Chaminda Vaas eyes record World Cup haul

Sri Lanka's World Cup victory in 1996 was fashioned by the breathtaking bravado of their batting. This time it is the bowling that has paved the way for a likely semi-final place.

Left-arm fast-medium bowler Chaminda Vaas has been the hero, riding a wave of exceptional form, bowling with greater confidence than anytime in his career.

The form of Vaas, the tournament's highest wicket-taking with 16 scalps, peaked during Sri Lanka's nail-biting clash against the West Indies when the left-armer bowled two incisive, ultimately match-winning, spells.

The prize wicket, and the one he treasures more than any other, was that of batting maestro Brian Lara who was first restricted by his pinpoint accuracy and then snared with a cleverly disguised off-cutter that lolled him into a loose drive.

"I was bowling against the wind. But that particular delivery to Lara, the wind suddenly changed direction and was behind me, which made the ball move rather late," said Vaas describing the ball that dismissed the world's most destructive batsmen.

With Vaas ensuring Sri Lanka go into the next round of the competition, he has already taken over the position as the leading bowler in the tournament with 16 wickets from six matches, at an average of 9.87 and an economy rate of 3.14.

Vaas's bowling has been the key to Sri Lanka's success in the World Cup so far. Having started off wicketless against New Zealand , Vaas swept into the record books with a hat-trick off the first three balls of a match against Bangladesh where he finished with figures of 6 for 25 and has not looked back since.

The breakdown of Vaas' bowling figures: 0/22 v New Zealand, 6/25 v Bangladesh, 3/15 v Canada, 3/41 v Kenya, 4/22 v West Indies, 0/33 v South Africa.

The secret of Vass' success is that he is bowling with a fine rhythm which has enabled him to get closer to the wicket and make the ball run across the batsmen committing him to play a stroke. He also has the ability to reverse swing with the old ball as he proved on a docile SSC pitch last year when he scalped 16 West Indians in a Test match.

When Vaas toured South Africa four months ago, he was hardly the success he is at the moment. He struggled to get wickets both in the Tests (6 at 31.33) and one-day internationals (5 at 37.80). In Australia too he hardly had success taking only eight wickets (avg. 44.00) from 8 matches.

But on his return home, he worked with the Cricket Board's fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake on his line and rhythm and that seems to have worked wonders for him.

Vaas' nearest rivals are fast bowlers Vasbert Drakes of West Indies who has taken 16 wickets from six matches and Glenn McGrath of Australia, with 12 from six and team mate Muralitharan with 12 from six. Unfortunately for Drakes, he will be heading home as West Indies failed to qualify for the Super Sixes.

Only one Sri Lankan bowler in past World Cups has taken more wickets than Vaas. Ashantha de Mel, a right-arm fast bowler finished with 17 wickets from 6 matches in the 1983 World Cup held in England, one less than the tournament's highest wicket-taker, Roger Binny of India.

Vaas is set to pass De Mel's World Cup record for Sri Lanka and also the all-time World Cup high of 20 wickets held jointly by New Zealand fast bowler Geoff Allott and Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, both achieved in the last World Cup held in England in 1999.