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André in Zuid-Afrika

Cricket World Cup

Whoops, almost forgot this one!!



Group A

Australia
South Africa
Netherlands
Scotland

Group B

Sri Lanka
India
Bangladesh
Bermuda

Group C

New Zealand
England
Kenya
Canada

Group D

Pakistan
West Indies
Zimbabwe
Ireland
André in Zuid-Afrika

Quote:
No surprises in South Africa squad

ŠAFP

South Africa announced a ICC Cricket World Cup squad with no surprises, keeping the 15 players who gained a convincing series win over Pakistan.

Graeme Smith will captain a side strong in all-rounders, seam bowling and fielding but with no top-quality spin bowler.

Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola said: "We are sending a 15-man squad that will provide a formidable challenge. All these players have been involved in high level domestic or international competition and have also been part of a high performance programme since last season."

Coach Mickey Arthur said the selected players had proved their ability. "Our recent victories against India and Pakistan are an indication of the work put in by everyone."

Smith said: "We have worked together to make a formidable team over the last 18 months and everyone knows what their specific responsibilities are within the team. We back each other and we will go out and give our best for our country."

South Africa have risen to second place in the international one-day rankings, closing the gap on champions Australia.

The squad announced Thursday has with minor changes been together for the past year, during which South Africa reached the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals and won 10 out of 11 one-day internationals during the home season.

Left-arm spin bowler Robin Peterson played in only one of the side's five matches against Pakistan as South Africa used an all-seam attack.

Loots Bosman, 29, a hard-hitting opening batsman, played in only one match, while seam bowler Roger Telemachus, 33, did not play at all.

Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini will not travel with the team on February 28. He will join them after the birth of his second child in time for the second warm-up match against Pakistan in Trinidad on March 9.

South African squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis (vice-capt), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Roger Telemachus

Coach: Mickey Arthur

Loic

Now, you're talking, Andre!

Two world cups on a trot. This would be a very busy two months!
Loic

Alright, Andre. Which country do you think have the best chance of winning the world cup in the Carribeans?

AUSTRALIA

Batting:

Solid batting order when they are at their peak. The tail is as capable of knocking in the runs as the top and the middle order. Four extraordinary batsmen in Hussey (Mr Cricket), Ponting (who looks a lot like George Bush), Symonds (if he recovers on time) and Clarke.

But they have lost their last 4 ODIs. They were bowled out for 120 odd runs by New Zealand just a few days ago. They lost their Commonwealth Bank trophy title to England the previous week. They are now undergoing a rare and inexplicable slump in form. Perhaps the playing field is now more even for the rest.

Bowling:

Brett Lee is 50-50, but he can be rather expensive at times. Although Shane Warne is gone, they still have a right arm fast bowler in Shaun Tait, a seamer in Glenn McGrath who would be hoping for a nice swansong at the Carribeans, a left-arm seamer in Johnson, a left-arm seamer in Nathan Bracken and a potential left chinaman in Brad Hogg.

If there is a weakness, it has to the void left behind by Shane Warne. Be it a off-spinner or leg-spinner, I can't see any competent successor to fill in those big shoes. Cullum tries hard, but I am not sure if he is even been named in the squad.

Loic's take:

Despite their recent slump, they're still the bookie's favourites. If you are risk-averse, bet on Oz.

England

Batting:

The recent Commonwealth Bank Trophy triumph has unearthed quite a few gems. Ed Joyce is a competent opening batsman. Paul Collingwood has retrieved his form and should acquire the nickname of Mr Cricket in the English side. Bopora is touted as the Theo Walcott of cricket, injected into the squad to give the game a bit of explosive pace and capable of increasing the run rate if needed. Further down the order, Andrew Flintoff has started to bat more comfortably at number 6 while Andrew Strauss has demonstrated ability in the middle-order as well.

Of course, England still need KP to perform at his best if England were to go all the way in the tournament.

Bowling:

Liam Plunkett at his swinging best. James Anderson as a backup. Monty Panesar as an attacking spinner. Flintoff, ever reliable and industrious, who bowls his heart out for the Three Lions.

Loic's take:

Their recent Commonwealth Bank triumph has increased their odds, but it is still a risk-loving investor who would mortgage his house to wager on England. But well, your returns would be high if England were to reproduce their recent one-day form in Australia.

New Zealand

Batting:

Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming are competent opening batsmen. Actually, I am not very familiar with their batting lineup. Fleming did not impress much with the bat at the Commonwealth Bank trophy, but he was left not out in the first match of the Hadlee Trophy against Australia. However, Fleming is a class act as far as his captaincy skills are involved.

If Jacob Oram were not injured, I'd have put him down as a formidable asset whose presence would give a massive fillip to the Black Caps. This hulk tries to hit every ball for a six.

Bowling:

Shane Bond - same Christian name as Shane Warne but diametrically different from his Aussie counterpart. Bond is an explosive bowler who is not only capable of taking wickets, but at taking them at a low strike as well as bowling rate. Franklin is a useful backup for speed. Daniel Vettori can make life very difficult for the middle-order as the ball becomes older.

Loic's take:

Should make it to the Super Eight round along with England. I have this impression that the Black Caps always have something to prove whenever they don national colours.

South Africa

Batting:

A very long batting order with class acts everywhere. Graeme Smith is a talismanistic captain whose knowledge of the game belies his relatively tender age. Jacques Kallis is a rock whose job is to stabilise and build the innings. Ashwell Prince is a good finisher who is as reliable as Kallis. Mark Boucher in the middle whose batting average for the last 12 months is a healthy 36. The veteran and never-say-die Shaun Pollock who can bat anywhere or everywhere and who would be looking forward to hitting a 4 or a 6 in those short Carribean boundaries.

Of course, there's still Hershelle Gibbs. Despite experiencing a slight slump in form recently, he still averages 35 witht he bat last year.

Bowling:

All seamers. No spinners. This is what I find strange in South African cricket. But it is not so strange if you pause to consider that the omnipotent West Indian side of the 70s and early 80s all made to do without any spinner as well.

Ntini seems to get better, doesn't he? An example of a black cricketer who is more than qualitied to make it into the national side without being given a leg up. Andre Nel, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp do seem to get those wickets too.

Loic's take:

Currently ranked the top one-day side along with Australia. Should make it to the semi-final at the very least. In the likely event that they do make it to the final, let's hope that Australia aren't waiting for them. The Proteas seem to have a mental block whenever they play against the Aussies.

India

Batting:

Rahul Dravid is playing like a born again batsman. He has moved permanently into 5th gear and he impressed me a lot in the recent series against Sri Lanka. Dhoni is also dependable and we can rely on him to increase the run rate and stabilise the innings.

Unfortunately, that is all I can only comment. My erstwhile hero Sachin Tendulkar is a fallen star. He reminds me a bit of Zinedine Zidane before he found form against Spain and Brazil in the recent world cup. For his high standards, Tendulkar has been a flop recently. Sehwag doesn't play intelligently and behaves like a baseball slogger who swings wildly at every ball without care for the kind of ball delivered or fielding positions. He is particularly weak against swing bowlers.

India has a weak tail. As weak as England's during their Ashes tour. Once the top and middle order is eviscerated, the tail can actually start raising the white flag.

Bowling:

Agakar the bright spot. Harbajhan Singh is always a threat with his spin. Kumble might shine when the pitch is slow.

Loic's take:

I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to Indian cricket. I have to go with my gut feeling here and this is based upon past Indian performances that India seldom rise to the occasion when they are playing outside the subcontinent. It is a foolhardy investor who would pawn the shirt on his back to wager on them.
Loic

Of course, there are other countries playing in the World Cup. Apart from the usual suspects, countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Kenya, Scotland and Ireland are also playing.

Traditionally, the best non Test cricketing country has to be Kenya and the ICC have considered conferring upon Kenya Test status once they become better. Canada is a regular in the cricket world cup and in fact, used to be a really good cricketing country before ice hockey eclipsed cricket. The Dutch have two players in English county cricket. Scotttish and Irish cricketers are largely amateurs who have a day job to cope with.

As for Bermuda, this is their first time so let's see how they perform.
Loic

God, the second ODI between NZ and Australia are going down to the wire with the Kiwis needing 11 runs from 12 balls to win!

What a match this is turning out to be. To chase Australia's total of 336 for 4 is no mean feat.

Come on, NZ!
André in Zuid-Afrika

loic wrote:
God, the second ODI between NZ and Australia are going down to the wire with the Kiwis needing 11 runs from 12 balls to win!

What a match this is turning out to be. To chase Australia's total of 336 for 4 is no mean feat.

Come on, NZ!


And thanks to NZ beating Australia...

Quote:
Australia's fifth loss in six matches sees it slip from the summit for first time

South Africa takes the lead in LG ICC ODI Championship table

Brian Murgatroyd

February 18, 2007

South Africa is the new leader in the LG ICC ODI Championship table.

The Proteas have taken over at the summit of the table following Australia's five-wicket loss to New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday which cost Michael Hussey's side two rating points.

And even if Australia wins the final match of its three-match series against the Black Caps, in Hamilton on Tuesday, it will not be enough for it to regain top spot.

It is the first time since the listings began in October 2002 that Australia has not occupied top position.

The side that leads the table on 1 April stands to win US$175,000, with US$75,000 going to the second-placed team and so, with the ICC Cricket World Cup starting in the Caribbean on 13 March, there is still an opportunity for Australia to regain top spot ahead of that cut-off date.

South Africa has taken over thanks to an outstanding recent run of form in the past 12 months. Since it failed to qualify for the finals of the tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka last February it has won 15 of its next 21 matches.

That run includes a 3-2 series win over Australia, sealed when it scored a then world-record 438-9 at Johannesburg, as well as seven wins from its last eight completed matches.

Form like that has lifted South Africa's rating by 10 points since the end of February 2006 while, during that same period, Australia's rating has slipped by seven points, not helped by five losses in its last six matches including Sunday's reverse at Eden Park.

New Zealand's victory, which secures the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, has lifted it to 111 rating points and it now only trails third-placed Pakistan when the ratings are recalculated to three decimal places.

If Stephen Fleming's side can complete a 3-0 clean sweep on Tuesday then it will overtake Inzamam-ul-Haq's side, a timely boost for the side that failed to reach the tri-series final against Australia and England earlier this month.

India, meanwhile, is only two rating points further back in fifth place having moved ahead of Sri Lanka thanks to its 2-1 series win, completed with a seven-wicket victory over Mahela Jayawardene's side in Visakapatnam on Saturday.

To track movements in the table, visit the odi predictor where you can see how it will unfold with all possible combinations of results.

Brian Murgatroyd is ICC Manager - Media and Communications


The list as it stands now...

1. South Africa
2. Australia
3. Pakistan
4. New Zealand
5. India
6. Sri Lanka
7. England
8. West Indies
9. Bangladesh
10. Zimbabwe
11. Kenya

So to answer your question about who's going to win the World Cup.... WE ARE, OF COURSE!!!!!
André in Zuid-Afrika

loic wrote:
Of course, there are other countries playing in the World Cup. Apart from the usual suspects, countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Kenya, Scotland and Ireland are also playing.

Traditionally, the best non Test cricketing country has to be Kenya and the ICC have considered conferring upon Kenya Test status once they become better. Canada is a regular in the cricket world cup and in fact, used to be a really good cricketing country before ice hockey eclipsed cricket. The Dutch have two players in English county cricket. Scotttish and Irish cricketers are largely amateurs who have a day job to cope with.

As for Bermuda, this is their first time so let's see how they perform.



Would indeed be interestin how well the "smaller" countries perform. As for Kenya, I'm sure they're going to surpass Zimbabwe and Bangladesh soon.
Loic

I wonder if this marks the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning of Australian dominance.

Australian poor run in form recently is telling: their depth in squad is not as deep as we thought. Andrew Symonds is pivotal to Australian success. Glenn McGrath is fast becoming quite an average bowler, isn't he?

Well Andre, I am actually hoping that the Windies would perform well on their home turf. Anything short of reaching the final would be an embarrassment for them.

As for Kenya leapfroging Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, I am not sure if Bangladesh would slip up. I am not au fait with the grassroots situation in Zimbabwe, but cricket remains one of Bangladesh's most popular sport and they can tap into a deep reservoir of talent as long as the cricket scouts are doing their job properly.

Zimbabwe would get wallopped in the World Cup. They named an inexperienced squad for the Carribean. It is sad to see how far the side of Andy Flower and Heath Streak has fallen. Both of them were world class cricketers and it'd give a massive fillip to the Zimbabwean side if they could return.
Loic

I was thinking about the upcoming rugby and cricket world cup and how winning both of them would give such pleasure and pride to the country that has won them.

England (and by default, Wales), South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are in position to have a historic Double.

Of course, the other two countries also participating in both world cups are Scotland and Ireland but their odds for a historic Double are far longer.
Loic

49th over. New Zealand needing 7 runs off 6 balls to win the third ODI and complete a historic 3-0 whitewash over their arch-rivals across the Tasman sea.

In stepped Mr Brendon McCullum. Nathan Bracken ran to the crease and lobbed a ball to mid-on which McCullum promptly hit for six. 5 more balls to go. Australia and NZ were momentarily tied at 346 runs.

The next ball was a dot ball as McCullum decided that discretion was the better part of valour. He did not have to worry as there were still 4 more balls in the final over. The Aussies, on the other hand, were shaking in their boots.

Bracken bowled the third ball of the over. It was to be his final ball of the ODI. McCullum punished his loose bowling by hitting it to the slips for a 4. The Kiwis have won, beating the Aussies by 1 wicket with 3 more balls to spare.

It is just three days into the new year and I have been treated to two exciting cricket matches. Wonderful stuff. The year of the boar is turning out into a splendid one for Stephen Fleming and his men.

Can't say the same for the Australians. A wonderful summer of Test cricket has been tarnished by choking in one-day cricket. The World Cup is going to be more interesting than we thought.
André in Zuid-Afrika

From the New Zealand Herald...

Quote:
Cricket: Fairytale World Cup looms
Email this storyPrint this story 2:55PM Friday March 02, 2007
By Greg Buckle
Glenn McGrath. Photo / Reuters

Glenn McGrath. Photo / Reuters
Cricket World Cup

* Cricket: Crowning glory elusive for the undoubted kings of innovation
* Cricket: Vaughan names Flintoff as deputy

SYDNEY - Given Glenn McGrath's last-ball wicket and his teary test farewell alongside Shane Warne and Justin Langer in last month's Ashes series, it's clear international cricket is a place where fairytales can happen.

McGrath's brilliant test career is over but the 37-year-old paceman has an opportunity to script his own one-day international swansong in the March 13-April 28 World Cup in the laid-back surroundings of the Caribbean.

Australia hope to down a few runs after becoming the first team in World Cup history to win three successive titles, but Ricky Ponting's men are not the only team within sight of a fairytale.

Reggae-loving hosts the West Indies are keen to send out their skipper Brian Lara on a high note.

Lara, 37, is in his third stint as captain and the gifted strokeplayer is unlikely to be still around in four years time for a sixth World Cup campaign.

The Windies have not won the main event since claiming the opening two world titles in 1975 and 1979, but have shown by reaching the Champions Trophy final against Australia in India in November that they are strong contenders.

The hosts have never won the World Cup in eight previous tournaments. (Sri Lanka were co-hosts in 1996 and beat Australia in the final in Lahore, Pakistan.)

Sri Lanka's dasher Sanath Jayasuriya is another 37-year-old left-hander with a fitting farewell on his mind.

Like Lara, Jayasuriya is his nation's all-time leading runscorer in one-day internationals. But unlike Lara, the Sri Lankan opener is already a World Cup winner.

"The conditions will suit our players," the 1996 Sri Lankan World Cup star Aravinda de Silva said.

"In batting, Sanath will be the key. He's a dangerous player.

"Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) is a world-class performer and lots of people under-rate Vaasy (Chaminda Vaas)," de Silva added of his side's bowling.

Both Sri Lanka and the Windies can go into the tournament with confidence in their attacks, something Australia are lacking with strike bowler Brett Lee out injured and young quicks Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Shane Watson down on form.

Pakistan, while strong in their batting, also face questions marks over their bowling lineup with doubts surrounding paceman Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif who may face further dope testing before being included in the 15-man national squad.

"It is very important for us that Shoaib and Asif play for us in the World Cup because they are our main wicket-taking bowlers," captain Inzamam ul-Haq told reporters in Lahore.

Australia's batting, led by skipper Ricky Ponting, can hold its own. Left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg could be the key to a successful title defence, however, if he can regain top form.

Coming into the World Cup on the back of five consecutive losses against England and then the Kiwis, Australia's poor form can be attributed partly to key batsmen Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds going down with injuries and Lee missing the New Zealand series with an ankle complaint.

Symonds (bicep) will miss the early matches while Lee has been ruled out of the World Cup, leaving his replacement Stuart Clark in the mix for a role in the Australian pace attack.

The old argument may still hold that nothing stops a batting team's momentum like wickets, but given the quality of bat-making these days, the number of sixes being hit and the small grounds in the West Indies, it's sure to be a feast of high scores.

The leading scorer in ODI history, India's Sachin Tendulkar, is another ageing star set for a big tournament, alongside ex-skipper Saurav Ganguly who has resurrected his career after a previous stand-off with coach Greg Chappell.

But a glance at the latest ICC world rankings confirms Australia's greatest fear -- South Africa may be finally poised to claim a world title.

Australia have already been embarrassed by the Proteas, when the home side were set a world-record 435 to win and made 9-438 in Johannesburg last year. Australia's recent form slump has gifted Graeme Smith's side the top ranking.

With Jacques Kallis, Smith and Ashwell Prince the three leading scorers in ODIs this year, and Shaun Pollock coming off a 5-23 last game against Pakistan as part of a dominant pace attack, South Africa are in good shape.

All-rounder Pollock in particular will be anxious to redeem himself after he was blamed as then-skipper for a run-rate miscalculation against Sri Lanka in Durban which cost South Africa a place in the Super Sixes stage in 2003, four years after a farcical run out allowed Australia to tie their semi-final against South Africa and advance to the final against Pakistan.

Captain Stephen Fleming's Black Caps, with a new-found confidence after three remarkable wins over Australia in New Zealand, are also poised to make a mark on the World Cup.

Australia seemingly have no answer to Kiwi quick Shane Bond in particular (34 wickets at 13.88 against the world champions).

Opening batsman Lou Vincent, who has been a vocal critic of Australia's sledging tactics, is in top form and has found a willing ally in the feisty, fast-scoring all-rounder Craig McMillan.

But returning to the fairytale theme, Sri Lanka vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara is a believer.

"Brian Lara is another one, at home probably his last World Cup," he told Cricinfo.

"I think people who are coming to the end of their careers are going to be the most dangerous players in this World Cup.

"Because they will be just that bit hungrier to leave that little legacy, that little mark, that personal touch -- like that was my World Cup."

Tickets for the Barbados final sold out quickly and the shortage of accommodation on one of the world's most famous holiday spots will be partly offset by cruise ships.

"We are a fun-loving, unique people," West Indies batting great Viv Richards said.

"Apart from that we have got some good sounds.

"This will be a good opportunity to light the World Cup with some of the sounds of the Caribbean -- they will be amazing."

- AAP
Loic

This would be a competitive world cup. Any of the top 8 nations have a good chance of winning; Australia are still favourites, but marginally so given their recent one-day form.

It is said that the crux of Australia's balance lies in Andrew Symonds, but it is hard to see how his all-rounder from Queensland is able to regain complete fitness in time for the biggest (cricketing) show on earth.

PS: After the football world cup, the cricket world cup generates the highest number of TV viewership, thanks in part to the billions of cricket fanatics concentrated in the Indian subcontinent. All countries from the subcontinent are taking part: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
André in Zuid-Afrika

There's a strong feeling here that this is going to be our year.
Loic

Sod it. We're at the cusp of the Cricket World Cup and I had to endure the sorry spectacle of a West Indian collapse yesterday as they literally lied down and spread their legs in a 9 wicket defeat to India. They were dismissed for 80 odd runs.

On another note, it looks as if normality has been restored as Australia soundly beat England by 5 wickets. Despite the promising partnership between Vaughan and Ian Bell, the middle order collapsed in spectacular and typical English fashion.
Loic

And so the opening match in Jamaica has kickstarted in truly Carribean fashion. The West Indies overcame a few early setbacks to win the match in comfortable fashion, besting Pakistan by 54 runs.

I am glad as it is of vital importance that the host performs well in order to bequeath a legacy to future generations. Cricket is under threat by football and basketball as the national sport in many Carribean countries and a good performance by Brian Lara and his relatively young charges would reverse some of the decline that has set in ever since the great 1984 class of Michael Holding and others inflicted a Black-Wash against England.

The man of the match was Dwayne Smith when he scored a hat-trick, dismissing 3 batsmen in succession. However, I must say that the other Dwayne made a very favourable impression too with his caught and bowled of Naved-ul-Hasan. His athleticism is surely a beauty to watch.

Now waiting for the next clash between Australia and Ireland. Not much of a competition, but who knows?

The glorious uncertainty of one-day cricket is glorious entertainment by itself.
André in Zuid-Afrika

loic wrote:

The glorious uncertainty of one-day cricket is glorious entertainment by itself.


Very true!!


Don't miss the match between South Africa and the Netherlands....




Ah well, as long as they enjoy it!!!
Loic

Ok, if there is any fault I can attribute to the World Cup, it's the timing of the matches. They all start at 2130 local time and by the time the first innings end, it's invariably past midnight for me.

Nonetheless, I managed to catch the Australia-Scotland match in its entirety. Can't say it was riveting entertainment although I had to suppress a premature cheer when the Scottish wicket-keeper looked as if he had caught Ricky Ponting out only to fumble the catch. But the match was never in doubt - the Australian batsmen took singles at will if they were not hitting boundaries.

What was disappointing though was the rows of empty seats despite the sizeable Scottish presence. I read that the lowest ticket price is US$25 with prices spiralling to US$90 for seats in the pavillion. How can the average St Kitts cricket fan afford such prices when he earns a mean wage rate of US$50 per week? It is really dispiriting to see the ICC being blind to local conditions and not having its finger on the pulse of the average man on the street. Why not open up the stands for free to schoolchildren? It can only be beneficial for the sport.
Loic

17th March 2007. St Patrick's Day: when David arose to upset Goliath not once, but twice.

Ireland beat Pakistan and sent the 4th ranked team in ODI standings going home prematurely.

Bangladesh pulled off a famous upset to beat their more well established neighbours India.

The scores do not matter. Nobody expected the minnows to upset the apple-cart.

PS: Andre, do you know of this Irish bowler called Andre Botha? He took 2 wickets against Pakistan!
Loic

Oh my god. Bob Woolmer has died! I don't know what to say; I am shocked.

The stress of losing must have been too traumatising. Already, the cricket hooligans back in Pakistan have been burning effigies of the coach as well as the captain.

Coaching cricket in the subcontinent must really be one of the most stressful job in the world.
André in Zuid-Afrika

loic wrote:
17th March 2007. St Patrick's Day: when David arose to upset Goliath not once, but twice.

Ireland beat Pakistan and sent the 4th ranked team in ODI standings going home prematurely.

Bangladesh pulled off a famous upset to beat their more well established neighbours India.

The scores do not matter. Nobody expected the minnows to upset the apple-cart.

PS: Andre, do you know of this Irish bowler called Andre Botha? He took 2 wickets against Pakistan!



Yes, I know him, he's South African actually, but playing cricket in Ireland. Just rushed in quickly, won't have access to the internet for most of the time for the next two weeks, but following the World Cup, and will chat again when I'm back!
Loic

Shame, Andre. South Africa failed to match Australia's rpo.

I feel very sorry for all the bowlers of yesterday's clash between the Proteas and Australia. Especially Shaun Pollock who is made to look like an amateur instead of the top one-day bowler he actually is. In the end, his economy rate resembles that of a schoolboy cricketer playing in a school league match.
André in Zuid-Afrika

Yes... dammit!! Makes our road to the final a lot more difficult.
Loic

Australia are a ruthless outfit. Allow them to bat first and they'd impose themselves mercilessly on you. True, South Africa managed to successfully change the highest number of runs set by Oz in ODIs last year, but all it took was bad luck (read: Graeme Smith's cramps) as well as a lose of concentration (read: AB De Villiers) before the wickets start tumbling down.

Currently, West Indies are replying to the imposing 300 odd runs set by Australia yesterday. They are now 42 for 3. They need a run rate of 8.6 per over to overcome Australia. It is looking ominous for those amongst us who are praying for a credible side to throw Australia off their high horse.
Porthos

I haven't the slightest clue about the sport of cricket, but godspeed to the English and or Spanish speaking countries, and all others be damned!
Loic

Since cricket is essentially a sport played between English-speaking countries, you are wishing all the participant nations good luck, Porthos!

Maybe the ICC needs to organise a cricket tour in the USA in order to spread the gospel to the heathen masses. Perhaps we can ask David Beckham to show you his cover drives as well once he has established himself in LA Galaxy. But then again, Beckham did once mention in an interview that he did not play much cricket in school.
André in Zuid-Afrika

England beaten by nine wickets, Kevin Pietersen out for a measly three runs!! Well done South Africa!!!!!

And enjoy watching the semi final on TV, Kevin, and remember, you could've been there.....
Loic

I tried to watch bits and pieces of the match, cognisant of the fact that I am in the midst of a heavy exam schedule and also fully aware that yesterday's match represented England's one and only last chance to sneak into the semi-finals.

Alas, it was not to be.

The first few overs went for maidens. Shaun Pollock's metronomic bowling was simply amazing. Watching Michael Vaughan desist from giving the ball a good whack was like having my teeth pulled. For crying out loud, if the England captain doesn't have the balls to hit that goddamned ball, he should resign immediately.

And he shuffled his feet like a geriatric as the runs accumulated at a snail's pace. After 10 overs, England were still at less than 50 runs with two wickets already down. I switched off the telly at that juncture.

I noticed that Ntini was dropped from yesterday's match. Wouldn't it be a rather unpopular decision, considerating the landscape of post-apartheid Africa where it is better for both politics and for the health of the game to have a bit of racial diversity? True, there were still some Coloured players on the field yesterday, but an otherwise all-white South African side is a bit of anomaly in this day and age.

Speaking of Kevin Pietersen, I am immensely disappointed with him. But I suppose we cannot blame him too much as he is probably still furious with himself for being caught so cheaply - by his archnemesis Graeme Smith, no less.

So the remaining matches are purely academic now. The following sides are through to the semi-finals: Australia, NZ, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

In the beginning of the tournament, I confidently predicted an Antipodean final with Australia versus New Zealand.

But I have since changed my mind. It'd be an Australia-Sri Lanka final. This time round, Sri Lanka would have Lasith Malinga, Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas raring to go. I can't wait.

PS: I don't think South Africa can make it to the final. This has been a strange World Cup, what with England beating Bangladesh which beat South Africa which beat Sri Lanka which beat Bangladesh. And what this about the dubious possibility of England going home having beaten only one Test playing nation? Come on, even Ireland had beaten two!
André in Zuid-Afrika

loic wrote:


I noticed that Ntini was dropped from yesterday's match. Wouldn't it be a rather unpopular decision, considerating the landscape of post-apartheid Africa where it is better for both politics and for the health of the game to have a bit of racial diversity? True, there were still some Coloured players on the field yesterday, but an otherwise all-white South African side is a bit of anomaly in this day and age.


Not a bit of controversy over his being left out (although some politician desperate for attention might raise concerns later...)

Quote:
Speaking of Kevin Pietersen, I am immensely disappointed with him. But I suppose we cannot blame him too much as he is probably still furious with himself for being caught so cheaply - by his archnemesis Graeme Smith, no less.


Oh, I don't know... we rather enjoyed his performance....




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PS: I don't think South Africa can make it to the final. This has been a strange World Cup, what with England beating Bangladesh which beat South Africa which beat Sri Lanka which beat Bangladesh. And what this about the dubious possibility of England going home having beaten only one Test playing nation? Come on, even Ireland had beaten two!


If they play like they played England, they'll take the cup. If they play like in most of the tournament, they can start packing.

And speaking of Ireland - hats off to them!! They deserve a special trophy of some kind!! They showed us what sport is really about! I found myself cheering for them in every match (except against SA, of course). Of course, they wrre trained by a South African.... and had a South African in their team as well...


And if you'll permit me, I'd just like to say again....

GOODBYE, KEVIN PIETERSEN!!!!!! ENJOY TOUR TRIP "HOME"!


André in Zuid-Afrika

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Media hails Smith's 'merry men'

18/04/2007 11:52 - (SA)


Johannesburg - South African skipper Graeme Smith and his "merry men" have been toasted by the South African media on Wednesday after a blitz on the England team saw them burst into the CWC semi-finals.

A day after being lambasted for partying into the wee hours of the morning following a woeful loss to New Zealand on Saturday, South Africa's press said the Proteas deserved a few drinks after their emphatic nine-wicket victory.

"Proteas drunk with success. Smith's merry men make it to semis as last round is called," read the front page headline of the Star newspaper.

The Beeld newspaper quipped that Smith had served the English team their final drink.

"If this is how the South Africans play cricket after partying, they can do so after every match," Beeld said.

While reports of a drinking binge by the Proteas - who have had a few wobbly performances in the world tournament - had triggered heavy criticism, forgiveness was quick as a World Cup win came back into the team's sights.

A "sobering" thought indeed, said the Star.

"There would have been scores of supporters lining up to buy the South African team a drink last night," read the newspaper.

"After all the criticism they've endured, they would have surely raised a glass or three to their victory over England in Barbados yesterday - and who would deny them that?"

The English team faced an unstoppable onslaught at Kensington Oval on Tuesday, as fast bowler Andrew Hall took what the Citizen newspaper termed a "Five-wicket Hall", and South Africa surpassed England's paltry 154 total with more than 30 overs to spare.

As one South African commentator quipped during the match, the only thing England won was the toss.

Their decision to go in and bat first on the lively Caribbean pitch, which Hall said was very similar to South African conditions, was said to have backfired horribly.

The South African media, which had played up rivalry between skipper Smith and England's South Africa-born batsman Kevin Pietersen did not let Smith's small victory - catching Pietersen on three runs - go unmentioned.

"For a change, Smith won the war of words as well," said the Beeld newspaper.

Smith was unabashed about his team's achievements, saying: "Our skills were superb, and we made our own luck."

The captain himself put on a superb performance, hammering 89 runs off 58 balls, including 13 fours.

Having qualified for the fourth place in the semi-finals, all predictions are that South Africa will play Australia in Wednesday's match in St Lucia.

Beeld said the time had come for the Proteas to settle the score with Australia who had an easy victory over them during the first round in St Kitts.

Loic

Kevin Pietersen acts as a barometer of England's performance in general: when he plays well, he galvanises the entire batting order. When he plays badly, England are reduced to a toothless outfit.

I am very disappointed with Andrew Flintoff's form with the bat. He is in fact no longer an all-rounder if you pause to consider his batting average. He still remains a world-class seamer though.

Currently, the Windies are playing Bangladesh. The Windies are 16 for 2. Not very promising for the longevity of Carribean cricket.
Loic

Ireland's performance has been a bit of a revelation. They have a few world class batsmen: Boyd Rankin has shown himself to be a Richard Hadlee in the making. The O'Brien brothers werre mercurial and occasionally brilliant. William Portersfield is a poor man's alternative to Matthew Hayden but hey, he's much better than the geriatric Michael Vaughan whose batting average of 16 and a strike rate of god knows what suggests that he is more of a tail-ender instead of the opening batsman he is.

Breaking News, by the way. Duncan Fletcher would step down after England's last match against the West Indies on Sunday.

His shelf life has expired. Vive la Revolution!
André in Zuid-Afrika

And from the press on the island....

Quote:
England World Cup campaign shambolic and feeble
Email Print Normal font Large font London
April 18, 2007 - 9:59AM


South Africa's captain Graeme Smith celebrates his team's win as England's captain Michael Vaughan walks forward to congratulate him after their World Cup cricket Super Eights match in Bridgetown.
Photo: Andy Clark

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AdvertisementEngland's World Cup performance was branded shambolic and feeble by the country's press after a crushing nine-wicket defeat by South Africa knocked them out of the tournament on Tuesday.

Coach Duncan Fletcher's days in the job are numbered, papers said, after his side struggled throughout their stay in the Caribbean, with Bangladesh the only Test team they beat.

"If pride does not make him fall on his sword after a 5-0 Ashes whitewash and a miserable World Cup, he should be sacked by the ECB," wrote The Sun, on a page taken up largely by the headlines "Sunken Duncan" and "World Cup shambles".

The Times wrote that Michael Vaughan's career as one-day captain was likely to go the same way as Fletcher's after England's "feeble performance".

"The truth was simply confirmed: that their World Cup hopes have never been realistic," the newspaper wrote in its Wednesday edition. "England looked dazed, defenceless and defeated."

Vaughan said after today's match that England had deserved to be booed off and that the team had to hold up their hands and accept all the criticism that came their way.

REUTERS



(Yes, I'm enjoying this...

- especially picturing KP packing for home... )
Loic

West Indies won Bangladesh by 99 runs but this belies the fact that the Windies opening order struggled and failed dismally once again to rise up to the challenge and it was only with the appearance of Sarwan at the crease that the run rate started to pick up. His crucial partnership with fellow Indo-Guyanese Chanderpaul and skipper Lara helped to lift the target to a defendable 230 runs.

Speaking of Brian Charles Lara, a great sporting icon is hanging up his boots after his last international outing against England on Saturday. The world will mourn the loss of a genius.

Brian Charles Lara has become bulkier over the years but his form with the bat is still remarkably consistent. Here is a young Lara hitting his best innings of 501 (10 sixes and 62 fours) for Warwickshire against Durham back in 1994:


It is a travesty that he has never won a world cup.
André in Zuid-Afrika

Cricket will miss Brian Lara. We salute him!


And so it's Sri Lanka through to the final! Now for the other semi final, South Africa vs Australia.
André in Zuid-Afrika

Sigh....
Loic

Sorry about that, Andre. Well, South Africa can still look forward to the rugby world cup for a spot of sporting glory this year. All is not lost.

But there is a reasonable possibility of Australia completing a 'Double' this year by winning both the cricket and rugby world cups. Barring the in-form Kiwis and the Gallic hosts, of course.

I watched the South African innings and it was disappointing. Admittedly, I didn't harbour any sort of expectations whatsoever. Logic dictates that the Australians have no chinks in their armour; they have a very long and deep batting line-up; their fielding is capital; their bowling, while maybe inferior to the Sri Lankans, are still rated highly in the tournament.

But still, to have the Proteas bundled out for 149 all out is a bit of a body blow. The Aussies are good. It's Glenn McGrath's world cup swansong and the entire team seemed energised to do their best to give him a mighty send-off.

But I made the correct prediction when I foresaw the eventual clash between Australia and Sri Lanka. Southern Hemisphere v Northern Hemisphere. People of European extraction versus Asians. Old Commonwealth v New. The list of possible dichotomies is endless, but I'd leave it to the inventive media to come out with more.

I am rooting for a Lankan victory, of course. The only reservation I have about Sri Lanka is their batting order. Mahela Jayawardene have shown us a superb innings that left me purring with pleasure towards the end. But I am grimly aware that their batting line-up is not very deep and that the bowlers basically start after Dilshan or Russel Arnold are gone. It is vital that the top and middle order grind out out for the full 50 overs for Sri Lanka to stand a decent chance of knocking the Aussies off their pedestral.

As for the bowling, I am counting on the unorthodox slingy action of Lasith Malinga and the doosra of Muralitharan to bamboozle the Aussie batsmen. Throw in Chaminda Vaas who is pretty good with the new ball and potential match winners in Fernando and Dilshan and Sri Lanka are off to their second world cup!

God knows how they need it to unite their divided homeland.
Joanne

I'm surprised you cricket buffs have left it to a baseball-playing troglodyte Yank to put up an important news item like this. But here it is:

    Woolmer 'was poisoned and strangled'
    By Richard Edwards
    Last Updated: 1:42am BST 01/05/2007

    An investigation for the BBC Panorama programme, to be screened tonight, suggests that the Pakistan cricket coach objected to strict Muslim team mates who seemed "more interested in praying not playing" at the World Cup in Jamiaca.

    Jamaican police said the details of that poison have not been revealed because they offer a "significant lead" to finding the identity of the killer.

    Mr Woolmer, 58, was murdered on March 18 shortly after Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup following a shock defeat by Ireland.

    He was found unconscious in his hotel room.

    The programme will broadcast the last image of Mr Woolmer, captured on CCTV cameras, before he died.

    They show him as he entered a lift at the Pegasus Hotel on his way back to his room on the 12th floor.

    The Pakistan team's former media manager, PJ Mir, revealed there were clashes over the Pakistan team's priorities.

    Several senior members of the squad had become members of the strict Muslim movement Tablighi Jamaat.

    Mr Mir claimed: "Bob had his reservations that the boys, rather than focusing on the religious aspect they ought to be focusing more on cricket.

    "He wasn't pleased when players were going out to say their prayers in the middle of the game... and a substitute was coming in. This continued. He was totally against it."

    When Mr Mir blamed the team's poor performance on them focusing too much on religion he said his comments were greeted with anger. He claimed that a fatwah was issued against him, forcing him to flee the country.

    The body of 58-year-old Mr Woolmer, a former England batsman, was returned at the weekend to his family home in Cape Town South Africa, where private funeral arrangements have been made.

    Gill Woolmer, his wife, said she hoped the inquiry would uncover "who, what and when and why".

    "That would put my mind at rest," she said.
André in Zuid-Afrika

Oh, no, no, no, that's old news. Here's the latest.

Quote:
'No evidence Woolmer was strangled'
05/05/2007 19:13 - (SA)



Islamabad - Pakistani investigators on Saturday submitted a report to the government on the death in March of cricket coach Bob Woolmer, concluding that there was no evidence that he was strangled as Jamaican police maintain, news reports said.

Two Pakistani officers sent to Jamaica also rejected claims that the coach was murdered during the Cricket World Cup because of his knowledge of crime syndicate involvement in cricketing fixtures.

"Nothing suggests that there has been any match fixing," an unnamed official at the Interior Ministry in Islamabad told Aaj television.

Tissue samples from Woolmer's body were sent to Britain for analysis, the official added. Jamaican police recently said his death may have resulted from a combination of poisoning and violence.

The Pakistani investigators arrived in Jamaica on April 10 and in collaboration with Scotland Yard and Jamaican police investigated the case for two weeks up to April 26.

Pakistan and the cricket world were shaken when police in Jamaica announced that Woolmer was murdered in his hotel room in Kingston, hours after the Pakistani team was knocked out of the World Cup by the Irish on March 17.

It was speculated that the 58-year-old coach was about to blow the whistle on match-fixing intrigues after a period of turbulence at the head of the team.

Players and managers came home from the West Indies days later than scheduled after members were required to undergo fingerprinting, DNA swabs and questioning by police.

Pakistani officials stressed that members of the squad were under no particular suspicion of involvement in the murder of Woolmer.

The Briton became the Pakistani coach in 2004 after a distinguished playing career in test match and one-day internationals for England. - Sapa-dpa



Loic

I am very disillusioned over the mishandling of the cricket world cup. That was why I had resolutely avoided all references to the fiasco in the newspapers and that explains why the recent revelations regarding the late Bob Woolmer is news to me.

It would not be wholly inaccurate to say that the first cricket World cup to be held in the Carribean began in tragedy and ended in farce. Hosting the World Cup for many West Indian countries was an onerous economic burden and many of their governments are now saddled with public debt that would surely rocket above 100%.

Nonetheless, there were a few tangible memories to be taken from the world cup. Lasith Malinga's four wickets in four consecutive balls; Matthew Hayden's 62 balls to reach a century; Gilly taking the wind out of Sri Lankan sails in the final; Ireland upsetting Pakistan and indirectly provoking the demise of Bob Woolmer; Bangladesh knocking India out and later causing an upset over the Proteas.

But the bad outweigh the good. Even on the pitch, Brian Lara's last international outing ended in a farce as he was inexplicably run out by a Marlon Samuel's miscall.
Loic

I thought I'd do a service to the endangered community of cricket aficionados amongst us here by summarising the Schofield report. The report gave a damning verdict of grassroots cricket in England and encapsulated the general mood of all England supporters when it said that the real shame of the twin Ashes-World Cup debacle was not the fact that the England players performed so badly; the real shame was that they were the best players the country had to offer.

The report identified the failure of the county cricket structure in grooming potential Ian Bothams to galvanise the next generation of cricketers. The report then does well by looking to its Australian cousin on the other side of the world and asking long and hard questions on why Australia are to cricket what Michael Schumacher was once to Formula 1.

Some interesting statistics were gleaned. In Australia, cricket is the number one choice of sport among the under 30s. Sorry, rugby. Sorry, soccer. Sorry, Aussie Rules. Cricket rules and just so you know it!

Every year, an astonishing 500,000 children participate in Cricket Australia's Milo development programmes which are run in conjunction with the states. For the uninitiated, Milo is a chocolate beverage drink that is not only well received Down Under, but also wildly popular in South-east Asia.

Overall, the Schofield Commission report makes for a compelling read especially when it is consumed with a pint of ale on a drowsy Sunday afternoon (such as I am doing now). Unfortunately, it failed by not suggesting viable solutions to arrest the rot of English cricket. Illuminating statistics highlight the dismal health of the game in the country that bequeathed this beautiful sport to us: a 2004 YouGov survey revealed that 43% of English people 'didn't care at all' about the performance of the national side.

Of course, those were figures taken before the epic Ashes victory of the beautiful 2005 summer. But after losing the Ashes just as quickly as they won it, interest must have nosedived once again.

PS: Congratulations to Kevin Pietersen for having scored a maiden double century against the West Indies! Somehow, KP's magnificent innings leaves a bittersweet aftertaste in my mouth. How the mighty have truly fallen - it is tragic that the once terrifying arsenal of West Indian pace bowling is now reduced to a toothless shadow of its former self.

I am not blaming Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor or Darren Powell here. But one can't help but feel that they would not even have made it to the starting IX during those days when the likes of Michael Holding ruled the roost.
Loic

So it was "Arise, Sir Beefy" without the accompanying echos of "Arise, Sir David". It is now official. The mercurial England all-rounder of the 80s is now officially Sir Ian Terence Botham.

The knighting of Sir Ian begs the question: how many cricketing knights have there been in existence so far? Not a good many, if you consider that knights prefer jousting and drinking to standing guard in front of the wicket. Perhaps the most famous cricketing knight in history has to be the great Australian icon Sir Don Bradman, he of that famous 99.94 batting average.

The West Indies have also produced a hatful of cricketing knights with Sir Viv Richard, the master blaster, topping the list of those West Indian cricketers of yore when the English-speaking Carribean swaggered with aplomb on the world stage.

Even tiny New Zealand had one of their own received a knighthood in the great all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee.

The recent honours list makes Sir Ian the only surviving English cricketing knight of renown. Now, wouldn't it be a thrill to have a starting IX made up of only knights?

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