00:00In the golden glow of Cape Town's picture-cured Newland ground, during the opening test between
00:05South Africa and Sri Lanka in March 1998, the visitors found themselves in early disarray,
00:12reeling at 2 for 36 against a formidable Pratice Pace attack.
00:16It was then that the seasoned master, Arvinda de Silva, strode to the crease, calm and composed
00:21as ever, with a familiar glint of determination in his eye.
00:26Forward forward was a batting exhibition of the highest class, a throwback to the artistry
00:31of the 1990s.
00:32Arvinda de Silva, with wrist of silk and the judgment of a craftman, carved out a majestic
00:3877 run from 98 deliveries, occupying the crease for 117 vital minutes.
00:44His inning was laced with 13 exquisite bondbrays, many of them graceful cut shots that defied
00:50field placement and scorched the trough, particularly off the balling of Tabitha and Makaya and Dini.
00:55Who was finding out just how punishing international cricket could be when confronted with a genius
01:02in full flow.
01:03Now look at those statistics, 32 years old, playing in his 69th test match.
01:11Average of 43, over four and a half thousand test runs.
01:16That's four runs.
01:17But he didn't quite get on top of it.
01:25Like most of the Sri Lankan batsmen, Arvinda de Silva pounces on anything loose.
01:43Teeny short and wide, so we're using the bounce.
01:50Cut away four.
01:52Very powerful in that area.
01:56Diminutive man, so there's not a lot of margin for error in terms of the length.
02:02If you bowl a little tiny little bit short and give any width whatsoever, you'll get punished.
02:13This is definitely a good record.
02:15If you're going to go short.
02:17Upside edge.
02:19Moral victory for the bowler there, but four more against his name.
02:23Going forward.
02:24Certainly, that was short and wide.
02:30Pulled away by Arvinda de Silva.
02:35Now, that was a remarkable shot because that wasn't all that short.
02:40De Silva himself, quite a short man.
02:44Very quickly onto it.
02:47Certainly, it's not a fast wicket as we expected.
02:52And Arvinda de Silva, being short, saw the ball was slightly short of a length and picked it up well for four.
03:02Cut away, one handed, right hand comes off the bat, sped down through the third man area for four.
03:12My goodness me, I haven't seen so many boundaries in a test match session in my life.
03:19Outside off-stumped and short.
03:21Don't hesitate to throw this bat.
03:23It's still...
03:24Brilliant bit of fielding from Adams.
03:27One or two people in the crowd might have thought that was out.
03:30Good fielding.
03:33Peel for LBW, this is a very good shot indeed.
03:48And umpire Orchard says no.
03:51Well, the initial reaction is that must be very, very close because it hit him low down,
03:58although slightly forward.
04:00He goes back and across first and then hits him a little bit on the move.
04:05But maybe just outside the off-stump.
04:07I'm not so sure about that, Dave.
04:09I think that was pretty good.
04:11Look how far back he is.
04:13That front foot's on the crease.
04:15They have a full go at it.
04:17Nice third man.
04:18Field head.
04:19It's good support for the bowler.
04:24The South Eppertons have just dried the runs up.
04:27founder.
04:28He got a foot outside the runs up.
04:29Now it's good support for the Heppertons.
04:30He has not done the right.
04:31He has not done the right.
04:32He has not done that.
04:33He has not done that.
04:34The right foot's on the left.
04:35He has not done that.
04:36It's kinda hice-pizza.
04:37Let's see if he is in the right foot.
04:38I've heard that.
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