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| |  Monday, 17 June, 2002, 19:24 GMT 20:24 UK Hussain praises 'unbelievable' win Over the moon: England celebrate victory Captain Nasser Hussain praised England's "magnificent" Test victory over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, saying it was the best cricket he had ever seen from his team. England completed the dramatic win when they successfully chased a target of 50 runs to win off six overs to claim a 2-0 series. It is only the second time since 1985 that England have won a Test series by a two-match margin. Alex Tudor was named man of the match for taking seven wickets at Old Trafford, but his performance was one of many brilliant efforts by the England team. Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart both hit centuries in England's formidable first innings total.
And Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard both took wickets at crucial moments to keep the possibility of an England win always in the picture. Hussain said: "Some victories are more unbelievable than others. "I cannot catch my breath after that. The last couple of days I do not think I have seen an England side play any better. "To bowl Sri Lanka out on that wicket for 250 and 300 in two days is magnificent. "I cannot praise them enough, especially Alex Tudor. "(Andrew) Flintoff and (Matthew) Hoggard do not surprise me any more, because they do the hard yards for me and their country all the time. "But Alex stepped up to the plate with his batting, bowling and fielding. He realises he still has a lot of work to do - but that was a fantastic performance." Tudor, who took four wickets on Sunday and three on Monday, stepped into the breach brilliantly after England's leading seamer Andy Caddick pulled up after only five-and-a-half overs in the match.
Tudor said: "It was hard work. They've got quality batsmen and it was a wicket that was pretty hard. "We thought if we banged it in we would get some joy and luckily we did." The young Surrey seamer, who has come of age after spending the winter with the England Cricket Academy, said there would not be much time for celebrations in the England dressing-room. "I've got to get on the motorway as I've got an important game for Surrey on Wednesday. "But I'm sure Alec [Stewart] and I will enjoy the champagne on the way down. Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya cited his batsmen's collective inability to convert good starts into long stays at the crease as his team's main problem. He said: "It is disappointing. We need more application than that. We need dedication to go and get bigger scores. "Getting 30s and 40s and getting out is not acceptable." | |
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