WE GO HOME WITH OUR TAIL BETWEEN OUR LEGS SAYS ENGLAND’S CAPTAIN IN COLOMBO
Posted on March 27th, 2011
Walter Jayawardhana
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We were thoroughly outplayed we canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t hide away from that, we go home with our tail between our legs,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚said England captain Andrew Strauss after being defeated by the Sri Lankan team at R.Premadasa stadium in Colombo.
Following is the full story published by LondonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Daily Telegraph containing the captainƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s reaction:
By Derek Pringle, Colombo 7:15PM GMT 26 Mar 2011Derek’s Twitter ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Setting the home side 230 in the last of the quarter-finals England broke their recent pattern of close finishes after being thrashed by ten wickets with 63 balls to spare.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We were thoroughly outplayed we canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t hide away from that, we go home with our tail between our legs,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Andrew Strauss said afterwards.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-On a steamy, tropical night, England never had enough runs to defend without the squeeze of early wickets. Batting first is meant to confer a significant advantage at this venue and while EnglandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 229 was their highest score at the R Premadasa stadium against Sri Lanka, their bowlers never looked like defending the total.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-It was a good toss for us to win but we knew it was a flat pitch and that 260/70 was probably a par score. But we thought pressure is a big man and if we could get a few early wickets that might be enough to make that pressure count. Unfortunately, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga played outstandingly well and we lost to a better side.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tharanga, who reached his century shortly after Dilshan, struck the winning runs to secure Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s win and a semi-final tie here against New Zealand on Tuesday.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
March 27th, 2011 at 7:36 am
Pity that there were no placards saying ‘ That one for Milliband / Hague ‘ hoisted when we hit sixes.
March 27th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Do not go over board. The conditions plays a big role. We got the same thrashing few world cup ago under English conditions
March 27th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Well done SL. We cannot boast too much about winning against England. Real matches are ahead. We have to win them. After all Ireland too thrashed England!! We have to beat New Zealand, India/Pakistan. We couldn’t beat Australia for the past so many world cups. India beat them. Pakistan beat us. So the real contests lie ahead. We have to be humble and down to earth until we win them all. I highly appreciate England captain’s humbleness. We should be ashamed of us if we don’t humble ourselves before anyone else humbles us.
March 27th, 2011 at 11:55 pm
Well said! Lorenzo. I share your sentiments. Even as we deservedly celebrate the win in the Quarter Final, let us not get too carried away or gloat over England’s defeat. We need to keep things in perspective. We need to appreciate that it was not a strong England team that played on Saturday but one weakened by loss of key players through injury and that Andrew Strauss and many of his players were at the fag-end of a long and punishing itinerary that started with the Ashes tour to Australia in early November. Between the end of that tour and the start of the World Cup campaign the players had literally only a few days’ break in England. And let us remember that for those unused to it, the oppressive humidity of Colombo alone can get them down. In saying this I do not intend to not detract from Sri Lanka’s win – it was a fine win. But we need to bear these things in mind when contemplating the game coming up on Tuesday. The New Zealanders are no pushovers. They have some very good and experienced players and are led by a mature and thinking captain. Daniel Vettori is also a great spin bowler and a very accomplished batsman. The other day, NZ showed their capabilities against the much fancied South Africans, and Sri Lanka will need some sound strategies to counter them. And, dare I say it, SL should hold on to its catches!
I also was most impressed with what Andrew Strauss had to say after his team’s defeat – and how he said it. He sought no excuses and freely conceded that they had been beaten by a much better outfit. As Lorenzo suggests we need to conduct ourselves with the same sort of modesty that Strauss has displayed. Certainly, let’s not get swollen headed.
In the meantime, let us wish the SL team all the best for Tuesday and trust that they will be able to replicate then, the same winning ways they showed on Saturday.
March 28th, 2011 at 3:40 am
Our lads have done well.CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL WISHES TO THE TEAM. I am sure they will do their best and will bring happiness to the whole country in the end. We have a great team and a great captain to take us to the top. God Bless them all and the country. The whites have vanquished and have to hide their tail somewhre not between the legs. The white domination is over in everything in this world. We the Asins will rise and be on top in the near future.
We have to be united to live in peace and harmony without bow down to white criminal International community. We will overcome all the difficulties and win not only in CRICKET but everything we do as a nation.Long live SRI LANKA. TUESDAY IS OUR DAY AND KIWIS HAS TO HIDE THEIR TAIL TOO THE SAME WAY THE ENGLISH DID. BRAVO SRI LANKA
March 28th, 2011 at 6:33 am
Great win and fine batting and disciplined bowling although Sri Lanka did get away with some wretched fielding at times.The adage ” Catches win matches” in this instance despite being a non factor needs emphasis that there can be no repetitions, the ones missed were virtual “sitters! ” where running between wickets another grey area for the boys also needs refurbishing! Indeed there are tougher times ahead. The Kiwis are gathering momentum and hungry for a maiden WC victory and the Lankans had better watch out~knowing their capacity to rest on their laurels.The toughest task will be the final which at this stage looks well within the Lankan’s grasp with much hard work ahead, a need to go for the opponents jugular and luck with the toss!
There is absolutely no need to drag in any political intonation towards this win and all due credit to the Englishmen for being classy in taking defeat in their stride. Andrew Strauss is a class act and the rest of them all lived upto English gentlemanliness on and off the field which cannot be said of some other teams whose identities and boorish representatives at times hardly need emphasis but then they aren’t English are they?
March 29th, 2011 at 11:58 am
was happy to see Great win for Lanka
will go for beer after work . I have few Indians and One British work with me . Indian friends are excited of tomorrows match and I told them if they win we will kick their a– in Mumbai Final