Durban: A field of dreams for Sri Lankans

Rex Clementine in Durban

Some grounds hold a special place in the hearts of teams, sparking unforgettable performances and creating lasting memories. For Sri Lanka, Durban in South Africa is one such venue—etched into cricketing folklore with iconic moments.

The 1995 Rugby World Cup where hosts South Africa famously beat the All Blacks in a nail-biting final to brought a divided nation together. The Cricket World Cup they hosted was expected to have a similar effect. However, the script did not go to plan in 2003.

In their final group match at Kingsmead, South Africa faced Sri Lanka in a do-or-die encounter. What followed was a calamity of epic proportions. A misread of the Duckworth-Lewis sheet led Mark Boucher to block the final ball, believing his team had won the rain affected game. But in cricket’s cruel twist of fate, the tie only ensured South Africa’s exit. Sri Lanka, instead, sailed through.

The aftermath was a storm. Shaun Pollock, one of cricket’s most amiable characters, was unceremoniously sacked as captain. The loss was especially poignant for Pollock, a Durban native. Cricket royalty runs deep in this coastal city; Pollock’s father, Peter, and uncle, Graeme, had graced these pitches, as did legends like Barry Richards and Mike Procter—players whose careers were tragically curtailed by apartheid. In the modern era, Durban has produced stars like Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, and Hashim Amla, who carried South Africa’s flag with distinction.

For Sri Lanka, Durban has been a happy hunting ground, particularly in Test cricket. Remarkably, they have never lost a Test here. The 2000 clash ended in a hard-fought draw, and in 2011, they registered a historic Boxing Day Test win.

That 2011 victory came against all odds. After suffering an innings defeat in the first Test, Sri Lanka arrived in Durban battered and bruised. But a spectacular team effort turned the tide. Thilan Samaraweera, controversially dropped earlier, made his critics eat their words with a sublime first-innings century. Kumar Sangakkara, ever the class act, sealed the deal with a second-innings ton. Chanaka Welegedara’s five-wicket haul in the first innings and Rangana Herath’s nine wickets across the match ensured a commanding win. Herath deservedly walked away with the Man of the Match award.

Fast forward to 2019, and once again, Sri Lanka arrived in Durban under a cloud of uncertainty. Fresh off a 2-0 series drubbing in Australia, they had lost captain Dinesh Chandimal to the selectors’ axe, and their batters were still nursing bruises—both literal and figurative—from relentless short-pitched bowling Down Under.

Coach Chandika Hathurusingha, however, refused to throw in the towel. He made critical adjustments to help the team tackle the short ball barrage, and his gamble paid off in spades. What unfolded at Kingsmead defied belief.

Set a daunting target of 304, Sri Lanka’s hopes seemed dead in the water. Enter Kusal Perera, who played the innings of a lifetime. His unbeaten 153 was a masterclass in guts and guile, blending defiance with audacity. The final wicket partnership with Vishwa Fernando, worth an unbelievable 78 runs, was the stuff of dreams. With nothing to lose, Kusal threw caution to the wind, pulling and hooking with abandon as South Africa ran out of ideas.

Sri Lanka snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, securing a famous one-wicket win. The match is now enshrined as Sri Lanka’s greatest Test triumph, with Kusal’s knock widely hailed as the finest innings ever played by a Sri Lankan.

For Sri Lankans, Durban is more than just a cricketing venue; it’s a theater of dreams where the underdog roars, and history is written in bold strokes.