6:40am Friday 23rd July 2010
Gary Keedy has heaped praise on former Lancashire team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan after the Sri Lankan off spinner took his 800th Test match wicket yesterday.
“To take the number of Test wickets he has is amazing,” said the veteran left armer. “His record is phenomenal, and will probably never be beaten.”
The 35 year-old was often consigned to the role of Murali’s understudy during the Sri Lankan’s four seasons at Old Trafford in 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2007.
Murali, who also retired from Test cricket yesterday, took an incredible 203 wickets in 28 County Championship matches for the county.
He reached 100 in just 12 matches, the fastest by any player in the history of county cricket.
Keedy said the influence the mercurial Sri Lankan had own his career was “invaluable”.
He continued: “Although it was frustrating at times when he was with us, for obvious reasons, he had a huge influence on me in terms of my mental approach to the game.
“Obviously our actions are completely different, but he used to talk to me about the different ways of getting batsmen out on different types on wickets in different situations. What he taught me was invaluable.”
Keedy has just returned to fitness after breaking his collarbone in pre-season, but he is not playing in Lancashire’s ongoing Championship match against Durham at the Riverside.
Rain played a major part on the third day, allowing only 21 overs to be bowled.
Glen Chapple took two wickets, Jimmy Anderson one and Tom Smith one to restrict the hosts to 96-5 in response to Lancashire’s 344.
Chapple had England man Paul Collingwood caught at second slip and bowled Ian Blackwell in a 14-over opening spell that went for only 23 runs.
And Anderson, who struck with the last ball of day two, had Michael Di Venuto caught behind by Luke Sutton before lunch.
Anderson’s opening spell is 17 overs and counting, and he has figures of 2-56.
Both men took advantage of helpful conditions, more so through the air than off the pitch, as did Smith.
He trapped Dale Benkenstein lbw for 21 just before the rain came to end proceedings for the day.
Durham still require 99 runs to avoid the follow on during today’s fourth day. Enforcing that is a must as far as the Red Rose are concerned.
Anderson added: “If we bowl well in similar conditions – if it’s swinging around – there’s no reason why we can’t get the 15 wickets.”
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