Sri Lanka registered a historic victory in opposition to England within the third and remaining Check at The Kennington Oval, chasing down 219 runs to safe their first Check win by 8 wickets over England in a decade. Though the collection ended 2-1 in favor of England, Sri Lanka’s exceptional victory within the remaining match left an indelible mark on the collection and offered a much-needed morale enhance for the staff.
The historic 1998 Oval win
Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s interim coach and former cricket legend, was brimming with pleasure as he addressed the post-match presentation. Reflecting on the hard-fought win, he couldn’t assist however examine it to a different iconic second in Sri Lankan cricket: the well-known Check win at The Oval again in 1998, the place he performed a starring position. The query posed to Jayasuriya about that 1998 victory introduced again a wave of nostalgia, particularly because the former captain had scored a double century in that match.
Jayasuriya reminisced a few memorable win 27 years in the past at The Oval, the place Arjuna Ranatunga led the staff, Muthiah Muralidaran took 16 wickets, he scored a double-century, and Aravinda de Silva made 150.
“About 27 years in the past, we gained right here, beneath Arjuna Ranatunga. Murali (Muthiah Muralidaran) received about 16 wickets, I received a double-hundred, Aravinda [de Silva] received a 150, It’s a spot we’ll always remember – The Oval,” Jayasuriya fondly recalled
Additionally READ: Can Sri Lanka attain the WTC 2023-25 remaining? Right here’s how standings take care of England’s Oval Check loss
Recreating the historical past
Whereas the 1998 victory stays etched in Sri Lankan cricket folklore, Jayasuriya was fast to tell apart the 2 triumphs, highlighting the distinctive challenges confronted by the present staff in 2024.
The previous cricketer additional acknowledged that the staff performed beneath difficult situations with grass, chilly climate, and cloudy skies. He praised the fielders for his or her efficiency and the batsmen for stepping up within the second innings.
“However these guys performed in numerous situations altogether, It was robust situations, with the grass, the climate, and every thing was cloudy and chilly. All credit score to those boys. The fielders fielded properly, and the batsmen took accountability within the second innings,” Jayasuriya famous.
Jayasuriya praised the staff’s determination to area a fast-bowling-heavy assault, a daring transfer that paid off handsomely given the difficult English situations.
“It’s the primary time we went with 4 quick bowlers, and we went with that due to the situations right here, and all of them went past 100% of their efforts,” he mentioned.
The previous opener may hardly include his admiration for the staff’s disciplined method, notably within the second innings, after they bowled England out for a meager rating.
“Our second-innings bowling was exceptional – they caught to the plan and received them out in beneath 35 overs, all out for slightly greater than 150,” the left-handed batter mentioned.
In evaluating the 2 Oval victories, Jayasuriya’s message was clear: whereas the 1998 win was a private and nationwide milestone, the 2024 triumph stands as a testomony to the evolution of Sri Lankan cricket and the power of this new technology to beat robust situations on international soil.
