Cricket: Sutton left in wonder at skills of Muralitharan

Jan 28 2008 by Paul Edwards, Liverpool Daily Post

Sutton left in wonder at skills of Muralitharan

EVERY profession has its ultimate challenges. Physicists, for example, are constantly searching for the theory of everything and politicians know that their chances of re-election would be immeasurably enhanced if they could please all of the people all of the time.

Last summer in the rather less rarefied but equally passionate environment of English county cricket, Lancashire’s Luke Sutton also faced up to greatest test of his professional skill – he kept wicket to Muttiah Muralitharan.

“It’s by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my career,” said the Old Trafford keeper. “For pure deception I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who can match Murali, including Shane Warne. He’s unrivalled but, as a wicket-keeper, I have to be able to read him.”

Asked to explain why it was so difficult to keep to the Sri Lankan off-spinner – though that bland categorisation plainly doesn’t do justice to Murali – Sutton happily plunged into the labyrinthine and vaguely masonic world of hidden actions, revs, doosras and scrambled seams, and soon sounded like the skilled craftsman he undoubtedly is.

“Well we all know he has a very unusual action,” he began, clearly concerned to take the explanation step by careful step. “He bowls off-spin but he’s also a wrist-spinner. Now the ball predominantly comes out of the front of the hand and this is unusual because an orthodox finger-spinner would normally pull down the side of the ball.”

“The thing with Murali is that he can pull his fingers over the back of it as he delivers the ball,” he continued in slight wonderment. “He’s not rotating around it as a normal off-spinner would do, and when he does that, the seam comes out all jumbled. This means that you can’t read him through the air (by watching the seam) you have to pick him from his action. However, when he bowls the doosra, his wrist is a bit further round but by only a matter of inches. It’s not as obvious as most leg-spinners’ googlies.”

It should perhaps be pointed out that unless local cricketers want to risk a visit to casualty and a spell of manipulative physio they should not attempt to emulate Murali on the next club net night. Sutton is in awe of the flexibility of Sri Lankan’s wrist and is quietly proud that he kept to him with increasing confidence last summer.

However, he is painfully aware that his performances did not earn him an England call in an era when most county keepers seem to be getting a run in the side and he also still feels the hurt of Lancashire’s last day defeat at the Oval.

“I’m realistic about my international chances,” he admitted. “I’m in a group of wicket-keepers who are doing pretty well for their counties but I know that they are choosing younger guys and the more experienced of us are not really getting a look-in. I can accept that the chance is not as great as it has been.”

Turning to the 24-run defeat which denied Mark Chilton’s side the championship, Sutton believes – and it really doesn’t sound like sportsmen’s braggadocio – that the pain of last September is firing up Lancashire’s players as they prepare for the new season.

“The guys were just devastated and I think it took us a long time to process that.” he explained.

“But I was talking to a couple of the other lads and we feel that we’re one of the counties that go into next year with some momentum.

“That game might turn out to be one of the most positive things that’s happened to us.

“It hurt so much that we are now going next season with an unbelievable amount of determination.

“I’ve seen it already in our training. The energy and intensity are fantastic and I’m certain it’s because of the way last year finished.”