The World Cup final is cricket's showpiece event. It only happens once every four years and guarantees the game the global attention that it often sorely needs. You'd think it would be inconceivable that an event of this magnitude could be reduced to a farce by the tournament organisers and the ICC yet that is what happened at the Kensington Oval. Sadly, these final moments of this damp squib of a tournament are likely to be remembered rather than the performance of Adam Gilchrist, the wicketkeeper/batsman who produced one the greatest, most destructive one day innings of all time to ensure Australia claimed a third successive World Cup victory.

 

The problems started with early morning rain which reduced the game to 38 overs a side. With a reserve day set aside as a contingency plan, it simply boggles the mind why, for a game of this importance, officials didn't decide to let the game remain 50 overs a side and run over into the following day. Thus, three hours after winning the toss, Aussie openers Gilchrist and Hayden took the field. Hayden finished the tournament as leading run scorer but he could not find any form in the opening overs as Lasith Malinga's slingers subdued his attacking instincts. Fortunately for the Aussies, Gilchrist, who has struggled for fluency throughout the World Cup, was determined to bludgeon his way back into form.

 

In an innings reminiscent of the 58-ball hundred that broke England's hearts in the third Ashes test, Gilchrist launched into Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando. His innings of 149 from 104 was the highest score in a World Cup final and contained 8 sixes and 13 fours. He and Hayden put on 172 for the first wicket - and Hayden only scored 38! Gilchrist eventually departed with the score at 224 and it was left to Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds to drive the score up to a fomidable 281.

 

Despite the early loss of Upal Thuranga, Sri Lanka's run chase remained on target through the first 20 overs of their reply. Sanath Jayasuria and Kumar Sangakkara put on 116 for the second wicket and built a platform for their middle order batsmen. But yet again, with the contest in the balance, another Aussie stepped forward to wrest back control of the game. Left-arm spinner Brad Hogg induced Sangakkara to drill a pull shot straight to Ponting. It was a crucial wicket. Two overs later, Jayasuria attemtped an ugly looking swipe at part-time bowler Michael Clarke and was bowled. Sri Lanka's momentum was gone and the Aussies knew it.

 

Then rain started to fall again. When play resumed, Sri Lanka's target was revised to 269 from 36 overs. With the light fading, they now required 11 runs per over. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene was dismissed immediately after the resumption killing off any hopes of a comeback. Glenn McGrath, playing his last ever international match, applied the coup de grace by dismissing Russell Arnold. The truculent paceman, with 26 World Cup wickets to his name, would later be named player of the tournament.

 

With 33 overs gone, the Sri Lankan batsmen accepted the offer of bad light, effectively ending the match. The Aussies celebrated and made their way off the field only to be told that the umpires had made a mistake and that the remaining three overs still had to be bowled. This was a major gaffe - when both sides have batted for 20 overs in a match enough play has been completed to constitute a game. In almost total darkness, the players returned and played out the remaining 18 balls. It was pointless. Sri Lanka had no chance of winning, the fielders couldn't see the ball and the people running the game had once again ensured that their showpiece event finished in confusing and embarrassing circumstances.

 

Overall, this farcical finale was probably inkeeping with a wholly unsatisfying tournament. After the murder of Bob Woolmer, many quite rightly wondered if the tournament should continue at all. But the ICC insisted on ploughing on, filling their coffers through TV and advertising cash over 7 gruelling weeks of matches largely played in front of empty stadiums. None of which should take away from Australia's achievement. They are unbeaten in World Cup matches since 1999 and were largely untroubled as they cut a swathe through the competition. They were head and shoulders above every other side and, for the fourth time in their history, are deserved champions of the world.

 

 

 

After 50 matches and 7 weeks, the Cricket World Cup approaches its conclusion as favourites Australia take on Sri Lanka in what many hope will be a memorable finale to an often tortuous tournament that has at times failed to even captivate the world’s cricket-loving fans. But despite the criticism and controversy that has dogged the tournament, the World Cup has also provided some top performances and highlights.

As a result, MSN’s Cricket World Cup bloggers have got into a team-building pre-final huddle and decided on the best and worst things about the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Pace aces flourish
The West Indies is cricket’s traditional cradle of fast bowling excellence and it was fitting to see the return of high class aggressive pace bowling in the form of Shaun Tait, Lasith Malinga and Shane Bond. All three bowlers regularly topped the 90 mph mark in their spells to terrify opposition batsmen. Bond took crucial wickets with the new ball and mid innings and Tait, despite some wayward moments, claimed 23 victims. Best of all was Malinga’s unplayable spell of reverse swing against South Africa where he claimed 4 wickets in 4 balls.

Success of the Associate Nations
The ICC must have cursed their luck as Bangladesh and Ireland dumped India and Pakistan out and the tournament’s advertising revenue took a massive hit. But the emergence of Bangladesh in particular is good news for the game. Disciplined bowling, razor sharp fielding and wristy batting also bought them a deserved Super 8 win over South Africa. With the country's massive population being drawn to the game, Bangladesh is a major cricketing nation in waiting. Assuming they find a good replacement for departing coach Dav Whatmore, expect them to do even better in four years time.

Power hitters on top
While the slow and low pitches of Guyana and Antigua left England’s batsmen (apart from Kevin Pietersen) generally flummoxed, they only had to look to the likes of Matthew Hayden and Sanath Jayasuria for the ideal crash course in how to score heavily. Hayden, who must have thought his ODI career was over when he was left out of Australia’s ICC Champions Trophy squad last October, was back to his bullying brilliant best as he battered 621 runs at a strike rate of 104.29 including 3 hundreds. Jayasuria’s performances had supporters thinking back to 1996 when his explosive opening batting salvos propelled Sri Lanka to World Cup victory. The 37-year old smashed two centuries on his way to 404 runs scored at a strike rate of 99.01.

LEST WE FORGET

The death of Bob Woolmer
The murder of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer following Pakistan’s shock defeat to Ireland cast a huge shadow over the tournament. Many, this correspondent included, felt the tournament should not continue while the investigation was being conducted. Amid rumour and counter-rumour, it took the authorities over a month to identify the true cause of death no doubt causing more distress for Woolmer’s family. One can only hope that the perpetrators of this horrific crime are bought to justice quickly and that the former Warwickshire and South Africa coach eventually receives the appropriate recognition for the life he dedicated to cricket.

No crowds
Remember those classic matches you’ve seen in the Caribbean over the years? You know, the vibrant colour, the drums, the singing, the soundsystems, the sheer carnival of it all. Well, thanks to the ICC’s policy of charging local fans around a week’s wages for a ticket and insisting that anyone wanted to bring a musical instrument into a ground required a permit, the world’s best players played to largely empty sterile grounds devoid of any atmosphere at all.

While the ICC no doubt made more than enough money from TV deals anyway and probably couldn’t care less, the lack of crowds took away the key ingredient of Caribbean cricket. For an idea of how things could have been, think back to the England vs West Indies game. Ticket prices slashed by 75% and a ground packed full of people saying goodbye to the legendary Brian Lara. The result? Arguably the most exciting game of the tournament.

Another terrible format
You’ll never believe it but the first World Cup in 1975 only lasted 15 days. Honestly. Once again, the ICC’s determination to squeeze every last drop of cash out of this tournament meant fans have had to sit through 7 weeks of one-sided, mostly low scoring matches with few of the tense finishes that make one day cricket great. I’m not going to pretend I have the solution to this problem but this is the third consecutive World Cup that has ultimately fallen flat. The organisers must find a shorter format that suits players and fans rather than TV and advertising executives.

 

 

It may have been billed as an epic clash but, yet again, Australia's bowlers ensured spectators were treated to another one-sided World Cup contest. Recent history suggested the Proteas had the batting strength to put Ricky Ponting's side under pressure and when Graeme Smith won the toss and chose to bat, it seemed all the elements for a classic contest were slotting into place.

 

But thirty minutes later the game was all but over as a contest after Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait and the peerless Glenn McGrath had reduced South Africa to 27 for 5. South Africa's decision to bat as aggressively as possible didn't take into account the slowness of the St Lucia pitch and backfired spectacularly. Smith stomped down the wicket to Bracken and was clean bowled. Jacques Kallis followed in the same fashion having advanced down the track to McGrath. Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher both went for ducks wafting outside off stump. Only Herschelle Gibbs and Justin Kemp offered any resistance as South Africa limped to 149 all out.

 

McGrath's three wickets took his tournament tally to 25, the best in this tournament and the most dismissals in any World Cup. The ageing champion will retire from international cricket on Saturday and he'll be going out on a personal high. But he hasn't done it on his own. Shaun Tait may be as erratic a pace bowler ever used by Australia. But there is no substitute for raw pace. Tait's regular 90 mph salvos have now bought him 23 victims - as many as Muttiah Muralithuran - in the tournament. A word also for Brad Hogg, the spinner who has lived long in the shadow of Shane Warne. The former postman has enjoyed a superb World Cup, regularly deceiving the world's best batsmen with his googly. Yesterday, he only claimed one wicket but his 10 overs conceded just 24 runs as he teased Kemp and the South African tail enders with flight and spin.

 

A target of 150 was never likely to cause Australia too many problems and so it proved. The early loss of Adam Gilchrist didn't faze them and Ponting and Matthew Hayden's partnership kept their run rate comfortably over 5 an over. It was left to Michael Clarke (60 not out) and Andrew Symonds (18 not out) to see them home with embarrassing ease with 20 overs to spare.

 

On this form, the Aussies will be overwhelming favourites when they meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final. They'll be facing a side with an equally explosive bowling attack and it is almost certain that the likes of Sanath Jayasuria and Kumar Sangakkara will put the likes of McGrath and Tait under more pressure than they've faced in the tournament so far. Let's hope the two sides can provide a competitive finale to a tournament whose overall lack of excitement and atmosphere has numbed even the most ardent cricket fan.

 

 

 

Sri Lanka ruthlessly swept New Zealand's World Cup hopes into the gutter with an efficient, organised and inspired performance at Sabina Park. Their bowling, batting and fielding was superior to that of Stephen Fleming's side and, despite another spellbinding effort from Muttiah Muralithuran, the game will rightly be remembered as a day of supreme triumph for Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene.

 

Jayawardene came to the crease with his side under pressure after Kiwi swing bowler James Franklin had reduced them to 64 for 2. With power hitters Sanath Jayasuria and Kumar Sangakkara already back in the pavillion, another New Zealand breakthrough would have had Sri Lanka reeling. Consequently, Jayawardene began his innings cautiously, happy to play second fiddle to the free flowing Upul Thuranga's 73 from 74 balls. It was only after Daniel Vettori dismissed Thuranga that Jayawardene chose to take control of the match.

 

When Thuranga was dismissed with the score on 107, Jayawardene's strike rate was less than 50 runs per 100 balls. Over the next 20 overs, he bought the crowd to life with his next 98 runs coming from just 60 balls sending the New Zealand bowlers to all parts of the ground. A stunning lofted straight drive and a contemptuous launch over mid wicket were mixed with delicate late cuts and sweetly timed flicks. Ably assisted by Chamara Silva and Tillekaratne Dilshan, Jayawardene finished unbeaten on 115 from 109 balls. Having initially looked like they would score around 240 or 250, the captain had taken the score to a mammoth 289.

 

The return of Lasith Malinga ensured the New Zealand run chase didn't get off to a fast start. The mop-topped slinger, playing his first game in three weeks after injuring his ankle, clicked immediately back in top gear. His first four overs conceded only 5 runs and he accounted for Stephen Fleming in one memorable almost unplayable over trapping the Kiwi skipper LBW with a 94 mph delivery.

 

New Zealand's only glimpse at victory came when Peter Fulton and Scott Styris took to the bowling of Dilhara Fernando during the 2nd and 3rd power plays. The pair put on 73 for the third wicket in quick time to raise the Black Caps' spirits. But, on a day where he could do no wrong, Jayawardene had the last laugh. He bought on part-time spinner Dilshan to bowl and Styris dutifully drilled a catch straight to the Sri Lankan skipper at mid wicket. With the Kiwis wobbling, Murali then delivered the final blow taking 4 for 31 in a mesmerising 8 over spell. He reduced New Zealand from 105 for 3 to 149 for 9. Despite a fiery last wicket stand between Franklin and Jeetan Patel, the game was up. New Zealand were all out for 208 and had lost their fifth World Cup semi final. Kiwi captain Fleming resigned as one day captain immediately after the game.

 

Without doubt Sri Lanka's performances throughout the tournament justify their place in the final. They await the winners of the Australia vs South Africa clash in St Lucia and, on this form, have every chance of being crowned world champions for a second time.

 

 

 

A meaningless game in terms of the World Cup gained took on wider significance following Duncan Fletcher's resignation and the fact that it was to be Brian Lara's final international match. With ticket prices finally slashed, the Kensington Oval was packed to the rafters and ablaze with the music, colour and unique Caribbean cricketing atmosphere sadly absent for the majority of the tournament. And the game itself delivered the goods with 600 runs scored, incendiary batting from Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen and a dramatic last over victory for Michael Vaughan's men.

 

England made some progressive team changes including promoting Ravi Bopara to bat at No 3 but their bowling was littered with the same predictable problems. James Anderson and Liam Plunkett sent down a seemingly endless stream of wides and long-hops that allowed Gayle, who hitherto had endured an awful tournament, to blast his way to 79 off 58 balls.

 

Gayle's dismissal bought Lara to the crease and the Barbados crowd to its feet in a fitting tribute. But there was no last game heroics from the master batsman as he was run out for 18 by Kevin Pietersen. Cue another standing ovation as he left the crease for the final time. With England's pace bowlers resembling cannon fodder, it was left to Vaughan and Paul Collingwood to stem the flow of runs. Taking the pace off the ball seemed to do the trick as the Windies could only muster 50 runs from their final ten overs, finishing on a still-impressive 300 all out.

 

England's reply featured a sight not seen on a cricket field for some time - Michael Vaughan in full flow. With his trademark cover drives and pulls, it was almost like 2003 again as the captain raced to 79 off 68 balls. Windies all rounder Dwayne Bravo wrested things back in the host's favour by running out Bopara and Vaughan with direct hits. And when Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Dalrymple fell cheaply, it looked like Lara would enjoy a winning farewell.

 

But that reckoned without Kevin Pietersen. England's best batsman once again illustrated his incredible talent as he took the Windies bowlers apart. He launched 10 fours to all parts of the ground and ensured England kept up with the required 8 runs per over before reaching his second century of the World Cup with an enormous six over mid wicket. But KP couldn't see England home. He was bowled by Jerome Taylor aiming for another huge shot with 32 runs still needed and only four overs remaining.

 

Then Paul Nixon took the initiative. The gritty wicketkeeper has been one of England's few brightspots and once again his love of a scrap paid off. He launched a salvo of 3 fours in 4 balls and suddenly the game was England's to lose with only 5 needed from the last over. They still almost messed it up though. Nixon was bowled by a Dwaye Bravo slower ball and it was left to 20 year old bowler Stuart Broad to win the game. Still needing 2 off the final 2 balls, he launched a drive over the in-field and England had scrambled home by 1 wicket in what was the World Cup's most thrilling game to date.

 

Lara then made an emotional farewell speech and embarked on a lap of honour where he attempting to shake hands with almost everyone left in the ground. The game had been an entertaining, pulsating affair with some immense batting performances - a true testimony to the genius of Lara as he walked off an international cricket field for the final time.

 

 

 

Yet another destructive Matthew Hayden century, his third of the tournament, set up an utterly one-sided Australian victory. New Zealand have been considered possible challanegers to the awesome Aussies but, on this evidence, Ricky Ponting's ruthless and dominant side look head and shoulders above their semi final rivals.

 

New Zealand lost their best bowler Shane Bond to a gastric problem just hours before the game started but it's hard to see how the paceman could have affected the outcome of this game. Their bowlers simply crumbled in the face of Hayden's clumping straight drives and Ponting's cultured strokeplay. The pair added a run-a-ball 137 for the second wicket and laid perfect foundations for the inevitable acceleration in the innings' final overs. That increase in run rate came courtesy of all-rounder Shane Watson who bludgeoned an unbeaten 65 from just 32 balls.

 

Chasing a total of 348, the Kiwis needed a fast start but it wasn't to be. Opener Peter Fulton cracked an impressive 50 but his teammates offered precious little resistance against the Australian bowlers. Glenn McGrath removed Ross Taylor with his first ball and claimed the important wicket of Scott Styris. Erratic paceman Shaun Tait accounted for Stephen Fleming and the dangerous Craig McMillan. Wrist spinner Brad Hogg then claimed four wickets to wrap things up within 26 overs. New Zealand were all out for 133 and were left the contemplate their biggest ever ODI defeat as the Aussie juggernault gathered even more momentum.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a case of too little too late for the West Indies as they produced their first decent performance of the Super 8s to comfortably beat a Bangladesh side seemingly incapable of finding any consistency in their play. Excellent contributions from Ramnaresh Sarwan (90) and Shiv Chanderpaul (50) rescued the West Indies innings after they were tottering at 8 for 2. Then with the ball, Corey Collymore and Daren Powell (surely the Windies' best player in this tournament) ripped through the Bangladesh top order to kill off the game.

 

For Bangladesh, the day summed up their schizophrenic World Cup. Their excellent early bowling contained the Windies to just 67 runs off the first 25 overs. But they let things slip and with Sarwan in full flow they lost control of the game and allowed the hosts to reach 230. Chasing a target that was still gettable, opener Tamim Iqbal was run out by Dwayne Bravo in farcical circumstances and a collapse insued. At 52 for 6 in the 21st over, the game was up - they were eventually all out for 131 in 43.5 overs.

 

After what was essentially an insignificant game, it was left to departing West Indies skipper Brian Lara to give journalists a better story at the post-match press conference. Having already announced he was relinquishing the captaincy at the end of the World Cup, Lara confirmed that Saturday's game with England will be his final international match in one day and test cricket. Along with India's Sachin Tendulkar, Lara was the premier batsman of his era. He has played 131 test matches, 298 ODIs and scored 11,953 test runs. But more than that, he was a true entertainer. Some will point to his world record single innings score of 400 not out against England in 2004. Others will look to the series he won almost singelehandedly against Australia or the West Indies' ICC Champions Trophy win in 2003. The truth is there are too many achievements to list. Lara leaves a legacy that will be matched only by a handful of the game's greatest players.

 

 

 

 

Duncan Fletcher has confirmed what most cricket fans and journalists felt was inevitable after announcing that he will resign from his post after England's final Super 8 match with hosts West Indies this weekend. The coach's 7 and a half year tenure has come under enormous pressure following his team's weak, sub-par performances in the World Cup and last winter's Ashes whitewash in Australia.

 

Fletcher was appointed as coach in 1999 and, in partnership with captain Nasser Hussain, led England from the bottom of the ICC test match ratings to second place after a succession of series wins at home and abroad. He introduced players to the England set-up, in particular Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, who flourished at international level despite never dominating the English county scene.

 

Without doubt his greatest triumph was, alongside Vaughan, masterminding England's Ashes victory in 2005. Meticulous planning for the series began 18 months before the series started and Fletcher was able to coax and inspire the likes of Steve Harmison, Kevin Pietersen, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff to produce historic series-winning performances.

 

But cracks in the Fletcher regime began to appear immeditely after the Ashes win. Injuries to Vaughan, Jones and, to a far lesser extent, Ashley Giles, robbed him of his best players at a time when England simply had to build on their success. Instead, they went on to lose a series in Pakistan in December 2005, be thrashed 5-1 in a one day series with India and then smashed again by Sri Lanka in a home ODI series.

 

Then came the Ashes tour to Australia and the decisions that signalled the beginning of the end. Fletcher's unstinting loyalty to his players was one of his biggest strengths but by the time England were battered in Brisbane by Australia, it had also become his biggest weakness. It seemed as if he couldn't see beyond his 2005 Ashes heroes regardless of how badly they were playing. Consequently, a half fit Giles was preferred to Monty Panesar and hapless wicketkeeper Geraint Jones returned in favour of Chris Read. Andrew Strauss, who had filled in admirably as captain against Pakistan in the summer, lost the captaincy to a now over-burdened Andrew Flintoff. Both players endured miserable tours.

 

If England's improbable victory over Australia in the Commonwealth Bank one day series papered over the cracks of England's poor form, Fletcher's failings were laid bare in the World Cup. In a campaign eerily evocative of Sven-Goran Eriksson's last World Cup football campaign, England performed poorly throughout the tournament, continually promised to improve but never delivered and ultimately were knocked out having wrongly relied on negative, risk-free, defensive tactics long since abandoned by the world's best teams. Their thrashing at the hands of South Africa was the final nail in the coffin - a gutless and woefully inadequate display that drew boos and catcalls from England's normally loyal travelling fans.

 

It would be sad if the cricketing nightmare of the last 6 months were to be what observers remember about Fletcher's reign. After years in the doldrums, England enjoyed unprecedented success under Fletcher and players flourished under his tutelage. He transformed the England test team but, by his own admission, probably never placed the same emphasis on the one day version of the game. Ultimately though, it's a fact of sport that all coaches have a limited shelf life. At some point, the ideas and motivational techniques inevitably become stale and players stop responding.

 

Thanks for the memories, Duncan. For the most part, you did a great job. But your time is up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Africa may have carried the unwanted label of chokers into their crucial Super 8 clash with England but it was Michael Vaughan's side that was riddled with fear, insecurity and a total lack of confidence. England were humiliated and their abject performance ranks alongside some of the most inept Three Lions efforts from yesteryear.

 

The most galling aspect of England's submission was that, thanks to the tournament's series of shock results, their stuttering anaemic World Cup campaign could still have yielded a semi final place if they could just raise their efforts for one game. But even that couldn't motivate them. What we got instead was the prehistoric brand of terrified, risk free one day batting now long abandoned by every top team. Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan's opening partnership bought just 5 runs from the game's opening 5 overs.

 

Yes, Shaun Pollock and Charles Langeveldt bowled accurately and got the new ball to swing. But England's rigid reliance of textbook strokeplay and refusal to play improvised shots to take advantage of the power plays and fielding restrictions ensured the runs dried up and the pressure on the middle order batsmen once again increased.

 

And it wouldn't be England without the trademark collapse. Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood had rebuilt the innings and taken the score to 111 for 3. The scoring rate wasn't great but a total of 230 which, on an unpredictable Kensington Oval pitch, would have been a challenging total, was in reach with 20 overs still remaining. One drinks break and five overs later, it was 121 for 8 and Andrew Hall had 4 wickets to his name. His haul included the scalp of Andrew Flintoff who was comprehensively bowled through the gate as his technique let him down against a Hall inswinger.

 

Thanks to Ravi Bopara, one of the few English brightspots in this tournament, they recovered slightly to reach 154 all out. But it was never likely to be enough.

 

England's failings should not be allowed to shadow what was an excellent South African performance. Graeme Smith's captaincy was superb. His clever field placings accounted for the crucial wicket of Strauss that instigated the collapse. He also took an excellent diving catch to win his duel with nemesis Kevin Pietersen and his passionate celebration of the catch contrasted starkly with England's lack of fight. His bowlers produced disciplined and accurate spells with Shaun Pollock conceding only 17 runs in his 10 overs. The bowlers were backed up with alert fielding as Ashwell Prince and Jacques Kallis made boundary saving stops. 

 

That South Africa knocked off the required runs in only 19 overs gives a sense of the total humiliation of England's defeat. But it was the manner of Smith and AB de Villiers' opening stand that laid bare all of England's one day weaknesses. Both openers were prepared to improvise shots and attack the bowling to ensure their team got off to a fast start. Smith and de Villiers bludgeoned boundaries to all parts of the ground, taking the risks all the world's top players are willing to take in order to take advantage of the fielding restrictions in the first 10 overs. They racked up 52 runs in their first 5 overs, 47 more than England had managed.

 

England simply wilted against the assault. James Anderson and Saj Mahmood's weren't allowed to probe away outside off stump in the manner of Pollock. Consequently, they sprayed the ball all over the place and were punished. Mahmood's first 2 overs went for 28 runs. His miserable day was complete a few overs later when an embarrassing misfield on the boundary allowed another South African four. Smith surged to a match winning 89 not out from only 58 balls and England's World Cup was over as boos rang out around the Kensington Oval.

 

Where England go from here will be heavily debated over the coming days. In one day cricket, they are light years behind the world's best sides playing a version of the game that's been out of date for over 5 years. Their failure to even compete with the tournament's best sides is a searing indictment of their cautious approach. Even the 2 run defeat to Sri Lanka hides the real truth. Chasing only 235 to win on a good pitch, a top side like Australia would have knocked the runs off with little alarm. With a middle order collapse, England made a mess of it and were reliant on a cameo performance from the 21 year old Bopara to get close to the total. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa simply blew them away by playing with the flexibility, discipline and aggression sadly lacking in England's play.

 

For South Africa, their victory ensures that, after 7 gruelling and sometimes tedious weeks, the tournament's four best sides will all be in the semi finals. They have enjoyed recent success against Australia and, having found their true form at exactly the right time, will believe they have every chance to reach the final.

 

 

England take on South Africa today in the ‘World Cup D-day’; win and Michael Vaughan’s men are virtually guaranteed a place in the semi-finals, lose and it’s game over. Such a crunch match would normally get all the cricket fans here at MSN nervously debating all the possible permutations and outcomes, frantically analysing all the latest over-by-over reports, yet the over-riding feeling amongst many people seems to be… well, boredom. It’s a jolt to realise that today’s match actually means something, after the endless rounds of one-sided confrontations that we’ve been subjected to so far.

Cricket fans know that there are plenty of people around who regard it as a mind-numbingly tedious and pointless pursuit at the best of times. And the game’s unerring ability to shoot itself in the foot with alarming frequency just gives people even more sticks to beat cricket fans with. After England’s brilliantly surprising triumph in the Commonwealth Bank Series, where Flintoff’s men stood up to the mighty Australia and emerged victorious, hopes were high that the World Cup was going to provide a true festival of cricket that everybody could get behind. With the world’s best teams and players gathered together in a glorious Caribbean setting to battle it out for one-day supremacy, what could possibly go wrong?

The debate over whether the tournament should still be taking place at all, after Bob Woolmer’s death, is another issue of course. However, one of the justifications for continuing with the matches was that ‘that’s what Bob would have wanted’ – in other words, a glorious succession of tightly fought matches would be one of the best ways to honour the late coach of Pakistan. The insanely bloated structure of the tournament has turned such hopes into laughable hubris, however.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the competition started on Tuesday, March 13 – well over a month ago – and won’t finish until Saturday, April 28 – another 10 days away. The one-day game in cricket is meant to be frenetic, chaotic, fast-paced and passionate – yet the World Cup dedicated to the format is the slowest, most tedious procession you could ever think of. Somebody, somewhere, should be answerable for the scheduling mistakes that are blighting what should be a triumphant affirmation of all that is good about the game.  

The sheer length of the tournament means that the loss of the big-hitters such as Pakistan and India in the early stages has been even more keenly felt. No disrespect to Ireland and Bangladesh (indeed, their cricket has stirred the passions at times far more than England’s), but the organisers could never have dreamed that they’d be meeting in a Super 8 clash, as was the case last Sunday. Each day in the last few weeks, with a couple of exceptions, just seems to have brought yet another one-sided, meaningless game in a tournament already significantly starved of memorable action.

Ill-thought out scheduling and sheer greed has ruined a World Cup that was desperately trying to find some meaning after the Bob Woolmer tragedy. Cricket’s image, already in the doghouse after the drugs and match-fixing scandals of the last few years, has been further tarnished by a snoozathon of a competition that outstayed its welcome weeks ago.       

 

 

Australia marched to an 8th successive World Cup victory in what, on paper, looked like a rehearsal for the competition's final. But, thanks to Sri Lanka's frankly bizarre decision to rest key bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan (plus the ongoing injury doubts over Lasith Malinga), the game was ultimately a very one sided contest. Surely these key players could have been rested in Sri Lanka's final Super 8 match against Ireland?

 

Sri Lanka batted first and were immediately put under pressure by Nathan Bracken. The left-arm paceman produced a high quality opening spell and struck twice in his first four overs reducing the Sri Lankans to 27 for 3. A partnership of 140 between Chamara Silva and Mahela Jayawardene pushed their innings towards respectability but they were never able to dominate the relentless Aussie attack. Shaun Tait and Brad Hogg once again took crucial late wickets before Bracken returned to mop up the tail-end batters in the final overs and finish with outstanding figure of 4 for 19 of 9.4 overs. Sri Lanka's total of 226 never looked like being enough.

 

Sri Lanka's only hope of winning the game was to take early wickets but, shorn of their three best bowlers, they failed to make any in-roads into the Aussie batting order. In fact, after the customary blazing start from Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, it was part-time spinner Russell Arnold who made the breakthrough. Hayden holed out attempting a trademark booming drive and Gilchrist was then trapped LBW. But that was as good as it got for Jayawardene's side.

 

If any nation has any ambitions of beating Australia in this tournament, they must come up with a plan to dismiss Ricky Ponting early in his innings. It never looked likely yesterday as the Aussie captain progressed serenely to a match winning 66 not out. He was joined by the big hitting Andrew Symonds (63 not out) and the pair saw Australia home with over 7 overs and 7 wickets to spare. Keeping their key bowlers out of the Australian batsmen's firing line may have seemed like a valid ploy prior to this game. However, the manner of Australia's win suggests Sri Lanka have surrendered an enormous psychological edge to the tournament favourites should the sides meet in the final. 

 

 

 

The Black Caps bounced back from their lacklustre defeat against Sri Lanka by securing their semi final place with a tense and sometimes workmanlike win over South Africa. Winning the toss certainly played a big part in the win. Stephen Fleming called correctly and had no hesitation in choosing to bowl first on a seamer friendly wicket.

 

It was the correct decision. Within three overs, Shane Bond and James Franklin had dismissed both Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers leaving South Africa tottering on 3 for 2. With Fleming's bowlers enjoying pronounced swing and seam movement, a big score was always going to be unattainable. Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince and Herschelle Gibbs all played brave attritional knocks but where never able to get on top of the bowling. The South African run rate never got above 4 and they eventually grafted 193 from their 50 overs.

 

New Zealand always looked likely to reach their target but they were made to work unbelievably hard to do so. A fifty from Fleming looked to have secured the victory but when he was dismissed by Shaun Pollock South Africa were able to exert pressure and slow the New Zealand run rate. Another 50 from the in-form Scott "Billie Ray" Styris pushed them in sight of the winning line and, despite the late loss of Styris and Jacob Oram, Craig McMillan's unbeaten 38 eventually saw the Black Caps home with 10 balls to spare.

 

Fleming's men join Australia in the semi final berths while South Africa now face a winner takes all clash with England in Barbados on the 17th.

 

 

 

An upset victory or just desserts for the effort and fight shown by Ireland throughout this tournament? Just two days after their annihilation at the hands of Australia, Trent Johnston's Ireland team bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bangladesh.

 

Their first Super 8 victory was built on a gamble to bat first on a pitch well suited to Bangladesh's opening bowlers. Batting first also meant that Ireland would avoid having to chase runs against their opponent's trio of left arm spinners that gave England such a scare.

 

Ireland's total 243 was anchored by a gritty 85 from opener William Porterfield. He received good support from Kevin O'Brien (48), fellow opener Jeremy Bray (31) and big hitting skipper Johnston (30). The highest successful run chase so far in the tournament came when Australia's 248 overhauled England so the form book suggested that, with the runs on the board, Ireland were favourites.

 

So it proved. Excellent bowling from the towering Boyd Rankin, Dave Langford-Smith and Andre Botha brought early pressure and wickets. Mohammad Ashraful briefly threatened to wrest the initiative back with 35 from 36 balls. But when he was caught in the deep attempting to hook Rankin for 6, the game was up. Bangladesh's lower order offered little resistance and Habibul Bashar's side were all out for 169 from 41.2 overs as Ireland recorded a memorable and thoroughly deserved victory that grants them official status as a one day cricketing nation.

 

 

 

 

Stephen Fleming's Black Caps entered this game on top of the Super 8 table but they were yet to play any of the most-fancied World Cup teams. With Sri Lankan strike bowler Lasith Malinga ruled out due to an ankle injury, the match was provided the perfect opportunity for the New Zealanders to re-assert their credentials.

 

These plans were in tatters after the game's first three overs thanks to Chaminda Vaas. The left arm swing bowler has made Fleming's life a misery over the years and his mastery over the New Zealand skipper continued as dismissed him for nought in his first over. The returning Ross Taylor followed him back without troubling the scorers in Vaas' second.

 

Scott Styris took responsiblity for rebuilding the innings and his unbeaten 111 ensured his side were able to reach 219 in their 50 overs after receiving some decent lower order support from James Franklin in the final 10 overs of the innings.

 

Their total looked to be around 30 runs short of a truly competitive score and so it proved. Sanath Jayasuria, as he has done so many times through the years, got the Sri Lankan innings off to a fast start. He was ably assisted by Kumar Sangakkara and, with the pair in full flow, 90 runs came in the first 15 overs effectively ending the match as a contest. Jayasuria departed for 64 from 81 balls and it was left to Sangakkara to see Sri Lanka safely home. He ensured they strolled to their target with five overs and 6 wickets to spare and finished 69 not out.

 

Having failed their first real test of the tournament, doubts will now be cast over New Zealand's chances of winning the tournament. This disappointing performance lacked the efficiency and sharpness that had characterised the play so far. Their upcoming games against South Africa and Australia will test their mettle even further. Sri Lanka on the other, even without their leading wicket taker, continue to show World Cup winning form.

 

Man of the match: Chaminda Vaas

 

 

 

 

Feeble batting again emphasized that England can turn even the most routine of run chases into a crisis. They eventually fell across the winning line after taking 45 tepid overs to reach Bangladesh's uber modest total of 143. As next Tuesday's crunch game with South Africa approaches, it's unlikely that Graeme Smith's men will be quaking in fear.

 

There were some positives to take from the game. Bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Sajid Mahmood took full advantage of the pacy Barbados pitch, one far better suited to England's bowlers than the slow and low tracks of Guyana. Mahmood produced an incisive opening spell and rattled the Bangladesh top order with aggressive lifting deliveries. His figures of 3 for 27 earned him the man of the match award and, with 7 wickets in his last two games, is England's leading wicket taker in the tournament.

 

On the negative side, England returned to their lacklustre worst in the field. Michael Vaughan dropped the easiest catch of the tournament and was fortunate that, in the ensuing confusion, he was able to affect the run out of Habibul Bashar and deflect some of the humiliation. Questions will also be asked of his captaincy after he, with Bangladesh tottering at 65 for 6, decided that the only way to dismiss top scorer Saqibul Hasan was to feed his excellent cut shot and hope he holed out to a strengthened off-side field. Surely the persistent line and length that bought Mahmood and Anderson there early success was a better way of taking Saqibul's wicket?

 

Hasan's 57 not out from 95 balls allowed Bangladesh to reach 143 all out, a total that shouldn't have caused England any problems. In fact, knocking off such a small total in 30 overs would have given their net run rate a welcome boost. But it didn't work out that way. Sharp Bangladesh fielding and excellent new ball bowling from Syed Rasel ensured England didn't get off to flyer. Bell fell for a duck, Vaughan was dropped on 5 and Strauss, who looked like he was finding some form, was trapped LBW for 23.

 

Vaughan and Pietersen then fell in quick succession leaving England stumbling at 79 for 4. A cameo from Andrew Flintoff, featuring three fours and an enormous six that went into the top tier of the mid wicket stands, moved the score onto 110 and it looked like Freddie would ensure a routine victory. But the Lancastrian was undone by the quicker "arm ball" of the excellent spinner Mohammad Rafique and bowled for 23. And when Ravi Bopara followed him back to the pavillion for a duck, England's stumble had become a potentially embarrassing crisis.

 

Wicketkeeper Paul Nixon joined Paul Collingwood at the crease and, with any thoughts of boosting the net run rate fully banished, ground out the remaining 34 runs to take England to victory. It was not without alarm as Collingwood came close to being run out and was even luckier to escape when he chipped a Rafique delivery tantalisingly over the bowler's head. With 8 runs left to get, the pair played out three successive maiden overs. When the scoreboard eventually moved again, ironic cheers eminated from the stands.

 

Nixon finally finished the game with a boundary off Mashrafe Mortaza. Another unconvicing England win was complete. It had taken 45 overs to score 144 runs. Had the pitch deteriorated over the course of a day's play? Or was England's tentative batting the cause of another struggling anaemic performance? Given that Bangladesh have already sprung surprises on South Africa and India, it was important that England got the win. But it was hardly the confidence boosting performance that they needed in the lead-up to next week's winner takes all duel with Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and company.

 

 

 

 

The West Indies slumped to their fourth successive Super 8 loss to a South African side keen to bury the memory of their stunning capitulation against Bangladesh. The host's latest loss means, barring a series of freak results, they will not make the semi finals. Following yet another listless performance, skipper Brian Lara announced that he will retire from one day cricket after the World Cup.

 

Faced with a win or bust situation, and with the ICC finally loosening its ticketing policy to allow home fans to actually see their team play, one would have expected Lara's men to raise their game. Instead, they wilted in the face of a batting onslaught from AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis as South Africa posted a mammoth total of 356 for 4.

 

Uncharacteristically, Kallis came in blazing, smiting one Dwayne Bravo over for 18 runs. Together, he and de Villiers put on 170 for the second wicket in 30 overs to set up a solid South African platform. When Kallis departed for 81, de Villiers kept the momentum going, reaching his century at a run a ball. He then increased the pressure on the hosts launching Ramnaresh Sarwan for successive sixes. The West Indies crumbled in the face of the onslaught conceding 123 runs off the final 10 overs of the innings with wicketkeeper Mark Boucher plundering a destructive fifty off only 23 balls.

 

Chasing an improbable 357 to win, the Windies only innings of note came from Sarwan who made an impressive 92 from 75 balls. But with wickets falling regularly at the other end, the run chase was never likely to be successful. Entertaining partnerships for the 9th and 10th wickets courtesy of bowlers Powell, Collymore and Bradshaw lent the scorecard an air of respectability but couldn't hide the fact that, after a really encouraging start to the tournament, the West Indies will exit this World Cup with barely a whimper.

 

 

Stephen Fleming's Black Caps recorded their 6th successive World Cup victory as they crushed Ireland by 129 runs in Guyana's Providence Stadium. While their top order and powerful middle order batting failed to ignite, opener Peter Fulton (83) and wicket keeper Brendan McCullum ensured they reached an unassailable total of 263 in their 50 overs.

 

A fiery new ball spell from Shane Bond killed Ireland's reply before it ever really got started. The paceman removed both Irish opening batsmen and, with wickets continuing to fall at regular intervals, Trent Johnston's men slumped to 134 all out in only 37.2 overs. More good news for New Zealand came in the form of their spinner Daniel Vettori. The left arm slow bowler picked up 4 wickets to wrap the game up and send his team back to the top of the Super 8 table.

 

 

Having won the toss and decided to bat, England threw away a glorious opportunity to set Australia a challenging total and ultimately surrendered an easy victory to the old enemy. Despite the predictable loss of early wickets, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen had the Aussies reeling after taking the score to 162 for 2 after only 30 overs. A huge England total looked possible until Bell, still looking for his maiden ODI century, drilled a drive straight to Michael Hussey.

 

The wicket opened the door for Australia to get back into the game and, in typical fashion, they kicked it down and assumed total control. Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff were removed cheaply when they really needed to hang around, rotate the strike and support KP. The world's number 1 one day batsman did reach three figures but the lack of support he received from his partners meant all impetus was lost. Bowled out for 247 in the final over, England's final 20 overs yielded only 83 runs.

 

The Aussies made light work of the run chase. Gilchrist and Hayden began in trademark storming fashion as they dispatched Anderson and Mahmood's poorer deliveries for four. Flintoff came into the attack to dismiss Gilchrist and Paul Collingwood surprised himself by bowling Hayden but the openers had given Australia the platform they needed. Captain Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke finished the game as a contest with an effortless partnership of 112. Ponting in particular gave the impression he could take England's bowlers apart whenever he felt like it but intelligently reined in his attacking instincts until victory was assured. He was eventually run out for 86 but Clarke and Andrew Symonds knocked off the remaining runs with nearly 3 overs to spare.

 

England's semi final hopes are still alive thanks to Bangladesh's win over South Africa but they must win their remaining 3 games to stand any chance. Australia surely remain favourites to win the tournament after another powerful professional display.

 

 

A glorious 83-ball 87 from all-rounder Mohammad Ashraful set up a famous win as Bangladesh threw South Africa's semi final plans into turmoil.

 

The Springboks were totally outplayed in all facets of the game. Their bowlers, aside from Andre Nel, were ragged and became more and more wayward as the pace of Bangladesh's innings increased. Their batsmen failed to come to terms with the sluggish Guyana pitch and fell victim to some Bangladesh's trio of spinners and consistently excellent fielding.

 

To say that South Africa's run chase became bogged down would be a chronic understatement. With Abdur Razzak and Mohammed Rafique operating in tandem, Graeme Smith's men could only score a paltry 5 runs in their third powerplay. As they became increasingly frustrated, Bangladesh capitalised in the field, effecting two crucial run outs. They bowled South Africa out for 184 and their victory margin of 67 runs was fully deserved. 

 

England's semi final hopes were dealt a cruel blow in Antigua as they lost a thrilling match to Sri Lanka by just two runs. And while a look at the the scorecard would imply another glorious English sporting failure, it wouldn't tell the whole story of a match in which Michael Vaughan's men produced their best bowling and fielding performances of the tournament against the World Cup's second best team.

 

Having won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat, England restricted Mahela Jayawardene's team to 235 in their 50 overs. James Anderson bowled excellently with the new ball. Sajid Mahmood took four wickets. Andrew Flintoff was superb at the death, producing an outstanding yorker to dismiss Chamara Silva. In the field, England were simply electric. Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood saved in the region of 30 runs with excellent stops. Bell then ran out Tillakaratne Dilshan with a direct hit from cover and Collingwood held a stunning one handed catch to remove Chaminda Vaas.

 

235 should have been a gettable score on a slow pitch so where did it all go wrong for Vaughan's men? The top order batsmen again failed to produce. Vaughan himself was unlucky to be judged caught behind off a wide leg side delivery. Ed Joyce, looking increasingly out of his depth against sides that aren't associate nations, was trapped LBW by the excellent Lasith Malinga. England were 11 for 2 with their earlier momentum shattered.

 

Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell did an excellent job of rebuilding the innings. KP in particular laid into Vaas taking 13 runs off one over from the left arm medium pacer. The pair put on 90 runs and England, although beginning to get a little bogged down against Sri Lanka's part time spinners, reached the 100 mark and looked in control. Then came the incident that turned the match. Pietersen drove Jayasuria straight down the ground and the bowler deftly deflected the ball into the stumps at the non-striker's end. Replays showed Ian Bell had made his ground initially but when the ball cannoned into the stumps his bat had bounced inches off the ground. The third umpire confirmed that Bell was unluckily run out.

 

The fall of Bell heralded the introduction of Muttiah Muralitharan. Know KP would attack Murali, Sri Lanka took their final power play. It was a bold move that reaped rewards. Pietersen got a leading edge playing Murali's doosra and chipped a simple catch back to the bowler. Paceman Dilhara Fernando then immediately suckered Flintoff with a slower ball and trapped Collingwood leg before wicket. 125 for 3 suddenl