Malinga brings fireworks for Guyana opening
If a new cricket ground has ever had a baptism better than Guyana鈥檚 National Stadium did on Wednesday, I don鈥檛 think my nerves could take it.
, the 23-year-old poster boy of the Sri Lanka team, became the first bowler ever to take four wickets with successive balls in international cricket and it was just a shame he couldn鈥檛 celebrate a victory as well after that display.
What had seemed like a stroll in the park for South Africa turned into a nail-biter of a finish, with one run scored from 11 balls before Robin Petersen鈥檚 edged four off Malinga sealed it.
It seemed strange that Malinga was forced to share the man of the match award with South Africa鈥檚 Charl Langeveldt, whose career-best 5-39 included three suicidal shots from Sri Lanka tail-enders in the penultimate over.
Malinga apparently thought he had won it, only to be told he hadn鈥檛. After captain Mahela Jayawardene had a moan in the news conference it was promptly announced that there had been a 鈥渕iscommunication鈥 and that a joint award had been made.
Those who scoffed at suggestions of chaos at the new ground did not see the frenetic work put in this week to prevent it.
After some early showers, the sun was out and the new place looked lovely, all US$30m of it.
Unfortunately we got to see a little too much of the gleaming seats, as another World Cup ground failed to get anywhere near its capacity, with an estimated 6,000 in a stadium with a capacity of 15,000.
Fortunately, there was the grass bank in the north-east corner, where local fans mixed with those from several of the visiting nations. It wasn鈥檛 packed, but it was busier than the rest of the ground.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e pricing out the locals and that鈥檚 not right,鈥 said one man I spoke to on the bank, where those with US$25 tickets were sitting on the grass or standing in groups.
Those spectators may have been horrified to learn that wandering amongst them was a man for whom 鈥渢he serpents and gorillas that live in his mind compelled him to descend to a level of pitiful, sickening and Hitleristic journalism鈥.
This is the latest outpouring from a columnist in the Kaieteur News, to whom I shall prevent my personal serpents and gorillas speaking in future, in the saga over Monday's blog.
Blissfully unaware as they were, the local fans brought the sort of impromptu, cricket-loving atmosphere that has sadly been missing from many World Cup games so far.
There were a few highlights for them, including Langeveldt鈥檚 two wickets in his first spell, and athletic run out by Herschelle Gibbs of Chamara Silva and Chaminda Vaas鈥檚 pearler to dismiss AB de Villiers at the start of South Africa鈥檚 reply.
But the match was fizzling, with Jacques Kallis鈥檚 even-tempered 86 apparently having put South Africa on course for victory until Malinga the Slinger struck.
颁辞尘尘别苍迟蝉听听Post your comment
It does not matter whether you win or lose as long as we witness great games like this, this great game of cricket will bring enormous fun & pleasure to the fans all over the world.
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Yeah Amos u're right .. Aussies gonna come soon complainin for malinga's action.
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Fantastic achievement by Malinga! How SL must regret their last 2 overs at bat, when 10 extra runs could have made the diff.!
The first ever CWC game played in South America, and the first ever 4 for 4 in Internationals, on the same day!
I wish ICC could fix the attendance issue, even though its late in the day.
Surely they knew its not the prime vacation season for the British, and that there are only about 500,000 people in Guyana anyway? and how many even know CWC is being played?
BTW, Great job with the new stadium, long may Guyana enjoy it!
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This is a good lesson for SL batsmen.Specially openers.any ways,I know the next, in Aus match.......Malinga's action....NO BALL....!!!!
NO BALL..!!!!!!!!!!!
Action illegal....NO BALL...........
second Murali......
Is this cricket..????
Malinag, be carefull from AUS umpires.....
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Those who gave up on the match during the middle part of the South Africa innings will regret not having seen the most amazing one man demolition (near) of a team in any cricket match. It was Wasim/Waqar rolled into one - at least during those last three overs of Lasith Malinga the slinger. And had Jayawardene been a little more imaginative (unlikely given his unbelievable lack of thinking even when Vaas was swinging it early on ) in his field placements during the last three overs of the South African innings then Sri Lanka may well have won.
With Peterson, a left hander on strike and Malinga bowling around wicket with the ball swinging away towards slips he only had one slip fielder in place. Even the commentators were commenting on this when the inevitable happened - Petersen beaten by another Malinga missile edged, thick, past a vacant third second slip and won it for a stunned Proteas team. It was electric stuff - most certainly the world cup's most stunning moments.
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If you must resort to 'throwing' with your elbow and shoulder.....when you are supposed to 'bowl' with your arm as dead straight as the arm of the clock .....although you may 'bowl' at an angle from anywhere between 12 o'clock (ideal) to 11.50 (as Malinga does & which is perfectly acceptable.) then you CHEAT. all the money in the game which forces the ICC and humbugs like Gavaskar and others to 'approve' your action is pure 'rubbish'. And thats the way the Aussies play it. Tough even antagonistic....but 'fair' you touch the ball ..you walk.. An Aussies doesn't need any 'handouts' to prop up his batting average... The way things are going...what next? Get a Doc's certificate that Dilhara was born with enlarged testicles (BB) and so must be allowed to bowl 'no-balls'???
If Charlie Griffith had got a doc's cert by now he would have killed several batsman...and the game along with it.
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of course it was the match of the tournement so far...Sri Lankans have shown that even in a lower score they are able to fight untill the last ball. all the credits for Lasitha Malingha who MADE HISTORY in the GUYANA on the curtain raiser for the stadium. both GUYANA and MALINGA both will be written in history..well done malingha...
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Great game, great climax, much better than the crap Steve Mclarens men were producing, glad I watched it till the end, lets hope that Fridays game is not so close and we are celebrating an easy England win.
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ouch! mahesh... the drubbing india received at the hands of the fantastic sri lankans must have hurt!!.. i love sri lanka team.. not just for the fantastic cricket they play but also for their sportsmanship.. unlike the much vaunted, over-hyped, overpaid, overrated, and over the hill indian players! go lanka.. win the cup now! good luck to bangladesh too.. from a pakistani fan.
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Hi to evry one...............
i thing that malinga has did his best ever profermence and that why he was so,happy but anfortinatly the lost the game
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Malinga shoiuld have had award outright. That is a huge achievement and Langeveldt only got wickets when people were throwing the bat at the ball, not much of an achievement really, just happened to be bowling at the end when batsman start to be more careless
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Was nail biting finish. Must admit I had given up on SL. But Malinga turned it on it's head with some superb reverse swing bowling. Almost won it as well as 1 ball practically shaved the off stump of Peterson and that would have been that fo SA.
The SA somehow brought back their chokers tag. They did not completely choke, but I'd still call this choking. SL really lost the game when they lost last 5 wkts for 14 runs. Another 20 more, and they would be celebrating victory.
Lets see what todays match brings... Doubt it if anyone will equal Malinga's performance.
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Malinga action was suspicious. I think umpires would have to keep a close eye on him. because he can alter the angle of his arm on one ball and get a wicket and reverse to the proper way of bowling the next ball.that being said it was a great display by malinga.
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Malingas record probably will never be matched again in international cricket.... He is probably the most exciting FAST bowler in world cricket at the moment...
In the media Sri Lankan bowlers such as Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando are regularly quoted as being fast medium bowlers rather than fast bowlers. This is despite them bowling consistently above 90 MPH.
However much slower bowlers, usually averaging speeds of 85mph, from non-asian countries, are named as genuine FAST bowlers...
As a Sri Lankan supporter this really bugs me...we finally have genuine pace and this does seems to be undervalued...
Hopefully yesterdays display from Malinga will make a few heads turn...
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Good bowling effort. SL top order needs to start scoring or they will be gone like India and Pak.
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That was an absolutely sensational performance by Malinga. As always, the Sri Lankan batsmen let the side down and Jayawardene's field placing left much to be desired especially in the last stages of the match.
Despite the loss Sri Lanka earned the respect of cricket fans around the world including this fan from an unlikely place such as the Philippines. And that's the most important thing.
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Ref : S/A vs Srilanka
BEWARE !!! this goes to all other Super Eights
Srilanka went down fighting( against world no 01 team ) ...well done malinga dont worry mate u made history
Resposiblity goes to Mahela not b cos of his captancy but failure as a batsmen
I believe mahela should only b in the test squad if he fails in the whole tournament. People like Vas and murali should be appointed as skippers
So v expect some huge wins from SL against others
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It's like any big sporting event the average person can never afford the tickets, I dont see anything different here. Most of the people in Guyana are very poor its either feed their family or go see a cricket match.
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Malinga we are so proud of you and all our team but you are very special why because you have put our villege in world map
Good Luck Malinga and All Srilankan Team
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Who ever decided the man of the mach is realy an idiot. I was very dissapointed not for the match but for balinga not receiving the man of the match. It is a rare world record but that idiot didnt understand that.
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Yes. Malinga, beware of Aussie umpires now.
They think cricket belongs only to Aussies. They must be analyizing you in every angle now just to call you a chucker. They dont need a point actually, they will just shout "NO BALL".
P.S. Thanks Zaheer !
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Malinga's action is no different to that of Jeff Thomson (Thommo) back in the 70s.
He has already been scrutinised by experts and media alike.
Accept the man for what he can do.
Australians have always tried to belittle and bully anyone who is better than them at any apsect of sport...............that is part of their culture.
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This was the most amazing fast bowling spells you would ever see.
4 runs to win 5 wickets in hand 30 odd balls to spare. What kind of special effort to do you think you need to turn the odds at this time towards SL.
Well that was almost a cricketing miracles. Well done Malinga.
However very disappointed SL couldn't WIN this after fighting this hard. Mahela should get a blame for his unbelievable team placings for not attacking when Murali was spinning and not keeping a second slip when Malinga was on fire.
For the unsporty jealous people, Malinga can never be called a chucker as at the point of his delivery he doesnt bend his arm. To call him a chucker ICC might have to change the rules. If he goes on like this dont be surprised if they do it.
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This was a great game and good for cricket. Go on Malinga, the future is yours and the entertainment is ours.
Not to worry of the Aussies. It's the nature of the beast mate.
Cheers.
Antoine.
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Kudos to Malinga, He has made history for him self, cricketing world, and this dear land of our Guyana and its US30M Stadium. I enjoyed the match... oh its a pity he did not get the fifth wicket. I have Sir Lanka for the CUP. A force to be reckon with. See... what beautiful cricket Guyana had.
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If the slinger slings from round the wicket would it not be a wide ball from the moment it leaves the sling?
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What a way to usher in the new cricket ground! In the end what matters is that an exciting match was played.
It is dissapointing that there weren't more spectators for the first game. Hopefully the England v Ireland match will be better attended by local and travelling supporters.
While Guyana is generally passionate about cricket, attendance at matches have probably been declining. Even regional matches were well attended. Now, it is probably a struggle to fill the gound when a team such as India visits.
Glad to hear though that there were no difficulties relating to infrastructure.
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M. Gough:
Back to your unkind words about Guyana... surely you know that in the Islands of the Caribbean all the good real estate, including the hotels, etc. are owned by "white" people.. some of them new and a some from the colonial days. You should also know that a lot of places like the Caribbean, Guyana, India and many other countries were the catalyst for the beautiful mansions, castles and high standard of living that you enjoy today.
When our old colonial masters left our lands like Guyana, they took everything with them and in Guyana's case conspired with the Americans to keep our leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, out of power.
Unlike the Islands, we do not have the georgeous beaches, but we do have magnificient unspoilt virgin rain forest. We do not work in posh 5 star hotels and resorts and return home to the shanty towns at night, as do many of our fellow West Indians in the Islands. I realise that you have only seen the nice parts on some of those places, but here in Guyana, we want you to see the good, the bad and the ugly. Write about the bad things like crime, etc., but do not insult us because we are poor. Write about the unfinished infrastructure around the stadium, but before you chalk that up to us Caribbean people always waiting for the last minute, remember that Wembly stadium is 2 years behind schedule in your own developed backyard. Stuff like rain and floods happens man.
Look, Martin, we don't hate you, so please don't get the wrong idea. In fact, we have a saying in Guyana, "sit back, relax, enjoy, our house dosen't always look like this, sometimes it's even worse." If you take the time to get to know some of us, you will find that we are a very hospitable people and we would give you the shirt off our back to make your stay comfy.
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What a way to usher in the new stadium in Guyana. This is a day that would be forever remembered as one of the most spectacular and defining moments in the history of cricket. Good for cricket and good for Guyana.
Now fellas, it's bad enough that these Sri Lankans can bowl, but man it must be some scary sight to see the Malinga - face painted like an warrior ready for battle, hair flailing and that menacing look on his face as he is about to release than sling shot in your direction. Enough to scare the sh_ _ out of you!
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Martin!
Am impressed with how you're settling into Guyana - you are making quite the impact. You never made it on the front of the St. Lucia Mirror....
Tell me, is Rick Astley as popular in Guyana as St. Lucia? Any goats? Bears?
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malinga yu made us proud and mahela the captn let the team down. he shd go home.
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Mohamed Rahaman,
Thanks for your reply. I made the Wembley comment myself a couple of days ago and there are some real parallels. I've been watching that one from my window at home!
I feel a lot has been read between the lines of my original piece that simply did not exist. There was no mockery and there was no opportioning of blame.
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I agree with amos. Australians the greatest whiners of the earth will start their complaining sooner or later no doubt.
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Thanks for your reply Mr. Gough.
I hope you enjoy your stay and I of course we all hope that the cricket is great and the crowd actually shows up.
I believe that journalist like yourself, sould take the ICC to task for not doing the proper research. Too much dependancy was placed in Indians and Pakistanis supporters visiting (from North America) for the WC and since the matches are spread in so many countries, it is unrealisitic to expect so many people will buy tickets in advance for matches in teh super 8s since no one knows in advance who will advance. Certainly, they should have known that folks in the Caribbean cannot afford US$100. or $90. for a ticket. It would have been better to accept a smaller entrance fee with capacity crowds than the sight of all those plastic. This image is not good for the game. Finally, I do not believe that anyone has yet mentioned the fact that there just maybe too much cricket for the players and the fans and this could be a bad thing.
Enjoy.
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It was a stunner , and Lankans love it though we lost the Game , but won the hearts of Cricket Lovers in the world !
Sana , Murali and then Lasith and who is next ???
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I am extremly proud to be a GUYANESE .I was there when history was created... Forever will Guyana be linked with MALINGA.
But even though we are considered as a poor nation, our government was committed to have this stadium built. Our President Mr BHARAT JAGDEO and his ministers visited this stadium during many stages of construction.
We must thank the government of INDIA For ther support.
MARTIN, enjoy our hospitality,our friendly people and write too of the progress in guyana that is evident every where.
Maybe it is not too late for you to comment on the ticket prices which is way beyond the ordinary folks reach but......WE WILL FILL THE STANDS SUNDAY TO RALLY AROUND THE WEST INDIES.......NEVER SAY NEVER...WE ARE A PROUD PEOPLE.
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For those who critiize Mahela
Don't blame him. He is young and made us to super 8. Always think that it is he has to think and all people who have played cricket know, it is a different picture in the ground.
Let's wait. They will do the job for us
We are a great cricket nation and we are not like indians who are burning pictures of players.
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Is there a reason, medical or otherwise, Malinga's action is like it is?
If there's not then surely given the talent he has he should be able to do the same things with the ball from a more orthodox bowling action?
It's unfortunate that his action, although legitimate, is going to be under constant scrutiny and heap alot of pressure onto a young talented bowler.
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I was watching this match but i thought srilanka going to loose very badly. I had a feeling that they might come back to the game but i was not sure.
when the wickets starts to fall i thought we had a chance for a close win but it didn't work. srilanka still
come back and the next big game will be against Austrilia.
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Well........ Loosing SA match, Mahela should take the full responsibilty I suppose.........
Being the captain he could have cut at least 30 runs if he set the field during 10-25 overs instead he put many feilders around boundry lines & gave away some 30-40 odd singles with out posing any challenge..............
ALSO AS FAR AS SL TEAM WINNING THE WC..... ONCE AGAIN IF MAHELA JOINS THE PATY AT LEAST WITH SOME 40-50 RUNS IN EVERY MATCH..WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE......SADLY SEE HIS BODY LANGUAGE WHEN HE COMES TO BAT........ IN FACT WHEN HE IS REALLY FOCUSED U CAN SEE IT ALL OVER HIS BODY & THATS WHAT EXACTLY HE DID IN LAST ENGLISH TOUR
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Well........ Loosing SA match, Mahela should take the full responsibilty I suppose.........
Being the captain he could have cut at least 30 runs if he set the field during 10-25 overs instead he put many feilders around boundry lines & gave away some 30-40 odd singles with out posing any challenge..............
ALSO AS FAR AS SL TEAM WINNING THE WC..... ONCE AGAIN IF MAHELA JOINS THE PATY AT LEAST WITH SOME 40-50 RUNS IN EVERY MATCH..WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE......SADLY SEE HIS BODY LANGUAGE WHEN HE COMES TO BAT........ IN FACT WHEN HE IS REALLY FOCUSED U CAN SEE IT ALL OVER HIS BODY & THATS WHAT EXACTLY HE DID IN LAST ENGLISH TOUR
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Yes, I cannot agree more with Amos and Chinthaka. Maling boy, you'd better watch out for Aussie upires now, or Aussie players and even the ICC for that matter. Don't be suprised if you get a call from the "Illegeal bowling action department" of the ICC which has been specially set for the players from the sub-continent.
Go on Mainga. You fire your tennis ball into that piece of wood propped up with a brick as we all do here in Sri Lanka when we get together with our friends and neighbours to play cricket on the road. Your bowling action's purer than any in international cricket.
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Yes, I cannot agree more with Amos and Chinthaka. Maling boy, you'd better watch out for Aussie upires now, or Aussie players and even the ICC for that matter. Don't be suprised if you get a call from the "Illegeal bowling action department" of the ICC which has been specially set for the players from the sub-continent.
Go on Mainga. You fire your tennis ball into that piece of wood propped up with a brick as we all do here in Sri Lanka when we get together with our friends and neighbours to play cricket on the road. Your bowling action's purer than any in international cricket.
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Lasith Malinga
He is wolf in a sheeps clothing..This guy has got immense talent and is a find for the sri Lankan cricket..With Vaas and possibly Murali retiring in the near future, Sri Lanka cricket needed a saviour, Maling rose to the occasion..Malinga has got character and charisma and this world cup did a world of good to him and hes got part to play the world cup..
Good going and good luck Mali, Sri Lanka watches you and cheers you..World Cup 2007 on 28th April may arrive in Sri Lanka..An attainable goal..
Good Luck to the Sri Lankan Team
From a true Sri Lankan
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srilanka is the best team in the world
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hi ........ wanna make friends with you...
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i think you are a great player.....ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE GAMES..
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