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| |  Wednesday, 12 June, 2002, 14:48 GMT 15:48 UK Murali's Manchester home Muralitharan has 35 first-class wickets at Old Trafford
Although he is still nursing an injured left shoulder, Muttiah Muralitharan carries Sri Lanka's best hopes of levelling the Test series against England. The world's fifth highest wicket-taker, with 417 victims in 74 Tests, is rated at 70% fitness after tearing a ligament and suffering partial dislocation of his left arm in April. But, with endless reference being made to the fact in the last few weeks, England will be more than aware that Manchester is a home from home for Muralitharan.
The Sri Lankan spin star spent two seasons, 1999 and 2001, as Lancashire's overseas player, taking 116 wickets in 14 first-class matches for the Red Rose county. His first season saw Lancs finish second in the Championship and it was certainly not his fault - with another 50 wickets - that they dropped to sixth last term. Only four first-class matches over those two seasons came at Lancashire's HQ of Old Trafford, but Murali managed 35 scalps from those limited opportunities. England skipper Nasser Hussain may see an omen from the fact that, although he played in neither match, Essex batsmen fared particularly badly when facing the unorthodox bowler. One-man stand Muralitharan's Old Trafford debut came against Essex in 1999, and he delighted members with match figures of 13 for 134 in a 118-run win. Two years later Ronnie Irani's side were again put to the sword, Muralitharan claiming another 10-wicket haul in a nine-wicket victory.
One man, Australian Stuart Law, stood out in that match, scoring unbeaten centuries in both innings - the first time in six years it had occurred in the County Championship. It is perhaps, then, little surprise that Law is now on the books at Old Trafford himself, but he claims there was little difference between his own approach and that of his unlucky team-mates. "Murali can get a psychological hold over you because he's probably the world's greatest off-spinner," Law admits. "But it wasn't that he mesmerised the Essex batsmen. Because he's a quality spinner it only takes one minor mistake and you're out. "It was just one of those weeks when it went my way - I was lucky." Law's first innings in particular was far removed from his usual aggressive approach, his 116 not out occupying three minutes short of five hours.
Law points out that England have sufficient experience against Muralitharan, having faced him in four Tests over the last 18 months, to have formulated a plan against him. "Murali loves playing at Old Trafford - he told me that when he was last here - but he doesn't like playing against left-handers. "Marcus Trescothick and Graham Thorpe did well in the last Test and they will probably make the difference again." Sporting wicket Old Trafford became a spinner's paradise while Muralitharan was in residence - Essex off-spinner Peter Such took 13 wickets himself in that 1999 defeat. Law knows, though, that Murali can perform even when the conditions aren't in his favour. "You don't need to do anything to the wicket for him to be successful," the Queenslander says. "He can turn it square even if the wicket is grassy, or on a featherbed.
"It has a bit in it for the spinners but not a fantastic amount, and that's a far farer contest than when it's turning massively." Although the focus has been on the advantage gained by Muralitharan during his county sojourn, though, England will have picked up some inside information too thanks to the Manchester connection. Muralitharan is not the only Lancashire favourite making his Old Trafford Test debut on Thursday. "Andrew Flintoff played with him and knows how he likes to get batsmen out," Law points out. "And he will certainly have passed that on to the England team." | |
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