How's That?
What a way to exit the Cricket World Cup! Although almost inevitable, and widely forecast, the manner in which it eventually happened was shattering. Against all the odds, batting second in a day-night game (impossible to win, as we were told in volumes after England's loss to India), it looked as if SA were going to overhaul Sri Lanka's target of 268 (40 runs in 30 balls with Klusener and Boucher at the crease). Then, as in 1992, down came the rain to screw us, and, as in 1999, a tie to send SA out of the competition. Irony upon irony! Difficult to accept. Both Kenya and Zimbabwe go through to the Super Sixes, SA crashes out. How about that?
I haven't yet read any of the match reports, since the BBC ball-by-ball web coverage gave me the awful news at about 11:30 last night (I am battling with miserable browsing performance, need to call the ISP in the morning). So what you get here are my own gut reactions - you'll get links and filtered opinions from elsewhere later - I'm sure there is another vast outbreak of "snot en trane" happening back home (can't wait to read what the 12th Man has to say about it all!).
I hope there is not a repetition of the "not fair on the side batting second" outcry that we got from the wimpish British press and their even more wimpish ex-skipper (good riddance to him!). The Proteas made a good fist of chasing both the West Indies at Newlands (lost by only 4 runs), and Sri Lanka last night - couldn't get closer in either case. In retrospect, we got beaten by great centuries by great batsmen (Lara, Fleming and Attapatu) in each of the three big matches, while none of our big guns really fired in those games. Not to mention that our bowlers could not take the wickets (couldn't even bowl Canada out, for God's sake!). McGrath & Bichel both took 7 wickets in an innings for Australia, only Ntini got that many in the whole tournament.
So, let's go out with heads held high, let's not fire the skipper, coach or the selectors; let's go to England this summer and thrash those Pommies thoroughly, and go forward from there.
I think it's been a super World Cup so far, before we even get to the final stages. Great innings from the really class players (Lara, Jayasuryia, Tendulkar - who underlines his status as the world's greatest batsman every time he bats - Ponting, Dravid and others), surprising centuries from Andrew Symonds, Craig Wishart, Davison of Canada, surpising bowling from Ashish Nehra (what's he been smoking?), Bichel and James Anderson, and surprising results (Kenya over Sri Lanka). And what about those Aussies? What a team! When the big shots fail, someone comes to light (Symonds, Bevan, Bichel, Hogg). Looking more and more like champions with every game, although England should have nailed them on Sunday. I'm looking forward to the rest of the tournament, even without SA!
And finally, I must point at this article, casting a jaundiced eye on the advertising strategy of the SA sponsors, who must have egg all over their faces at this stage (SAA wishing all the visiting teams an early trip home etc!). No wonder they call us arrogant!
11:32:06 PM 
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