Rex Clementine in Port Elizabeth
Successive Sri Lankan teams have firmly held onto the view that of all cricket grounds in South Africa, St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth suits them most due to the slow nature of the surface. Stats back them too as in four ODIs, no team has been able to score 250 even once against the Sri Lankans with their spinners restricting oppositions expertly.
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As the three match Test series between Sri Lanka and South Africa begins on Boxing day here in Port Elizabeth, the fans will remember the last time their team played in this ground – the World Cup semi-final against Australia in 2003.
No member of the current squad was in Port Elizabeth that day and although Rangana Herath had already made his Test debut, he was a rarity in limited overs cricket.
The World Cup semi-final 13 years ago was between two teams that were heading in different directions. Defending champions and tournament favourites Australia had set aside the disappointment of sending off of star bowler Shane Warne after he had failed a drug test.
They qualified for the knockout game with an unbeaten record. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, had won back their fans after knocking out hosts South Africa having earlier suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Kenya.
Having finished the Super Six stage fourth, Sri Lanka were through to play the semi-final against the top ranked team while India, who were second took on Kenya.
Taking on a strong Australian outfit looked a daunting task, but Sri Lanka sensed that their spinners could do the job for them. True to word, the spinners did an exceptional job to restrict Australia to 212 for seven in 50 overs.
With the batting not clicking throughout the competition, Sri Lanka had brought in an additional batsman. With the likes of Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya able to give the team spin options, Avishka Gunawardene was drafted in to the side.
It was also in this game that Adam Gilchrist walked after being given not out by umpire Rudi Koertzen. The Sri Lankans were excited at half-way mark as the target was only 213 and they should have got there with eight specialist batsmen.
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Sri Lanka slipped to 43 for four, but De Silva was still batting and there was hope. Earlier in the tournament, in a second round game, de Silva had provided rich entertainment, whipping four wristy sixes and nine fours in his 92 from 94 balls. His flicked six off Brett Lee that bisected the fine-leg and deep square leg fielders was one of the shots of that tournament.
So Australia knew that the job wasn’t done until they had seen the back of De Silva. Several members who had been at the receiving end when he scripted Sri Lanka’s World Cup win with an unbeaten 107 in 1996 were still playing.
But a moment of madness saw De Silva being run out with Kumar Sangakkara rushing the 37-year-old for a quick single. Earlier Sangakkara had cost his team dearly when he missed a stumping chance off Andrew Symonds when he was on 33. He went onto post an unbeaten 91.
After a defensive push, Sangakkara set off for a single. Andy Bichel the bowler, picked up the ball left-handed, turned and threw down the stumps at batsman’s end, leaving de Silva stranded. The Sri Lankan great trudged off into retirement.
Sri Lanka were 123 for seven in 39 overs when rain brought an early end to the game and Australia won by 48 runs according to the DuckworthLewis method.
There’s also lot of history involving St. George’s Park. The ground hosted South Africa’s first Test match way back in 1889. It was the first Test match to be played outside England and Australia. The venue also staged South Africa’s first ever rugby international in 1891.
