Angelo Mathews’s brilliant knock against Pakistan on Monday helped Sri Lanka win by two wickets, but it wasn’t just the situation that was tricky. History would tell us that the Premadasa Stadium isn’t the easiest ground to chase on under lights and Mathews’ knock achieved the near improbable. Nishad Pai Vaidya examines the Premadasa numbers and also discusses the hope Mathews and Thisara Perera present for Sri Lanka.
Published: Jun 19, 2012, 10:42 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2014, 12:45 PM (IST)
Angelo Mathews (left) and Thissara Perera © Getty Images and AFP
Angelo Mathews’s brilliant knock against Pakistan on Monday helped Sri Lanka win by two wickets, but it wasn’t just the situation that was tricky. History would tell us that the Premadasa Stadium isn’t the easiest ground to chase on under lights and Mathews’ knock achieved the near improbable. Nishad Pai Vaidya examines the Premadasa numbers and also discusses the hope Mathews and Thisara Perera present for Sri Lanka.
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It was a knock that battled the overwhelming odds and emerged victorious – Angelo Mathews’s spectacular 80 not out pulled off a heist and left Pakistan to rue their chances. Chasing 248, Sri Lanka were in a muddle at 138 for six with all eyes on Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne. Not only did Mathews have to tackle the spirited Pakistan bowling attack and the equation, but also face the questions posed by history. The Premadasa Stadium can be a nightmare for teams chasing under lights as it favours the teams batting first on most occasions.
Premadasa – a haven for teams defending totals under lights
It is an absolute no brainer to bat first if you win the toss at Premadasa. However, you still need to score over 240-250 as it is more than competitive on the surface.
Let’s look at some of the critical stats of Premadasa (only day-night matches):
|
M* |
Percentage |
|
| Total matches with results |
76 |
N/A |
| Won by team batting first |
47 |
61.84 |
| Won by team batting second |
29 |
38.15 |
*Premadasa has hosted 84 day-night fixtures but only those with results are being considered.
Teams batting first have won a remarkable 61.84% of the games, while those that chased are tottering at 38.15. The sheer number of games Premadasa has staged magnifies the effect of those numbers. It reflects the kind of advantage a team has batting first and if they put up a good score. Interestingly, a target over 300 has never been overhauled at this venue. India’s successful run-chase of 271 against England in the 2002 Champions Trophy still stands tall amongst the successful run-chases at Premadasa.
Here is a list of the instances where a total of 240+ has been overhauled:
| Score chased | Team | Opposition | Year |
| 271 | India | England | 2002 |
| 265 | Sri Lanka | South Africa | 2004 |
| 248 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | 2012 |
| 246 | India | Sri Lanka | 1998 |
| 244 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | 2000 |
| 241* | Sri Lanka | India | 1997 |
*the target was 239
The fact that a score over 240 has been overhauled successfully only six times in 76 games speaks volumes of the importance of putting the runs on the board. In the day and age where even 300 can be challenged, Premadasa is a rare venue where even 240 may be a good score to compete with. The accepted notion is that chasing under lights isn’t the easiest task, but if the dew sets in, the batsmen may find it easier. The Premadasa however may be a different case all together.
A few encounters in recent times stand out as they defied the pattern completely. In 2002, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag mauled the hapless England attack and chased down 271 with eight wickets to spare. During the last year’s World Cup, Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan made a run-chase of 231 look ridiculously easy as they achieved it without a hiccup. Again, it was England that was at the receiving end.
In contrast, the most recent Sri Lanka-Pakistan game went down to the wire with both teams having a good chance of clinching the encounter. At 138 for six, Sri Lanka had two recognised batsmen in the middle, but one may have felt that Pakistan had the advantage. It was only Mathews’ vigil that helped them and the records discussed above highlight the value of his knock. At the same time, Pakistan probably missed a trick by dropping Saeed Ajmal. The crafty off-spinner would have been a handful on the Premadasa wicket and would have made Mathews’ job a touch more difficult.
Mathews and Perera give hope to Sri Lanka
Mathews’ knock and Thissara Perera’s great consistency with the ball gives Sri Lanka great hope for the future. Both all-rounders add tremendous value to the Sri Lankan setup and the balance they provide gives them the edge over other teams. Interestingly, they are stark opposites of one another in both departments. While Mathews is a batsman who can anchor the innings and take responsibility, Perera is a dangerous hitter who goes for the kill with the word go.
On numerous occasions, Mathews has shown the talent and skill to take his team through troubled waters. He has a very cool head and doesn’t panic in pressure cooker situations. Through all the difficulties, he maintains a simple game-plan as he rotates the strike and attacks at the hint of an opportunity. Perera is someone you look to give you the impetus at the end of an innings. It isn’t very fair to expect him to play a responsible hand as his natural instinct is to attack. The day he performs he can tear the opposition, but when he fails, it isn’t the prettiest sight.
Coming to the bowling, Perera is more threatening when compared to Mathews. He runs in hard and bowls with good pace. More importantly, he maintains a very tight line in and around the off-stump. It is this approach that has caused the batsmen a number of problems. In 39 ODIs, he has picked 59 wickets at an impressive average of 23.38. In such a short career, he has already taken three five-wicket hauls and two four fors.
Injuries have hampered Mathews’s bowling endeavours and has limited his role in the setup. His spell of six for 20 against India is a major highlight of his ODI career – one that has been built up by the power of his batting contributions. Sri Lanka are considering his bowling role in Test cricket as it would take a toll on his body although he would continue to wield the art in the limited-overs games.
Mathews predicament may pave the way for Perera to push for the all-rounder’s spot in the Sri Lankan Test team. His bowling has been fantastic in ODIs and has shown great wicket-taking prowess. However, Perera’s bowling figures in First-Class cricket aren’t as impressive as his ODI record. Sri Lanka can take an inspired call and include him as it would also add depth to their batting line-up. Perera has made a statement and the ball is the selectors’ court.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a club-level cricketer with an analytic mind and a sharp eye. It was this sharpness which spotted a wrong replay in IPL4 resulting in Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal. Some of his analytical pieces have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. Nishad can also be followed on Twitter)
