It was time to rejoice, certainly the golden moment of Sri Lankan cricket. For a beautiful island devastated by an ongoing conflict, ‘Cricket’ was an answer. For a nation hampered by violence and political tension, the battle between the bat and the ball was a reason to unite.
It was in 1996, when a team of brave men reached the ‘Everest’ of cricket, ensuring that the night of 17th March will be a perennial memory for every Sri Lankan. Streets of Colombo, usually impeded by vicious explosions, were lit by fire crackers, bands, flags and the vociferous sounds of people who kept their differences aside, to celebrate the splendid triumph.
Coached by Dav Whatmore and led by their belligerent and calculating captain Arjuna Ranathunga, the marginally rated team needed solidity and consistency to beat some of the strongest sides en route to victory. The explosive top order was spearheaded by the opening salvos of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana yielding a new era for ‘pinch hitting’ while the duo was backed by Asanka Gurusinghe and Aravinda de Silva. In a period where, 50 or 60 was considered sufficient in the first 15 overs, they produced 117 against India, 123 against Kenya and 86 against India in the semi-final. Braced by Roshan Mahanama and Hashan Tillakaratne, the strong middle-order was led by the skipper himself. The bowling offence was headed by Chaminda Vaas, Pramodya Wickamasinghe, Kumar Dharmasena and the perpetual champion Muttiah Muralitharan while Jayasuriya and de Silva’s
nifty spin came in handy during key moments. The victory certainly changed the way cricket was played in the country, thus unveiling a dominant force in international cricket.
The World Cup returned to South Asia, this time including Sri Lanka too as a host nation alongside India and Pakistan. ITC’s Wills brand sponsored the edition while 37 matches were played across 26 venues, 17 in India, 6 in Pakistan and 3 in Sri Lanka. The introduction of 3 Associate teams, Netherlands, UAE and Kenya divided the 12 teams into two groups, along with a change of format, which featured a quarterfinal round. TV umpires were introduced for the first time in World Cup history.
Controversy dotted the tournament before any games were played as Australia and West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka following security reasons. In response, Sri Lanka questioned the credibility of quoting security concerns when the ICC had already determined that it was safe. Following extensive negotiations, they decided to award both games to Sri Lanka on forfeit. As a result, Sri Lanka qualified for the quarterfinal even before a game was played.
Astle’s Century Launch ‘96
“Atherton ends Hick’s stint” (Courtesy – Getty Images)
For the first time in the tournament’s history, a host nation did not feature in the opening game. When New Zealand took on England at Ahmedabad on 14th February, it was Nathan Astle’s ton which furnished the contest. Just as his compatriot Martin Crowe had kick started the ’92, opener Astle muscled his way to 101 as the Kiwis made 239/6 in 50 overs. Four catches were dropped, including one off Astle which cost England an arm and a leg. Chasing 240, skipper Mike Atherton fell early, but came back as a runner for
Graeme Hick who suffered a hamstring. Hick was on 85 when Atherton ran him out. England eventually were restricted to 228/9, giving New Zealand a 11-run win.
Kirsten and the ‘White Lightning’ hits UAE
Two days later, minnows UAE faced South Africa at Rawalpindi. Batting first South Africa scored 321/2, their highest ODI total as Gary Kirsten pummeled his way to an unbeaten 188. It was not only a tournament record that is yet to be broken, but he also became the first South African to score an ODI century. The opener batted throughout the innings, hitting 4 sixes and 13 fours while adding 145 with Daryll Cullinan in the final 20 overs. A seemingly strong response was restrained by Allan Donald and Brian McMillan, who grabbed 3 wickets each. The ‘White Lightning’ hit skipper Sultan Zarawani on the head, who was wearing a hat to face him. However South Africa allowed Laiq and Dukanwala to bat out until the end before UAE ended at 152/8.
Waugh makes History
It was Mark Waugh’s back to back tons which dazzled Visakhapatnam and Mumbai, creating history as the first person to hit consecutive centuries at the World Cup. Australia, after forfeiting their opening game to Sri Lanka made their appearance against Kenya on 23rd February at Visakhapatnam. Kenya choosing to field, made early inroads, getting rid of captain Mark Taylor and Ricky Ponting. But the Waugh twins commenced the operation with a 207-run stand, the first double century partnership in World Cup history. Mark’s 130 came in 128 deliveries while Steve’s supportive role included 82 runs, taking Australia to 304/7. The newcomers bravely fought back, scoring 207/7 in the end, with opener Kennedy Otieno scoring 85.
Following the 97-run win, Australia met hosts India at Mumbai. The first day-night game at Wankhede was lit even before the floodlights took charge as Mark Waugh made his way to a graceful126. His opening combination with skipper Taylor annexed 103 before adding 75 with Stuart Law. At first Australia looked like passing 300 with ease but the last 7 wickets fell for mere a 26, leaving them all out for 258. Venkatesh Prasad and Venkatapathy Raju took two wickets each. The chase was given an early scare when Damien Fleming sent back Ajay Jadeja and Vinod Kambli, leaving India at 7/2. However Tendulkar paired with captain Azharuddin to sort things out. Fleming’s third strike removed the skipper but Tendulkar continued his way to a scintillating 90 in 84 balls to treat his home crowd. Mark Waugh stepped up with his bowling to stump Tendulkar at a crucial point, and despite Manjrekar and Mongia’s resistance India were bowled out for 242, giving the Australians a 16-run victory. Damien Fleming took 5 for 36.
Kenyans Humble the Windies
When the Kenyans met the two-time world champions at Pune, it was bound to be a mismatch. They were done for, losing the toss, moreover being all out for a paltry 166 with Walsh, Ambrose and Harper inflicting, damage capturing 8 wickets between them. The highest score was 37 extras which was followed by Tikolo’s 29. But Maurice Odumbe’s men began to torment the Windies from ball one. Captain Richardson’s stumps were rattled by Rajab Ali and Campbell was bowled in the next over by Suji. The rushing and unheeded innings of Lara ceased when his back foot drive was edged to the keeper Tariq Iqbal. Ali and Odumbe continued to add insult to injury, as the nightmare continued for the Windies, who finally collapsed for 93. It was a memorable win for the Kenyans, but a forgettable day for the Caribbeans.
A ‘Pinch-hitting’ Rampage Shambles India
After a convincing 6-wicket win against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka came up against India at Delhi on 2nd March. Winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to field with India posting an impressive 271/3, thanks to Tendulkar’s run-a ball 137 which was also his personal best. The imposing target looked trivial when openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwithrana commenced their riot on the Indian bowlers. The duo hammered 42 in their first 3 overs, snatching 22 off Prabhakar’s second. When Prasad removed Kaluwitharana for 26, Sri Lanka were already 53 in 5 overs. Jayasuriya continued his assault with Gurusinghe as they scored 117 during field restrictions. He lowered his gear before getting out to Kumble for 79. But with the initial damage done, it was up to Ranathunga and Hashan Tillakaratne to bat patiently, which they did so with a 131-run stand to see the Lankans home.
‘Mad Max’ and the Lions Illuminate Asgiriya
On 6th March, Sri Lanka, who had already assured their top position in Group A, hosted Kenya at Asgiriya, Kandy in a record-breaking encounter. Kenya, who returned after a historical win against West Indies, were planning to cause another upset, but the marauding Lions were eager to show that they would have scored maximum points even without the walkovers. They seized a bag of records, especially scoring 398/5, an ODI record for the highest team score. Jayasuriya and ‘Kalu’ opened the carnage with 83 runs that came in a mere 40 balls. Odumbe dismissed both in quick successions but Aravinda de Silva teamed up with Asanka Gurusinghe to add 183, Sri Lanka’s best partnership in ODI’s. One of Gurusinghe’s mammoth sixes traveled to the surrounding hills as the lost ball had to be replaced. At his departure for 84, Ranathunga joined the ‘Mad Max’ to pile up the misery on the Kenyans with a partnership worth 106. The innings saw Aravinda scoring the maiden World Cup century for Sri Lanka as he stormed to 145 in just 115 balls that featured 14 fours and 5 maximums. Ranathunga remained unbeaten till the end with his 75-run assault that came in 40 balls. The minnows refused to surrender as their resilient comeback saw Tikolo falling mere four runs short of a courageous century. However the target was a little too much as they ended at 254/7 at conclusion, conceding a 144-run win for the hosts.
Quarter-finals Awaits the Giants
Sri Lanka dominated Group A, remaining unbeaten with 10 points. Australia snapped the 2nd place over India with superior net run-rate after both sides shared 3 wins and 2 losses each. West Indies, despite 3 losses claimed the final spot in Group A. Unbeaten South Africa led Group B, followed by Pakistan and New Zealand. England who weren’t enjoying the best of campaigns, held on to the 4th spot ahead of UAE and Netherlands, after failing to defeat any of the test playing sides.
