CWC 2019 Flashback: Angelo Mathews’ golden arm saves Sri Lanka

What was supposed to be a dead-rubber turned out to be one of the most exciting games of the tournament as Sri Lanka and West Indies fought a thriller. The contest at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street had it all – pulsating action, a range of emotions and some terrific display of skill. In the end, Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 338/6 proved too much for the Windies to chase down. However, there was a twist in the end.

Needing 31 runs from the last 18 balls, West Indies knew they didn’t have to panic. The opposition skipper, Dimuth Karunaratne, had an immediate problem to solve.

Karunaratne needed to find someone to bowl two of the three remaining overs. The bowler would be bowling to Nicholas Pooran who was batting on 118 not out from 102 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. The Sri Lankan captain had used up the full quota of his three frontline bowlers. He had only one over from Malinga to come, which would be the 49th over. His primary options included himself and Jeffrey Vandersay. The captain, however, shocked the world by giving the ball to Angelo Mathews.

Plagued by various injuries throughout his career, Mathews earned his place in the World Cup squad purely as a senior batsman. The 32-year old confessed after the match that he had not even held a ball in the last eight months. The last time Mathews bowled in International cricket was during a Test match in December 2018 and his last ODI spell was against India in December 2017.

So with apprehension Mathews hobbled in to bowl his first ball to Pooran. It was an innocuous outside off-stump delivery at 116 kmph which was angled across the left-hander. Backing away slightly, Pooran gave it a mighty swing only to graze the ball gently. As wicketkeeper Kusal Perera held on to the catch, West Indian hopes diminished.

West Indies added only seven runs in the next 17 balls. Mathews finished his two overs while conceding only six runs and Sri Lanka won the game by 23 runs. In the post-match media interaction, Mathews narrated the story, “Pooran was batting beautifully so I said to the captain, ‘look I have a bit of experience’. He (Pooran) was the man we needed to get and I was quite fortunate to get him with the first ball before he clubbed me for a few sixes!”