The 'googly' came easily to Sobers

Sobers' career as a Chinaman and googly bowler was short. He bowled it seriously only for five years. But in that short period he mastered it well to take wickets regularly at Test level. Only class wrist spinners are capable of this. This type of bowling also began when he was playing League cricket in England.

Sobers always had an inquiring mind and liked to experiment. So it was only natural that he should send down a Chinaman from time to time. He was quick to note the almost hypnotic effect the mere sight of a wrist spinner had on a high percentage of reasonable club cricketers.

The result was that he would slip in the odd Chinaman from time to time in a match and be rewarded with a wicket. He then began to bowl them more often. But though it is possible to obtain wickets at club level merely by sending down a Chinaman, in first class cricket and Test cricket, the bowler must also be able to disguise the googly.

Otherwise any good right handed batsman would slaughter him. Sobers knew this and immediately set out to produce a googly that would be difficult to pick, that would turn and most important of all that he could pitch. As with everything connected to the game, it came more easily to him and faster to him than to many others.

There are many who say that it takes at least ten years for a leg break and googly bowler to mature. But Sobers was bowling this style well enough to cause headaches to first class and Test batsmen in less than two seasons.

Wrist spin bowling appealed to Sobers for many reasons. First, it represented a new art to master. Second, it is essentially an attacking form of bowling and third, wrist spin breaks are far more satisfying to bowl than seam up or finger spin. Sobers' span as a front-line wrist spinner ended in '66 when his shoulder went as a result of bowling the googly.

This is by no means uncommon to spinners who bowl googlies with a high arm action as it puts considerable strain on the shoulder. If he had been a right arm bowler, this would not have been so serious.

Because there have been many right arm leg break bowlers without a googly, but have relied on the leg break and top spinner. Sobers could have still bowled the Chinaman, but without the googly to back it up, it would never have had serious effect on top class batsmen.

Before going onto bowl spin, Sobers would more often than not have had a considerably long spell with the new ball. Then again if the wicket was too slow for him but suited Lance Gibbs, then Gibbs would be given the choice of ends, and he would bowl orthodox spin.

Though Sobers was first picked for the West Indies as a slow left arm bowler and was good enough to take wickets at Test level, it was certainly his least exciting style. One of the best examples and finest performances as an orthodox spinner occurred on his last tour of Australia in the first Test at Brisbane. In the Australian second innings after a few perfunctory overs with the new ball, he reverted to finger spin and routed Australia with 6 wickets for 73 runs. But according to Sobers the bowling spell that gave him most satisfaction was his marathon spell in the fifth Test against Australia at Melbourne in '60.

He went on with the score at one hundred and twenty four for no wickets and did not come off till the score was 335 for 9. During that spell he bowled more than forty overs, took the second new ball and finished with the figures 44-7-120-5, and came off the field absolutely dead.

His other bowling feat that gave him satisfaction was in the first Test at Lords between England and the Rest of the World in '70. It was a cloudy day and he came on as first change. Moving the ball all over the place, he sent England reeling for one hundred and twenty seven and finished with six wickets for twenty one runs.

This was his most devastating spell in international cricket. He followed up this superlative bowling performance by scoring one hundred and eighty three and getting a couple of wickets in England's second innings.

Sobers' attitude to bowling was similar to his batting attitude. Always positive. Whatever stuff he was bowling, he hustled throughout his over. He always worked on the theory that if you bowled more deliveries, the chances of picking more wickets was greater.

He never approved of slowing down the over rate that is so often practised by English teams. A slow bowler taking four minutes to bowl an over, he reckoned, kills the spirit of the game and drives the paying public away.

- Bruce Maurice.

Baby brigade proves the prophets of doom wrong!

By M.H. Perera

As Sri Lanka enters the new millennium, our cricket world has witnessed a roller-coaster ride. Sri Lanka's cricketing image emerged from the depths of despair to enter the new millennium with a revival of confidence and optimism, borne out of the changes brought about in the game's administration and leadership of the national team.

The revival was highlighted when Sri Lanka recorded its first Test victory on Zimbabwean soil. In addition, Sri Lanka emerged with a double triumph by overwhelming Zimbabwe in the one-day series, 4-1. Prior to that, the back-to-back home series victories achieved over Australia in the Aiwa Cup one-day tournament and Test Series, as well as earning the runner-up status in the Coca-Cola tournament in Sharjah, had provided ample proof that Sri Lanka had emerged from what is now popularly known as the Dark Period of its cricket history. That era was characterized by the disgraceful elections to the Cricket Board, rampant maladministration, nepotism, financial irregularities, and humiliating defeats for the team with recurring allegations of indiscipline and favouritism in selections.

The Zimbabwean triumph was a significant achievement, being Sri Lanka's fifteenth Test win and only its 5th on foreign soil. Perhaps the most important factor was the change in leadership with Sanath Jayasuriya taking over the reigns from the jaded Arjuna Ranatunga whose outmoded style of leadership had reached its limits, in terms of personal performance, results, discipline and team morale.

Even though he was unable to make a significant contribution with the bat, Jayasuriya led from the front throughout the Zimbabwe tour. It was his telling spell of spin bowling that ensured victory in the second Test; he mopped up the stubborn Zimbabwean resistance when all the front-line bowlers failed to achieve a breakthrough. And, again in that famous victory in the 2nd one-dayer, where Lanka defended a paltry 213 target, Jayasuriya's astute bowling changes, field placements, brilliant catching and tight bowling proved that he had arrived as a leader. He led the side with inspiration, intelligence, assurance, and in victory showed humility, a rare quality seen in his predecessor.

Although the Test victory in particular, was a hard fought victory, it was achieved with honour and dignity. Jayasuriya and his young team can hold their heads high for the manner in which they went about their task, playing hard but upholding the rules and traditions of the Gentlemen's Game. Unlike the notorious victory Sri Lanka gained in the second Test of the 1998 home series against Zimbabwe with the help of some outrageous umpiring decisions, this triumph has brought glory to Sri Lanka. Even the most partisan of Sri Lankan supporters were appalled by the umpiring decisions that robbed Zimbabwe of a deserving win in that Test. The individuals involved in those incidents brought disrepute to the game and they will have to live with the shame for the rest of their lives.

Sri Lanka's recent success was achieved against many odds. Six top order batsmen had no experience of Zimbabwean conditions. They shrugged off the loss of the experienced Aravinda de Silva for the tour through a self-imposed withdrawal at the eleventh hour and the omission of the ex-captain Arjuna Ranatunga. The observations of the ICC referee, Jackie Hendricks on Sri Lanka's young talent (especially Dilshan and Arnold) proved that no cricketer is indispensable or irreplaceable.

Older sportsmen/women and exercise

Man "Home Sapiens" appeared 50,000 years ago. Competition started in Egypt 5000BC, Ancient Olympics in 776 BC, 1st cricket match 1250 UK, Rugby Union game 1823, Modern Olympics 1896, First 4 min mile 1954, End of Communist Dominance 1992, Super Sports (Human) machine in the new millennium - When?

Life expectancy at birth is 110-120 years but for various reasons life stops much earlier. Ageing starts in 20s and cessation of exercise by the elite sports people could contribute to this.

For example, during a lifetime one will get cancer starting about 7 times but the body defense mechanisms bring this under control. If this fails one will end up with a cancer.

What happens in Ageing?

While exact reasons are unknown, one suffers structural and functional loss. The cell regeneration and their numbers decrease causing functional loss. Lack of exercise accelerates this.

Today longest living people are found in Vilca Bamba (Eucador) in Hunza (Pakistan) Kashmir Valley, certain parts of Russia.

The oldest living person (a female) died in France a couple of years ago after 122 years.

Exercise Vs ageing process

Exercise counteracts ageing process and affects body systems:

Muscle strength mass, power drops with ageing (slowed down by exercise)

Several theories, including the free radical theory where negatively charged particles bombard the cell wall and nucleus of cell causing disease and death, are used to explain the reasons for ageing and disease.

1. Heart: Efficiency as a pumping machine drops. Heart muscles become thicker, pumping less blood, and recovers slowly after exertion; less oxygen is extracted.

Maximal heart rate drops by 01 beat per year. Efficiency of heart is less than 1/3 of youth. Blood Pressure rises because of hard walls of carrying vessels (exercise improves some of the above) Enlarged heart = 500 gms becomes smaller - 300 grms (normal size) - clenched fist of brain is 1 1/2 kgs in normal health. However, with endurance left heart enlarges by more than 35%.

2. Breathing

Tries to breathe faster; chest wall moving less; less air entry and less compliance (exercise improves above).

3. How do the nerves behave?

In addition to losing nerve cells, nerves conduct slower; and reaction time too slows down causing frequent falls.

With exercise, reaction time improves

4. What about the bones?

After 35 years, in females 1/3 of bone mass and calcium is lost, but much in sportsmen (Exercise with good diet controls this condition).

5. How do the joints and tendons behave?

Elastic nature and flexibility become less, one gets more injuries (regular exercise with pre and post stretching will reduce this).

6. Cartilage changes

Losing elasticity gives osteo arthritis, joint injuries: weight-bearing exercises - improve this condition.

7. What about diabetics?

With exercise, blood sugar controls better because of less insulin resistance.

8. The physical and psychological use of exercise in older sportsmen/women is very significant. Loss of weight and improved muscle activity, leads to a drop in insecure feeling and fear of activity; also relieves depression and anxiety.

Disuse is a major cause of incapacity with age.

9. Muscle Changes in Old Sportsmen/Women

Marked reduction of muscle fibre, especially after 60 years is significant. With regular exercise the muscle cell becomes larger in size but number of fibres do not increase. Body has 65 billion cells of them, 65% are muscle tissue!

Why Exercise? 12Ss

1. Superior aerobic performance

2. Speed

3. Stamina

4. Strength

5. Stress control

6.Sleep improvement

7. Self esteem

8. Social mixing

9. Stability (balance)

10 Self dependence (independence)

11. Sustained effort

12. Slimming

Heart and Exercise

Heart takes more oxygen. More glycogen, appears in muscles (glycogen gives energy) more blood and nutrients is diverted to muscle because of new blood vessels in the muscles.

The cell nuclear changes improve metabolic activity. Heart pumps more blood because heart rate drops with exercise, blood pressure also drops. Cholesterol level improves (good HDL rises bad LDL cholesterol drops).

The coronary artery is of 3 mm diameters 1/3 of this will block at 50 years.

8. Do's in Exercise

1. Start with less intensity and gradually improve

2. Warm up and cool down is essential

3. Preferable to exercise with one or more partners

4. Wear correct shoes and clothes

5. Prefer aerobic exercise eg., jogging

6. Adequate rest and sleep following exercise

7. Try doing weight lifting to prevent osteoporosis

8. Attend to injuries promptly

9. Don'ts in Exercise

1. Do not exercise less than 3 days a week

2. Do not exercise more than 5 days a week

3. Do not forget your limits

4. Not more than 20 to 60 minutes

5. Don't exceed the target heart rate (see below)

6. Not in extreme hot, cold (cause dehydration and bronchospasm hypothermia)

7. No tin polluted areas

8. Do not suddenly change intensity or duration

9. Do not do heavy weight lifting

Exercise prescription

One must know the correct duration,. frequency, type of exercise and its purpose.

Target heart rate

This is an easy way of measuring intensity of exercise. One has to achieve target heart rate = 70% of maximum heart rate. Maximum heart rate (220 - age) + 15. For 50 years old man target heart rate = (220-50 + 15) x 70% = 130. If you go above this it can be damaging and also it does not give additional benefit to the heart.

Soon after exercising one must check the pulse of one full minute to find out if he has reached his target heart rate.

What type of exercise?

The best is one involving large muscles. Guidelines - Quadriceps and hamstrings. Mild weight lifting too is beneficial.

The type of exercise varies from person to person and must suit his taste and illness he has (Like joint disease etc.).

Duration: Ideally it should be 20 minutes to 1 hour of exercise done 3-5 days.

Progression - with time one can gradually improve the intensity.

Frequency and duration - Please note Not to increase all 3 of the above at the same time.

Injuries

Basically adequate warm up, warm down, stretching, correct training, good diet and when possible, correcting bio mechanical problems are the best buffers against injuries.

What about the sportsman on drugs?

1. Drugs to promote excretion of water are used by many and can cause high blood sugar (in diabetics) and dehydration.

2. Drugs used for high blood pressure and heart conditions and tremors (Beta blockers) can cause a drop in heart rate in spite of exercise. This can limit the extent of exercise. In addition, one may feel more tired or asthmatic.

A word of caution. Avoiding dehydration will prevent marked drop in blood pressure in those on treatment for high blood pressure. Soon after exercise one must walk a while instead of standing or abruptly stopping (Continued next week).

- Dr. D. Atukorale.

Go Sana boy go!

Dr. Roshan Jayaweera of the General Hospital, Matara, a keen cricket fan, has sent the following encouraging quotes regarding the Sri Lanka cricket team who will be starting their Pakistan tour on February 6.

Sanath Jayasuriya : A modern day 'Robin Hood', with more power and style! Really, a three in one! A gifted skipper!

Mahela Jayawardena : "A brilliant gem", with fighting qualities!

Marwan Atapattu: "Marvellous Marvan"! A technically correct stylish batsman! Really a God's Gift!

Romesh Kaluwitharana : "A Moratuwa Jewel" with superb wicket keeping qualities!

Russel Arnold : "A gutty left hander" with full of strokes!

Dilshan Thillekerathne : "A miniature Mahanama" with similar skills.

Indika De Saram : My kind of "Ranjan Madugalle". But Saram can keep wickets also.

Chaminda Vass: A "True Gift" of Jesus.

M. Muralitharan: "The greatest off spinner" of all times!

Nuwan Zoysa: "A lethal bullet" with a killer instinct!

P. Wickramasinghe : "An old work horse"! But still very active.

Ravindra Pushpakumara : At times "Pushi" is better than Waqar.

Upul Chandana : A tiny allrounder with a tough heart!

M. Pushpakumara : "A future star in the making!

God bless you all!

For Millennium Cup

By Ravi Nagahawatte

Renowned martial-artist Charles Anthony and three others are making plans to take part in the World United Martial Arts Federation's Millennium Cup Championship in Cheltenham, England which is scheduled for March 5.

Charles, the local representative of WUMA, will be in charge of the contingent which comprises of three men and one woman.

The Sri Lankan contingent comprises Charles Anthony, Sunil Withanage, Sudath Perera (men's category) and Nirosha Nilmini Perera (women's category).

Thirty-one year old Charles will be the most experienced among the Sri Lankans having fought in two international competitions which were the European Championships and the British Open. Both tournaments were held in 1997. Charles who will fight in the super heavy weight category (over 90 kg) will be Sri Lanka's best bet in this competition with Nirosha Nilmini Perera also carrying some experience having participated in last year's World Championships. The other two fighters will be making their debut in international competitions.

Charles' most outstanding performance in the two tournaments he fought was when he came second (Super Heavy Weight class) in the British Open.

He also put the country's name in the world of martial arts when the WUMA decided to induct him in their Hall of Fame.

"I have hundred percent confidence in me and I hope to create this feeling in the rest of my students. We are not that strong financially at the moment. But we are mentally and physically very strong," said Charles while adding that the team was still to find a sponsor to make the tour a reality.

Last year Charles represented the local body of WUMA with one of his students in the 1999 World Championship in England. The duo were sponsored by martial arts enthusiast Chandran Ratnam.

Quad cricket continues

The postponed Colonel Henry Steel Olcott Memorial Challenge Trophy quadrangular limited overs, quarter finals, semi finals and final will be continued on Sunday January 30 at the Nalanda College grounds at Campbell Place.

This tournament was postponed due to a sudden curfew and is conducted by the Old Nalandians Sports Club which is sponsored by the DSI Group, Nawaloka Group, Hatton National Bank and Nikado Trading Company.

The quarter finals will be played between Nalanda, Rahula, Dharamasoka and Mahinda while Ananda, Dharmaraja, Dharmapala and Maliyadeva will play in the six-a-side on the same day.

Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, the Sarvodaya leader will be the chief guest and will give away the awards at 5 p.m.

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