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Warne spins his way to cricket immortality
Galle, March 12: Shane Warne bowled himself onto cricketing history during the fifth morning of the Galle Test match. Warne, who started the day with 496 Test wickets, inspired a dramatic Sri Lanka collapse, ripping out the rump of the top order to become the first spinner to take 500 wickets in his
Galle, March 12: Shane Warne bowled himself onto cricketing history during the fifth morning of the Galle Test match. Warne, who started the day with 496 Test wickets, inspired a dramatic Sri Lanka collapse, ripping out the rump of the top order to become the first spinner to take 500 wickets in history.
Chasing 352 to win, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 15 runs in the space of 29 deliveries during the second hour of the morning. Hashan Tillakaratne (10 not out) and Thilan Samaraweera (15 not out) stopped the freefall but Sri Lanka still reached lunch in desperate trouble on 86 for 5.
Jayawardene greeted Warne with a classical cover-drive and Sri Lanka reached morning drinks on 40 for 1. But Warne started to weave his magic immediately after the break. Atapattu was forced back and, surprised by the extra bounce of a fizzing legbreak, edged to Matthew Hayden at first slip (41 for 2).
Tillakaratne Dilshan, his confidence sky-high after scores of 63, 100, 83 and 104 in his last four innings, opened his account by dancing down the wicket to Warne and lofting straight down the ground. But Warne outwitted him too, sliding in a flatter, quicker delivery to trap him LBW as he shuffled across the stumps (49 for 3).
"The Warney Wicket Counter" on the grass banks was now working overdrive and Warne struck again: this time Jayawardene edged a legbreak to Hayden at slip (50 for 4).
But the insatiable king of spin would accept nothing short of 500 hundred wickets which he claimed by geting the wicket of Tillakaratne, who was caught by Andrew Simmons of a terrific delivery.
With 500 victims Warne has become the second cricketer to touch the magic number, which so far only West Indian Courtney Walsh has crossed stopping at 519 Test wickets.
Bureau Report
Chasing 352 to win, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 15 runs in the space of 29 deliveries during the second hour of the morning. Hashan Tillakaratne (10 not out) and Thilan Samaraweera (15 not out) stopped the freefall but Sri Lanka still reached lunch in desperate trouble on 86 for 5.
Jayawardene greeted Warne with a classical cover-drive and Sri Lanka reached morning drinks on 40 for 1. But Warne started to weave his magic immediately after the break. Atapattu was forced back and, surprised by the extra bounce of a fizzing legbreak, edged to Matthew Hayden at first slip (41 for 2).
Tillakaratne Dilshan, his confidence sky-high after scores of 63, 100, 83 and 104 in his last four innings, opened his account by dancing down the wicket to Warne and lofting straight down the ground. But Warne outwitted him too, sliding in a flatter, quicker delivery to trap him LBW as he shuffled across the stumps (49 for 3).
"The Warney Wicket Counter" on the grass banks was now working overdrive and Warne struck again: this time Jayawardene edged a legbreak to Hayden at slip (50 for 4).
But the insatiable king of spin would accept nothing short of 500 hundred wickets which he claimed by geting the wicket of Tillakaratne, who was caught by Andrew Simmons of a terrific delivery.
With 500 victims Warne has become the second cricketer to touch the magic number, which so far only West Indian Courtney Walsh has crossed stopping at 519 Test wickets.
Bureau Report