da pinnacle： Andrew Miller provides the plays of the opening day from Galle
Andrew Miller at Galle18-Dec-2007
Steve Harmison hustled Sri Lanka with 3 for 28 © Getty Images
Captaincy decision of the day
The pitch conditions were a lottery, but Michael Vaughan knew withoutdoubt that it was going to be baking hot. So what’s a captain to do atthe toss? It’s a must-win match and England need 20 wickets, soVaughan put his faith in the early moisture in the wicket, and sentSri Lanka in to bat. Ryan Sidebottom’s first delivery implied it was apretty good decision, but until Steve Harmison’s evening intervention,things went a touch flat – not surprising, given the brutality of theheat. Vaughan would probably have preferred to lose the toss and letMahela Jayawardene do the agonising.Umpiring decision of the day
Matthew Hoggard’s sixth over, and Kumar Sangakkara’s tenth ball. Afull-length outswinger tempts an indiscreet drive, and the ballwhistles through to Matt Prior’s gloves. England’s reaction is instantand unanimous – they are convinced they’ve got their man. Sangakkarais equally vociferous, however – he shouts a loud “No!” and shakes hishead emphatically as the appeal goes up. Sangakkara did walk for oneduring the one-day series, which may or may not have swayed umpireHarper’s opinion, but England were apoplectic as he turned down theirpetitions. Replays, however, remained inconclusive – even thesnickometer couldn’t say for sure.Catch of the day
What goes through Monty Panesar’s mind when he circles under asteepling catch? We can hazard a fair guess. Terror, excitement,impending remorse, a prayer or two as well. Ever since his howler ondebut at Nagpur last March, those three or four seconds of hang-timeare among the most anxious in the game – for Monty, for histeam-mates, and for the batsman, on this occasion Sangakkara. Hesteadied himself with a bend of the knees that looked uncannily likeJonny Wilkinson’s penalty squat, the ball plopped into his cuppedhands with a palm-reddening splat, and then he was off, celebratingwith a gusto that no-one in the game can match.Drop of the day
Paul Collingwood’s clanger at second slip. It didn’t actually costEngland too many runs, as Upul Tharanga fell to a marginal lbw fiveovers later, but in terms of momentum it was untimely to say theleast. Harmison had been working up a good head of steam and beatTharanga with a delivery that climbed sharply outside off. ButCollingwood – possibly deceived by the extra carry on this springierGalle pitch – was slow moving to his right and shelled a routinechance.Shot of the day
Jayawardene is in some pretty prime nick at the moment. His 195at Colombo was a pretty handy net session, and he was soon back intothe groove at Galle. In Harmison’s fourth over, he eased forwardto a high-kicking good-length delivery and stroked it, on the up, allthe way through the covers. Harmison, so taken aback that anyone coulddo that to such a decent delivery, followed up with a rare and rankhalf-volley. It went in the same direction, just as quickly.Delivery of the day
Harmison has relocated his mojo – that’s the message we can glean fromhis wholehearted efforts at Colombo and now Galle. And in doing so, hehas found himself something of a walking wicket. All things arerelative in such batsman-friendly conditions, but the manner in whichChamara Silva has been dismissed in both games speaks volumes forHarmison’s new-found confidence. On both occasions, he’s been beaten by off-stump lifters; at Colombo he fenced to gully, and today he squirted to first slip. He was late on the shot on both occasions, hurried by Harmy’s harrying style.