The Gospel According to Mathews

“The meek shall inherit the earth? Maybe, but they don’t win Test matches” – Angelo 2: Day 5, Session 3

The immediate aftermath of the second Test match at Headingly wore shades of Edgbaston of 2005, where a distraught Brett Lee was comforted by Andrew Flintoff. Leeds, just under a decade later, was not anything less dramatic, or heartbreaking. But there was no consolation of fallen opponents by the victors, just pure unbridled joy at a triumph that had come in trying circumstances, with England’s best efforts on, and more Machhiavelian efforts off, the field.

Seeing the victor consoling the vanquished is always a great sight in sport. Watching Richie McCaw’s All Blacks line up in single file behind him while he waited patiently, a respectful distance away from England’s huddle, to congratulate Robshaw and his team in Dunedin, I was privy to what a respectful occurrence sporting combat can be. There was no gloating triumphalism from the Greatest Team in World Sport, just respect for a fallen challenger. Even when they won the World Cup, I remember my wife pointing out how they took their medals and waited patiently for Richie to lift ‘Bill’ into their air before they raised their arms at ending a 24 year wait. When teams realise they are not bigger than the sport, and play with pride and respect for each other, sport is wonderful thing.

Offset those examples with the diabolical ham acting of Balotelli, Suarez and the rest of their teams in an elimination game at Brazil 2014 and you see how ridiculous sport can also become.

The culmination of the second test at Headingly wasn’t nearly as bad as Italy v Uruguay. But it was a far cry from the highest ideals of sporting respect. Largely thanks to a boorish, uppity England side that got what it deserved.

When I roared in joy and disbelief at the end of a nearly five hour vigil in front of the television, I most certainly woke up the neighbours. But if this was my ecstasy at seeing England knocked over for a first series win for Sri Lanka, imagine the joy of the boys who actually did it. With hindsight, I’m actually happy it happened this way. It would have been less satisfying to have knocked them over before lunch.

When you say ‘hello’ to a pretty girl at the bar and she brushes you off, it’s much easier to deal with than if she flirts with you all night, plays with her hair, touches your arm a lot and then leaves with her boyfriend. That’s exactly what dragging that match to the last over felt like. A comprehensive thrashing inside the first hour of play wouldn’t have heightened the drama. There is no greater, sadistic pleasure than raising hopes before you dash them. And the way this England Establishment had treated Sri Lanka, they deserved no less. Karma saw to that.

On the back of Dhammika Prasad’s incredible spell initiated by Cook’s rash shot, Sri Lanka got stuck in. They had copped it at Lord’s and survived. They had had their coach nicked, the bowling attack likened to a County attack, they had their leading wicket taker’s action questioned with dubious timing, they’d had their captain complained about at Lord’s to the ICC, and they also had the the totally classless time wasting tactic use with Stuart Broad taking a bathroom break in the dying stages of the game. The English batsmen also took to shaking their heads and pointing to their thigh pads and gesturing to umpires after some appeals. It was dissent with impunity. Previous Sri Lankan teams would have bowed their heads and gotten on with it, smiling cheerfully in defeat. But not this one. They told Joe Root what they thought of him and pointed Matt Prior back to the pavilion. Mahela Jayawardena, who wouldn’t criticize a fellow professional unless he absolutely couldn’t help it, felt compelled to step in, and when asked about Cook’s captaincy on the eve of the fifth day, told the media what he thought of it. He also didn’t make a secret of the fact that he believed England wouldn’t react well to pressure. A prediction that was almost proved wrong. Almost. But with no thanks to Cook.

This was a match that Sri Lanka should never have won. Put into bat on a seaming track we were in trouble despite the best efforts of the young openers. However, England’s insistence on bowling short and trying to hurt Sri Lanka on the body and not the scoreboard, played right into the hands of the visitors who were prepared to grin and bear it. The strategy turned a fearsome pace unit into a trio of thugs. 257 was not a terrible score. But at 300-3 in the first innings, England’s brain freeze saw them collapse to 365. That’s where they lost the match. And as if that wasn’t enough, Joe Root mouthed off at Angelo Mathews on day five, when the Lankans seemed ready to give up. This galvanized the collectively reactionary Sri Lankans into a unit that desired to win. And the Stand Up For Yourself Class which began against Glen Maxwell some months ago in Australia, moved past its ugly beginnings and passed its exam with aplomb. The greenhorn Root would have had no idea what he did. But Sri Lankans are a hierarchical bunch, and this young Northern upstart had no right to insult the Sri Lankan captain. The cricket team did what the GOSL hopes the country would in times of foreign threats, and united to defeat it. From Prasad’s inspired discipline and Shaminda Eranga’s eager plodding, together with Herath’s indefatigable spell with no assistance from the wicket, and Mahela’s desperate couple of overs, the Sri Lankan reaction was incredible.

And it was inspired by England. Facilitated by Ali Cook’s benign, conservative captaincy. Angelo Mathews was allowed to get 160 – the highest score since Gordon Greenidge 30 years ago – in the second innings of the Test match because the Sri Lankan captain had a bigger, brassier pair of balls than his English counterpart. The ridiculous field placings, and the stubborn unwillingness to try and get Mathews out, led to him, and fighter Herath, accumulating a match winning score, and Mathews a second, more important albeit less glamorous hundred. Even then, the dead Headingly pitch seemed to be allowing the match to peter away into a draw. Under normal circumstances the Sri Lankans would have been quite happy not to lose. But to England’s dismay, not this time.

Dhammika Prasad, whose inclusion I had done my best to insist upon, and who should probably have played a Lord’s, came in and bowled fast. And straight. And full. Unable to find a regular place, he took is opportunity and repaid his captain’s faith with a tremendous ball to Gary Ballance after Cook had chopped on a half tracker. Liam Plunkett arrogantly and stupidly tried to assert dominance over Herath, and the rest of the batting succumbed to a fiery Prasad.

Take nothing away from Moeen Ali. He was all New England wanted him to be. Taking crucial wickets with the ball. Constantly putting more revs on the cherry than Herath, and batting an entire day while protecting those around him. That’s not the usual perception of men that have large beards and family name Ali, especially not in that part of the world. So Moeen can tell the UKIP and its voter base where to get off. Hopefully, he will be a more glaring reflection of England’s own hypocrisy than Sri Lanka’s win will be.  He was magnificent, and I felt almost sorry for him. I also felt sorry for Jimmy Anderson. He did his manful best. But for a bowler who was the best pacie in the world at one point, to have to resort to bowling bouncers at Sri Lanka tail enders, you have to ask yourself what happened. Has he let the England dressing room, and its disingenuos, passive aggressive leader, get to his head? So while I felt sorry for him, Ali won my respect.

I personally feel this is the second greatest triumph in Sri Lankan cricket history. Beating England, at home, in all three formats, is huge. Napier in 1995 was a great start. The Oval in 1998 was the Aravinda, Murali, Sanath show. It was a one off, but it was beautiful. 1996 is the pinnacle, but reacting to adversity, rebuilding a young team, relying on the old pros, battling to save a match and doing so with the last man reviewing his decision, hanging in there on the final day till the penultimate ball and never giving up. This had everything.

My most exciting memories in 35 years have been of Test cricket. Lara’s 277 in Sydney, Mahela and Kumar’s partnership of 600+, Murali’s agonising 800th wicket, Sri Lanka’s loss at SSC in 1992, the Ashes Series of 2005, McDermott gloving to Dujon in 1992 to lose a test by one run.

But this beats everything. Poise, aggression, composure, bravery, mind games, short bowling, spin bowling…we did it all. And we won! No doubt there are areas to improve on. Mathews is better with the bat, than he is in the field. But this team prepared. They trained with Duke balls. Sent the bowlers in early. Got Sangakkara a few games in Durham. They built the base, to allow inspiration, talent and testicular fortitude to do the rest.

Thank you Angelo Mathews and the team. We have badly needed something to cheer about in the last fortnight.