Mahela Jayawardena produced the latest shot to the expanding repertoire of his team's top order as Sri Lanka's batsmen continued to blaze a trail during their victory against New Zealand.
The right-hander flicked Jacob Oram to the boundary with the back of his bat in the final over of Sri Lanka's innings, a manoeuvre that left the bowler dumbfounded.
With Sanath Jayasuriya the father of pinch-hitters and Tillakaratne Dilshan having wowed audiences with his audacious flip over the wicketkeeper's head during this tournament, it is the ability to innovate that is setting Sri Lanka's top order apart from the rest.
Jayawardena's 41 not out formed part of a Sri Lankan effort of 158-5 that was far too much for the Black Caps, who slipped to 110 all out in reply.
The former Sri Lanka captain explained after the win, that took his team into the semi-finals as group winners, that his latest stroke has been sometime in the making.
"It's been something I've been trying to do for a while," explained Jayawardena. "I was actually trying to kind of reverse with the other side of the bat but I found it a bit difficult because, by the time you change it, it's a bit too quick for me and I get a top-edge. So it's something that I've worked with Trevor [Bayliss - Sri Lanka coach] on because he said that [John] Dyson [former Australia batsman] used to do that in Australia - because he couldn't sweep he just tapped it to the other side. A lot of the guys tend to bring their third man up these days for the quicks so [I thought] maybe give it a go and it was the ideal situation with the last over - I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. It worked, brilliant, and hopefully it'll keep working for me."
Jayawardena admitted that the newest take in reverse-batting is likely to be more effective against seam rather than slow bowlers.
"If he's [the bowler's] not going to give you pace then it will be tough but then there are some spinners who will dart it in to you so then you never know."
If the Sri Lankan batsmen didn't already pose enough problems for their semi-final opponents, now there's another threat to the dignity of the next attack in the line of fire at the Oval on Friday.
The right-hander flicked Jacob Oram to the boundary with the back of his bat in the final over of Sri Lanka's innings, a manoeuvre that left the bowler dumbfounded.
With Sanath Jayasuriya the father of pinch-hitters and Tillakaratne Dilshan having wowed audiences with his audacious flip over the wicketkeeper's head during this tournament, it is the ability to innovate that is setting Sri Lanka's top order apart from the rest.
Jayawardena's 41 not out formed part of a Sri Lankan effort of 158-5 that was far too much for the Black Caps, who slipped to 110 all out in reply.
The former Sri Lanka captain explained after the win, that took his team into the semi-finals as group winners, that his latest stroke has been sometime in the making.
"It's been something I've been trying to do for a while," explained Jayawardena. "I was actually trying to kind of reverse with the other side of the bat but I found it a bit difficult because, by the time you change it, it's a bit too quick for me and I get a top-edge. So it's something that I've worked with Trevor [Bayliss - Sri Lanka coach] on because he said that [John] Dyson [former Australia batsman] used to do that in Australia - because he couldn't sweep he just tapped it to the other side. A lot of the guys tend to bring their third man up these days for the quicks so [I thought] maybe give it a go and it was the ideal situation with the last over - I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. It worked, brilliant, and hopefully it'll keep working for me."
Jayawardena admitted that the newest take in reverse-batting is likely to be more effective against seam rather than slow bowlers.
"If he's [the bowler's] not going to give you pace then it will be tough but then there are some spinners who will dart it in to you so then you never know."
If the Sri Lankan batsmen didn't already pose enough problems for their semi-final opponents, now there's another threat to the dignity of the next attack in the line of fire at the Oval on Friday.
