THISARA PERERA – THE ONE-HANDED SMASH

HE’S a late-order hitting machine who deposits his sixes almost exclusively over the region familiarly known in club cricket as cow corner. Tall and burly, the Sri Lankan left-hander is particularly dangerous against the spinners, with his long reach allowing him to haul deliveries from outside off over mid-wicket. Such is the velocity of his muscular heaves, in fact, that a high percentage of them result in one hand coming off the bat, yet they still sail into the stands — a signature of his batting.