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Sri Lanka v England, 1st Test, Kandy, 1st day
Like taking Kandy from a baby
Andrew Miller in Kandy
December 1, 2007
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It was Matthew Hoggard's day and he made sure his young baby back home wasn't forgotten
© Getty Images
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Spell of the day
Matthew Hoggard's incredible new-ball onslaught. His 5 for 25 in last
week's Colombo warm-up looked at the time like an anomaly. In fact, it
was a return to normal service for a fast bowler whose record on the
subcontinent (47 wickets at 26.11) now ranks up there with the very,
very best. There was the merest hint of movement in the morning, but
that's all he needed, as he nibbled away at that off stump and let Sri
Lanka's frailties do the rest.
Dismissal of the day
Any of Hoggard's might compete for the honour, but the best of the
bunch was a perfect length delivery that drew Mahela Jayawardene into
a fateful dab. The ball deviated maybe half a bat's width, but as the
great Glenn McGrath always professed, infinitesimal movement is the
best movement of all. It turned a solid forward defensive into a
panicky snick to the keeper, and Sri Lanka's captain was on his way.
Celebration of the day
Hoggard became a father for the first time back in May, and
coincidentally or not, his career has been in stasis ever since. He
went lame midway through young Ernie's birthday match at Lord's, and
featured in just one more Test that summer, at Chester-le-Street at
the end of June. Today he was back with a bang, and commemorated the
fact by rocking his arms in a cradle fashion each time a wicket fell.
Perhaps he felt he was taking Kandy from a baby.
Batsman of the day
Kumar Sangakkara came into this match still buzzing from the innings
of his life - his 192 against Australia at Hobart last week - and once
again he was the classiest cricketer on show. While others poked and
groped, he located the middle of the bat almost at will, and eased
Ryan Sidebottom out of the attack with two fours in his sixth over -
the second, a sumptuous on-drive that scorched the turf and bisected
midwicket and mid-on before either fielder could react.
Premonition of the day
Monty Panesar's ripper to dismiss Chaminda Vaas. The ball pitched a
good foot outside the stumps, but gripped and bit sharply to clip the
top of off as Vaas backed away in an attempted cut. Earlier in his
spell, Panesar had given Sangakkara arguably his most uncomfortable
moment with an equally sharp tweaker and loud lbw shout. And yet, this
was all taking place on only the second session of the match. What
would Muralitharan make of the conditions when his turn came?
Pathos of the day
Steve Harmison getting the one-stump treatment that, in the Duncan
Fletcher regime, was so commonly associated with James Anderson. This
time round it was Anderson who claimed the final spot in England's
line-up, and during the lunch interval Harmison emerged in his
training kit with Ottis Gibson for company, to send down a series of
deliveries at a lone timber on the edge of the square. For the record
Harmy seemed straight and speedy, but his stooped-shoulder trudge
seemed wearier than ever.
Stat of the day
With the wicket of Jayawardene, Hoggard became England's leading
wicket-taker in Tests against Sri Lanka. But it's possibly not the
most auspicious list he'll ever be a part of - the previous
record-holder was Ashley Giles with 31 wickets, and only Andrew
Flintoff (27) comes close. Two representatives of an earlier
generation, Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick, are next with 16 apiece,
while Liam Plunkett, John Emburey, Ian Botham and Monty Panesar are
the odd bed-fellows to have scraped into double figures.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo
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