s strategy. It’s the explosive batting line-up that will have to do the lion’s share of the work as the wickets get progressively lower and slower. Nasser Hussain spoke at length on the way India’s batting came at you early on and wrested the initiative.”I don’t think we attack from the start. It’s just that Sehwag plays that way in all forms of the game; that’s his game and we don’t stop him from doing that. It’s just that he kept hitting the ball into the gaps,” Ganguly observed.It will not, however, be as easy for Sehwag to go after Shaun Pollock or Allan Donald. Pollock, in particular, should be regarded a threat as he lands the ball on the right line with such unerring accuracy. Sehwag’s tendency to fish and flash outside the off stump could work against him if he is not extremely careful in his shot selection.And it is in such a situation that the key component of this Indian batting line-up would come into the picture. The middle-order will have a lot of work to do if the openers fall early. Sachin Tendulkar, who has spent very little time at the wicket in this tournament, will have to be at his peak. The South Africans are masters at creating pressure after the fall of a wicket and this will be a key factor and bring the lower middle order batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif into play.That said, India, though, would love it if this game were only about batting as their bowling department leaves plenty of room for worry.While Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan bowled a fiery spell to kick things off against England, the former has often struggled to be a hundred per cent fit and this is a worry. Zaheer Khan for his part has come forward in leaps and bounds, showing exactly the aggressive attitude that you look for in a fast bowler. Ganguly backs his two spinners to the hilt and it’s only a matter of time before they get their act together and make a mark on this tournament. Some of the South African batsmen struggled against quality spin early on and Ganguly will be aware of this fact.India got past South Africa in the semi-final of the last edition of the Champions Trophy at Nairobi in 2000 quite easily. Ganguly, Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh – the first four batsmen then, added 279 of the 295 runs India made. The captain then used as many as eight bowlers and shared the workload around.Don’t be surprised if you see exactly the same sort of thing happening at the Premadasa Stadium.Well, with one minor difference – the man they call the butcher of Najafgarh – Virender Sehwag.South AfricaHerschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Dale Benkenstein, Justin Ontong, Mark Boucher (wk), Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock (capt), Nicky Boje, Alan Dawson, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Steve Elworthy, Robin Peterson.IndiaSachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (capt), Dinesh Mongia, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Jai Prakash Yadav, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

A MONTH after facing disciplinary action from the local and regional cricket bodies, Sulieman Benn has found favour with the West Indies selectors.The tall, 21-year-old, left-arm spinner was one of seven Barbadians and one of four players without international experience named Monday in a 30-man provisional squad for the 2003 World Cup in Africa.The other three uncapped players are Barbadian all-rounder Ian Bradshaw, Windward Islands opener Devon Smith and Jamaican wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert.It is a significant achievement in Benn’s career. He came under the microscope last month when he found himself in hot water with the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).Eleven days after the BCA announced it was withdrawing him from its year-round national programme following a series of events, the WICB fined him ten per cent of his tour fee for breaching the code of conduct on the West Indies "A" team’s summer trip to England and Canada.Benn has been a consistent performer in two seasons of first-class cricket and has been even more effective in the shorter form of the game. During this year’s Red Stripe Bowl, he was Barbados’ top wicket-taker with 11 scalps at an economy rate of 3.68 and last season his rate of 3.02 was the third best among bowlers who delivered more than 30 overs.Floyd Reifer, the heavy-scoring left-hander, has been given consideration after his outstanding returns in the last three regional limited-overs competitions in which he scored 719 runs (ave. 59.91).He was especially dominant this year when his 355 runs (ave. 118.33) earned him the Most Valued Player award.Bradshaw, a left-handed all-rounder, joins fellow Barbadian fast bowlers Vasbert Drakes, Pedro Collins and Corey Collymore in a squad that also features the return of Windward Islands fast bowler Nixon McLean.McLean last played for the West Indies in the 2001 home series against South Africa before taking up a contract with KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins in South Africa where he helped the club win the Super Sport first-class competition and the Standard Bank Cup.His 44 wickets, taken at 16.27, in the Super Sport, were the second-most in the competition and his 15 wickets in the Standard Cup were taken at an economy rate of 3.48.McLean’s unavailability ruled him out of West Indies selection, but was once more eligible for selection after playing in the Red Stripe Bowl three months ago.With the benefit of his experience in South Africa, McLean could be a genuine contender for the final squad of 15 that will be named by December 31 in accordance with the regulations set out in the Participating Nations Agreement between the International Cricket Council and the 14 countries taking part in the World Cup.All countries had to submit a provisional squad of 30 to the ICC by November 30 or the first working day that followed.Players not named in the provisional squad of 30 can only be included in cases of injury or exceptional circumstances.West Indies, who play South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup on February 9, leave the Caribbean on January 28 following a two-week training camp in Antigua.The 30 includes five players who have not played for the West Indies in 2002. They are McLean, Reifer, fast bowlers Reon King of Guyana and Kerry Jeremy of the Leeward Islands and left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell who has not played international cricket this year.

Alec Stewart will walk out on his favourite ground tomorrow to become England’s most-capped Test cricketer. The first Test against India at Lord’s will be Stewart’s 119th for England, beating the record set by Graham Gooch.At the start of this season few would have backed Stewart to equal Gooch’s record, let alone beat it, after James Foster was named as England’s centrally-contracted wicket-keeper. But Foster’s misfortune in breaking an arm in the nets in April reopened the door to the 39 year-old from Surrey, who has taken full advantage.Stewart is now likely to enjoy a final tilt at the old enemy in this winter’s Ashes series, and the World Cup that follows in South Africa next February.”The first (Test) is always your biggest cap because every schoolboy wants to play for their country,” Stewart said. “I’ve never been as nervous as when I went out to bat in Jamaica on my debut, but once you get that you then want morebecause you enjoy the occasion.”There’s a thrill about playing for England and a thrill about testing yourself against the best from other countries and that almost spurs you on to want more of it.”Some people get intimidated but others seem to thrive on the full houses andthe big occasions and fortunately I put myself in that category – the morepeople watching and the bigger the occasion the more I like to respond.”He rates that debut among the highlights of his career, along with the Test in Barbados in 1994 when he became the first England player ever to score centuries in both innings of a Test against West Indies, and leading England to a series victory over South Africa four years ago.World Cup campaigns feature among the low points, including the final defeat in 1992 and the campaigns in 1996 and 1999, alongside his failure to come even close to winning the Ashes.Stewart’s parents, Micky and Sheila, will be at Lord’s for the occasion, which will be marked by a presentation to him from captain Nasser Hussain before play starts.”I’ll be trying to treat it like any other Test match, but when you see the list of people I’ve gone past like Gooch, Gower, Geoff Boycott, Ian Botham andColin Cowdrey they are England cricket legends and that’s quite an achievementto have done that,” he said.With the squad beset by injuries to Andrew Caddick, Marcus Trescothick, Alex Tudor and Darren Gough, England coach Duncan Fletcher said Glamorgan’s Simon Jones has “a strong chance” of making his Test debut, although Yorkshire’s ChrisSilverwood is on standby in case of further injuries.Meanwhile, the Indian tourists had the day off yesterday, following their win over Hampshire at Southampton, but the touring party attended an award dinner last night in which star batsman Sachin Tendulkar was named as the fans’ choice for Indian cricketer of the century.The official cricketer of the century was named in Wisden Asia’s ceremony asall-rounder Kapil Dev, but Tendulkar, 29, who equalled Sir Donald Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries earlier this year, came out on top in the voting polls.Tendulkar came out ahead of Sunil Gavaskar, who holds the record number of centuries in Test cricket, 34 in 125 Tests.Tendulkar said: “It’s a great honour to receive this award. Travelling with the team is like a home-from-home for me and they offer me tremendous support in what I try to achieve as a cricketer.”

Former England great, Graham Gooch, has echoed the words of David Graveney and suggested that the key to the series between England and Pakistan could be the inexperience of the tourists’ batsmen on seaming pitches.

Gooch believes that England’s seam attack, led by Caddick and Gough, should prove too hot to handle for a Pakistan batting line-up unaccustomed to the extra movement often available to the bowlers on the green English pitches. He pointed to the example of last summer’s visitors, the West Indies, to illustrate his point that the English attack is adept at exploiting any help in the conditions, or inadequacies of technique.”Not many of their batsmen, if any, have played here regularly and that should be an advantage to us, just as it was last year against the West Indies,” reasoned Gooch. “Unlike previous years with the West Indies, only a couple had any real experience of playing in English conditions and that showed during the series.”If our bowlers bowl well in English conditions we could cause some of the Pakistan batsmen problems because the ball is likely to swing and seam around.”However, Gooch conceded that the Pakistan bowling attack contained a great deal of experience and that the English batsmen may have to be in their best form to withstand it.”There is quite a contrast in Pakistan’s line-up with a superbly experienced bowling attack in this country, but their batsman are quite the opposite,” he admitted.”If their bowlers click and are talking to each other, they could do a lot of damage and they also have two superb all-rounders in Abdur Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood.”Gooch also expressed doubts that rumours of disharmony within the Pakistan squad would have any impression on the series: “They are noted for being unpredictable and they could still easily upset things. There are rumours of their demise but they are usually at their most dangerous when they are fighting among themselves.”So far Pakistan seem to be the team with all the problems. Shoaib Akhtar is far from fully fit, Yousuf Youhana is out of form and the relationship between senior players Wasim Akram and captain Waqar Younis appears strained.In contrast, Andy Caddick has just completed a ten-wicket game for Somerset and there have been runs aplenty for Marcus Trescothick and Graham Thorpe, but Gooch warned against any feelings of complacency within the English squad.”Pakistan have some extremely talented cricketers,” he said. “They’ve not always played as a unit but when they do, they are more than capable of going out and beating any side in the world.”

A Nick Horsley century and an explosive hour before tea put all the permutations, calculations and mathematical intrusions surrounding the last State Championship match of the season to rest as Auckland first cemented its title.In a match of two targets, Wellington on the last day set themselves the task of, at best bowling Auckland out for 168 or fewer to win the Championship based on a net average runs per wicket calculation or, at worse bowl Auckland out for less than 242 to gain the solace of an outright win over the champions.But in 11-and-a-half overs from the afternoon drinks break to shortly before tea Horsley and Tama Canning plundered 79 to take the score from 81/3 to 160/4 and in the process buried Wellington’s hopes of achieving either target.Canning ended his spree with 43, characteristically caught on the boundary. Horsley went on to complete his maiden first-class century, a mixture of early defence that turned into an aggressive attack, his 100 coming from 186 balls and including three sixes and 14 fours.In the end, bad light saved Wellington from outright defeat, Auckland finishing on 217/4 with 22 overs in hand, a miserly 26 runs short, but not able to cast sufficient light on the increasing gloom.At the start of the day, Wellington, 10/1 overnight and facing an exceptionally defensive field, pushed the singles around to reach 48 without losing another wicket. At that point they declared, giving Auckland the relatively generous target of 243 runs from a minimum of 88 overs to win the match but at the same time giving themselves sufficient time to bowl Auckland out for fewer than the 169 that the calculators had decided would give the Championship leaders the title.Wellington had achieved a couple of Houdini escapes during the season; this was not to be one of them.For a time they had some hope. Tim McIntosh gone in the first over, beaten by Andrew Penn. Rob Lynch (20) and Sanjeewa Silva (15) gone by the middle of the afternoon with the run rate never much above two an over. But time was slipping away for Wellington.Then came the Horsley/Canning heroics and Wellington’s hopes were quickly buried. Bowlers who had kept the Auckland batsmen constrained suddenly looked easy pickings, no better demonstrated than by Horsley’s cracking three fours in an over from James Franklin to rush through the 90s and beyond.It was an anti-climax that a match worthy of a Championship final – albeit a de facto one – should come to an end prematurely through the intrusion of bad light.Wellington had done everything they could to try to bring off what was always an unlikely Championship victory – a big first innings total, restricting Auckland’s first innings and offering a generous declaration. But it was not enough. First inning points were little solace for the loss of a title that was never quite in their grasp.

A masterly knock of 146 by Rohan Gavaskar helped East Zone take home fivepoints in their first outing in the Duleep Trophy this season. On the lastday of the match between East and Central Zone at Green Park, Kanpur onSunday, East got past the Central Zone score and took the vital firstinnings lead.Resuming at 230/4 with another 192 runs required for the first inningslead, East got off to a bad start and were quickly reduced to 249/5, losingRajiv Kumar bowled by Sriwastava for 25. What followed was a dominatingsixth wicket partnership between Gavaskar and wicket keeper Deep Dasgupta.They put on 174 runs in 48.4 overs and took the East Zone score beyondCentral’s 421 before Murali Kartik had Dasgupta caught by Abhay Sharma for72 at 423. Dasgupta’s crucial innings lasted for 216 minutes as he faced140 balls of which he struck nine to the fence.Meanwhile, left handed Gavaskar was happy accumulating runs and making surethat East took the honours. Gavaskar struck the ball all around for 15boundaries and 2 sixes off 295 balls in his innings that lasted a littleover six and a half hours. Gavaskar was caught by substitute fielderDevendra Bundela off the bowling of Kulamani Parida with the East scorereading 433 in the 122nd over.East Zone batted on with Sukhbinder Singh making 29 off 66 balls (1 six, 4fours) and were all out for 484 in the 145th over as the match was calledoff as a draw. Kulamani Parida took the bowling honours for Central with44-13-126-3. Central took three points from the match and took their pointstally to eight from two matches.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has criticized the Pakistan and England boards for limiting the upcoming series to only two Tests. Despite England’s victory in Pakistan last winter , Akram believes that his side merit a more extensive contest, especially considering the competitive feeling that has grown between the two sides.The talismanic paceman said: “I don’t know why we agreed to it or why the England and Wales Cricket Board offered it to us.”Although England won in Pakistan, we won the last three series here and we have more supporters here than anybody else, so it would have been a full house for a five-Test series,” he said in London shortly after the team landed on Wednesday on a two-month tour.The five-Test Ashes series is just around the corner and Akram feels his side have been reduced to being warm-up fodder before the Australians. Akram’s comments echo the doubts expressed by Pakistan legend Imran Khan, who recently told BBC Sport: “I don’t know why Pakistan accepted the tour in the first half of the English season and for only two Tests.”Akram added: “It is not an insult, but it won’t be any fun. The first game, you are just getting into it, the second Test you are just picking up and then there is no third match we will be on our way home. “That’s what I think, that is what everybody else is thinking.”Recent reports might suggest that Akram’s real concern is that two Tests will limit his chances of actually appearing during the series. Pakistan’s captain, Waqar Younis recently told reporters: “Wasim is a great bowler whose achievements are outstanding, but at the moment, I cannot assure him a place in the first Test line-up.”Rumours in the Pakistan media reported that Younis opposed Akram’s selection all week, delaying the announcement of the squad for more than five days. The relationship between the two became strained during the 1999 World Cup. On the subsequent tour to Australia then-captain Akram dropped Younis for the second Test, which Pakistan lost from a strong position.Despite the speculation, Akram is fully expecting to feature against England. He said: “I am not here just to be a passenger, but whether I am picked or not, I am going to support the captain, on and off the field, and the main objective is to win.”We have got to work hard to do well here. There is no problem between us we were just able to fly together for seven hours. But as for our relationship, everything is fine. I am reaching 35 next month and I feel I have another year or two in me. But even if I hadn’t been picked I would still have come here.”Akram may be handed that chance by the shock absence of Shoaib Akhtar from the touring party. But even without the pace whizz kid, Akram is sure Pakistan’s confidence has not been dented.He added: “Shoaib is the fastest bowler in the world and Pakistan are lucky to have him in the side. “Hopefully he will join us next week, but that is just my opinion. But even without Shoaib, morale is high especially as we did well on our last tour in England.” Akhtar did not travel because of a stomach problem.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Shakib Al Hasan’s powerhouse batting and inspired bowling performances from vice-captain Mashrafe Mortaza and debutant Rubel Hossain ensured Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in the third match of the tri-series and, more importantly, secured a place in the final on Friday, where they will face the same opposition again.In a must-win match for them, reduced by bad light to 31 overs each, Bangladesh restricted Sri Lanka to 147 before Shakib’s 92 off 69 balls completed the win. A fourth-wicket stand of 91 between Shakib and captain Mohammad Ashraful helped them pick up the bonus point as well to end the hopes of Zimbabwe, the third team in the competition.Bangladesh got off to a disastrous start during their chase as Junaid Siddique was run out in the first over. Two overs later, lightning struck twice as Mushfiqur Rahim got a thick edge to Sangakkara off Thushara and Tamim Iqbal was caught short of his crease by Kapugedera direct-hit, attempting a suicidal run.The hosts were in deep trouble as the all-too-familiar story looked in the offing. Enter Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful.Both looked determined right from the start, as they tried to get Bangladesh on course. Mohammad Ashraful played the silent support role to Shakib Al Hasan, who came down severely on the bowlers – two boundaries each in successive overs from Thushara and Kulasekara setting the tone. Mathews was treated with similar disdain in his first over with a six and four as the run-rate crept above five.Shakib soon brought up his 50 off 45 balls and had plundered six boundaries and a six by then, and looking good for more. But just when the partnership was nearing 100, Ashraful fell, trying to hook a short one from Kulasekera as Jayasuriya pulled off a smart catch running across from fine leg.But Shakib continued unfettered and even Raqibul’s dismissal two overs later failed to curb the free-flowing strokes. He edged Bangladesh closer to the bonus point, hitting ten fours and two sixes during the blitz. Naeem ended the innings in perfect finish with a six off Mendis, as they registered their second win against Sri Lanka.Ashraful’s decision to field, paid off immediately with Mortaza striking twice in his first two overs, removing Upul Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara. He then removed Sri Lanka’s top-scorer Sanath Jayasuriya, whose fifty was largely responsible for pushing the visitors to a somewhat respectable total.Jayasuriya’s 64-ball innings included seven boundaries, but failed to encourage the other batsmen as the middle and lower orders fell apart. Rubel helped himself to the spoils, ending with 4 for 33, and was responsible for the damage towards the end.

The reduced overs resulted in a 6-3-3 Powerplay split, with a maximum of seven overs for any one bowler and six each for four others. Mortaza struck with the third ball of the morning, trapping Tharanga leg before. In his next over, he produced an identical delivery to castle Kumar Sangakkara.Rubel was given a hostile welcome to international cricket by Jayasuriya, who hit him for two fours in his first over and then got a life when Raqibul Hasan failed to pull off a catch off a short delivery from Mortaza.Bangladesh then opted for spin at both ends through Naeem Islam and Shakib Al Hasan. Naeem managed to break the stand in the 18th over when Jayawardene holed out to Rubel at deep-midwicket while attempting a slog sweep.Mortaza was then brought on soon after and had Jayasuriya caught and bowled shortly after bringing up his half-century as Sri Lanka found themselves in a spot of bother at 95 for 4.In a bizarre turn of events which followed, Sri Lanka then lost five wickets in a space of four overs – Jehan Mubarak was run out for 10, Angelo Mathews was caught by Mortaza at mid-on off Rubel, while Kapugedera chopped a Mahbubul Alam delivery on to his stumps.Rubel struck twice in the 29th over, to remove Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara with the first and last deliveries. And he capped off the dream start getting Ajantha Mendis caught by Ashraful at short cover in the last over of the innings.