Cricket: When umpires were used as sightscreens

Lasith Malinga's side-winding delivery. Picture / Fotopress

A neck-tie temporarily stopped play on the opening day of the first test against Sri Lanka.

The game was briefly held up when first umpire Darrell Hair and then his colleague Steve Bucknor were forced to divest themselves of their International Cricket Council issue ties, following a plea from New Zealand batsman James Marshall.

The request was in response to the novel side-winding action of Sri Lankan paceman Lasith Malinga, who was releasing the ball directly in front of the umpires' deep red ties, causing sighting problems for the batsman on strike.

Marshall only belatedly appeared to see the first few deliveries from Malinga, but gained composure after Hair sent his neck decorations from the field, a move later followed by Bucknor when the Sri Lankan swapped ends.

To assist with visibility, the two match officials continued in open-necked white shirts - possibly the first time that umpires have been used as sightscreens.

Malinga has already gained a reputation for making life difficult for the batsmen with his round-arm style, an unusually low trajectory, and a skidding element that makes his short ball arrive sooner than expected.

Rated the fastest bowler in Sri Lanka, the 21-year-old twice took four-wicket bags in his debut series in Australia last year, and yesterday added Stephen Fleming to his list of test wickets, bowling the New Zealand skipper in the final session.

Such was New Zealand's concern about Malinga that overnight batsmen Hamish Marshall and Nathan Astle eventually opted to accept the umpires' offer of a premature light adjournment.

"We would've liked to have pushed on, but we took the light because Malinga is so different, and it didn't seem worth the risk," Hamish Marshall said afterwards.

"In our minds it was the right decision.

"We would have liked to have stayed out there and kept them under pressure, but he's a bit different, and it wasn't going to be easy.

"Nath [Astle] said he was struggling to pick up the length; Flem saw only a few balls from him - it's just a matter of getting used to his action. If you can get through the initial periods, you can set yourself up."

Malinga's unorthodox action is apparently the result of an inauspicious cricket education and a keen involvement in the tennis-ball street games so prevalent in Sri Lanka, where only a tiny minority play in official competitions.

From Rathgama in the Galle district, he began taking the game seriously only 3 1/2 years ago, at which point his javelin-throwing style was set in concrete and coaching experts could only suggest subtle alterations.

The story goes that, as an 18-year-old net bowler, he was once shooed away from a Sri Lankan A team practice because coach Dav Whatmore feared for the safety of his players.

There are still suggestions that some of his team-mates are unhappy about facing him.

"It was interesting," Hamish Marshall said.

"He's got a bit of pace behind him and he certainly keeps you on your toes."