Mahela and Kumar: Two Kings bearing Gifts

Steve Brown

More than 250 people attended the Knox Tavern recently for the fundraiser in aid of the Foundation of Goodness, the special guests being Sri Lankan superstars Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who hold the world record for any wicket in Test match history and responsible for in excess of 45,000 international runs.

The evening was hosted by well-known cricket author, the quick whited Gideon Haigh who created plenty humour and friendly banter.    Following a video presentation of the achievements and work of the Foundation of Goodness in Sri Lanka, post tsunami, founder of the charity, Kushil Gunasekera, thanked everyone for their attendance,

Cricket Australia’s Chairman, Wally Edwards, Cricket Victoria CEO Tony Dodemaide, both former Australian Test players and Sri Lankan Cricket Foundation of Victoria Chairman, Dr Quintus DeZylva were also present, lending their support.

Sangakkara addressed the audience first and he opened his innings by promising not to speak for one hour and ten minutes as he did in his address to the MCC at Lords in London last year. A polished performer, those in the room would not have minded if he broke his promise as he had the audience in his hands, with a personal plea for compassion in regards to the village of Seenigama, and for the new projects in the war torn north of Sri Lanka.

Mahela, Sanga and Haigh entertain patrons at The KNOX TAVERN in Melbourne

Courtesy of a chain of friends….Mahela and Sanga 

MAHELA JAYAWARDENA and KUMAR SANGAKKARA were the toast of the Knox Tavern when David and Cathy Cruse were hosts to a packed audience on Wednesday 29th February.

GIDEON HAIGH — author and cricket commentator — was the master-of-ceremonies at an evening of high drama when Mahela and Kumar were mobbed by a huge crowd of adoring guests. Their speeches were of great substance and they endeared themselves to a worshipping crowd of Sri Lankan and Aussie cricket enthusiasts. Their handling of the tricky and curvey questions put to them by Gideon and the audience showed tremendous experience and a touch of class.

MAHELA and SANGA appear to have resurrected the enthusiasm the Sri Lankan diaspora have for our cricketers however disappointing the results may have been in recent times. They will surely put the icing on the cake.

 Collage of Pics by Virosh Perera -courtesy of www.islandcricket.lk

Web Editor: The last expectation is a bit premature but let us hope.

India: shredded in England, now pulped in Australia

Gideon Haigh, in The Weekend Australian, 28-29 January 2012, with different title:“Tourists have gone in circles rather than thinking in cycles”

RAHUL Dravid was widely and justly praised for his Bradman Oration last month. He has also proven prophetic. “Creaking terminators”: his droll, self-mocking description of India’s top order has turned out to be almost unimproveable. Yesterday at Adelaide Oval, they ground finally to a halt, and a remorseless Australian attack rolled right over the top of them.

 Pic from AFP

The visitors’ four mighty batsmen, weighty with honours and worth 45,000 Test runs, slouched towards the exits of their careers, the victims of good bowling, if not perhaps in each case of particularly good balls. They moved off pensively – in Virender Sehwag’s case at a meditative limp, holding the bat at its toe, analogous to a flag at half-mast.

Often times we talk of a player who has gone on a game too far. There is a case to be made that this Indian team has since its World Cup victory gone on a year too far, or at least gone in circles when it should have been thinking in cycles. Its reputation, shredded in England, has here been pulped.

A TAIL that wags = An Essential Now for Test Teams

Gideon Haigh, in The Australian, 31 Decmeber 2011, where it had the title: “Year-long evolution of a tail”

EARLY on the final morning at the MCG on Thursday, a half-volley was stylishly despatched by a tall left-hander to the extra-cover boundary. A handsome stroke: long stride, full flow of the bat, flourishing follow-through. “Shot, Huss!” was one’s reflex response from a distance. Except that on a second look the cover drive’s author was not Mike Hussey but James Pattinson.

In the aftermath of victory here, Australia’s arrived-at pace triumvirate of Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus have basked in deserved praise. But the game also involved the continuation of a decidedly useful trend, a year in the making, of the Australian tail selling itself dearly.