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This article nicely captures the low/highlights of WC2007.
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Lara, McGrath, Jayasuria, Inzamam, Anil Kumble have decided to call it a day in One day Internationals. I will sorelymiss them, they belong to an elite level of sportsmen, hugely talented, tactically brilliant and ruthless in their approach. Thank you Gentlemen.
Maybe it was inevitable that this ill-fated, ill-conceived tournament should end so absurdly with a Duckworth/Lewis victory to Australia. After they had cracked 281 for four from 38 overs on a stormy day, Sri Lanka, defiant to the last, gave chase but accepted the umpires' second offer of the light with three overs remaining and their target now unattainable.
Then, after the Aussies had commenced celebrations, amid great confusions those final three overs were bowled after all. Amid boos and catcalls and another Australian huddle of celebration barely visible from the sidelines, the curtain fell upon a World Cup that lurched between tragedy and farce for seven weeks. Here was confirmation that we live in an age where regulation far outstrips common sense.
t was a farcical conclusion to the tournament. Earlier, after one shower, play resumed in semi-darkness and no one in the ground knew whether or how the target had been reduced. What a shambles.
As dusk set in, there was yet another delay while the figures were sorted out. In a land where the sun sets swiftly, more precious time had been wasted. Eventually the umpires had to offer the batsmen the light, but they had to stay on since they were behind the rate. Then the second offer was accepted. And then, to our utter astonishment, they returned for Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke to propel the ball at a pace that was visible. In the end Australia retained the World Cup by a margin of 53 runs that no one could understand.
No doubt Australia deserved their victory. But if ever a match was a metaphor for the ills of the modern game and this tournament, this was it. Common sense requires that in a final to decide the world champions every opportunity should be given to deliver a match with cricketing integrity. It should be able to run its 50-over course even if it takes two or three days to get there. But, of course, cricketing integrity appears to be the last thing on the minds of those who run World Cups. A manageable product for TV and the sponsors is far more important. So it is that after 50 matches and seven weeks of competition Australia hold the trophy thanks to the calculations of the estimable Mr Duckworth and Mr Lewis. Congratulations to them. Meanwhile, ICC CWC 2007 Inc has bucket loads of egg upon its face. How dare the organisers try to spin a success story this week?
The two best sides in the world strained every sinew to win the trophy properly and in the process rescue a tournament that has been flawed from start to finish.
Despite all the impediments it was some match until the final three-quarters of an hour. Gilchrist should have put the game way beyond the reach of any international side after Ricky Ponting had won the toss at 9.50am, which actually meant that his side could start batting at 12.15pm (more rain). But Sri Lanka refused to be cowed and gave chase so valiantly that this game was no foregone conclusion at 5.10pm, when the rain intervened one more time.
Gilchrist has been overshadowed by his barnstorming partner, Matthew Hayden, in this tournament, but come the final he was the man who was relaxed enough to let those juices flow. Where Hayden, by his standards, was careworn and circumspect, Gilchrist sped to his fifty in 43 balls. Twenty-nine balls later he had a century in the most thrilling display of controlled hitting ever seen in a World Cup final.
Four others have hit centuries in a final - Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Aravinda de Silva and Ponting, winners all. But none of them attacked with this ferocious abandon. Hands impossibly high on his bat, Gilchrist swung and never missed.
The Kensington Oval was not big enough to contain him. Every bowler he faced was caned. Now sixes rained into the stands, even when Muttiah Muralitharan was bowling. One pulled drive against Murali almost cleared the Greenidge and Haynes Stand, while the paintwork high up in the elegant Three Ws stand, so recently completed, was badly blemished when Tillakaratne Dilshan was bowling.
Sri Lanka did not bowl that badly; nor were they slovenly in the field. Gilchrist was simply irresistible. For the most part Hayden looked on in admiration during an opening partnership of 172.
After Hayden went for 38, Ponting proved just as adept at giving Gilchrist the strike. The mood of Mahela Jayawardene and his men was not enhanced when both Ponting and then Andrew Symonds were warned - but not penalised the dreaded five runs - for running on the pitch.
Sri Lanka's reply was inevitably frenetic. Upul Tharanga smashed his first ball over cover for four but soon nibbled at a Nathan Bracken swinger. Then Sanath Jayasuriya, as everexploring the off-side boundaries, tormented Shaun Tait. Now Kumar Sangakkara was also galvanised. This pair threw the bat in thrilling style; the chase was on as they added 114 together in 17 overs. The Aussies, if not drowning, were no longer cruising in the Caribbean.
Tait was immediately replaced by Glenn McGrath in his last international. So here we had two champions of the game, Jayasuriya and McGrath, gentlemen both behind the ********, locked in combat one last time. Jayasuriya paid McGrath the respect of watchfully leaving most of his first over. Then the swinging resumed.
Seeing the clouds massing on the horizon, the Sri Lanka pair had to take more risks to keep up with Duckworth/Lewis targets for a foreshortened game. Sangakkara pulled to midwicket and Jayasuriya heaved and missed against Michael Clarke.
The rest of the Sri Lankans flailed away earnestly; the Aussies, hampered by a wet ball, were booed for their slow over rate and it grew dark as the sun set behind the clouds.
The tournament may have got the farcical final it deserved, but some great players were owed more than this. It should have been a showpiece to say a more dignified farewell to two of the greatest cricketers of the past 15 years, Jayasuriya and McGrath. Instead we all left shaking our heads that after seven interminable weeks it had ended like this.
Then, after the Aussies had commenced celebrations, amid great confusions those final three overs were bowled after all. Amid boos and catcalls and another Australian huddle of celebration barely visible from the sidelines, the curtain fell upon a World Cup that lurched between tragedy and farce for seven weeks. Here was confirmation that we live in an age where regulation far outstrips common sense.
t was a farcical conclusion to the tournament. Earlier, after one shower, play resumed in semi-darkness and no one in the ground knew whether or how the target had been reduced. What a shambles.
As dusk set in, there was yet another delay while the figures were sorted out. In a land where the sun sets swiftly, more precious time had been wasted. Eventually the umpires had to offer the batsmen the light, but they had to stay on since they were behind the rate. Then the second offer was accepted. And then, to our utter astonishment, they returned for Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke to propel the ball at a pace that was visible. In the end Australia retained the World Cup by a margin of 53 runs that no one could understand.
No doubt Australia deserved their victory. But if ever a match was a metaphor for the ills of the modern game and this tournament, this was it. Common sense requires that in a final to decide the world champions every opportunity should be given to deliver a match with cricketing integrity. It should be able to run its 50-over course even if it takes two or three days to get there. But, of course, cricketing integrity appears to be the last thing on the minds of those who run World Cups. A manageable product for TV and the sponsors is far more important. So it is that after 50 matches and seven weeks of competition Australia hold the trophy thanks to the calculations of the estimable Mr Duckworth and Mr Lewis. Congratulations to them. Meanwhile, ICC CWC 2007 Inc has bucket loads of egg upon its face. How dare the organisers try to spin a success story this week?
The two best sides in the world strained every sinew to win the trophy properly and in the process rescue a tournament that has been flawed from start to finish.
Despite all the impediments it was some match until the final three-quarters of an hour. Gilchrist should have put the game way beyond the reach of any international side after Ricky Ponting had won the toss at 9.50am, which actually meant that his side could start batting at 12.15pm (more rain). But Sri Lanka refused to be cowed and gave chase so valiantly that this game was no foregone conclusion at 5.10pm, when the rain intervened one more time.
Gilchrist has been overshadowed by his barnstorming partner, Matthew Hayden, in this tournament, but come the final he was the man who was relaxed enough to let those juices flow. Where Hayden, by his standards, was careworn and circumspect, Gilchrist sped to his fifty in 43 balls. Twenty-nine balls later he had a century in the most thrilling display of controlled hitting ever seen in a World Cup final.
Four others have hit centuries in a final - Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Aravinda de Silva and Ponting, winners all. But none of them attacked with this ferocious abandon. Hands impossibly high on his bat, Gilchrist swung and never missed.
The Kensington Oval was not big enough to contain him. Every bowler he faced was caned. Now sixes rained into the stands, even when Muttiah Muralitharan was bowling. One pulled drive against Murali almost cleared the Greenidge and Haynes Stand, while the paintwork high up in the elegant Three Ws stand, so recently completed, was badly blemished when Tillakaratne Dilshan was bowling.
Sri Lanka did not bowl that badly; nor were they slovenly in the field. Gilchrist was simply irresistible. For the most part Hayden looked on in admiration during an opening partnership of 172.
After Hayden went for 38, Ponting proved just as adept at giving Gilchrist the strike. The mood of Mahela Jayawardene and his men was not enhanced when both Ponting and then Andrew Symonds were warned - but not penalised the dreaded five runs - for running on the pitch.
Sri Lanka's reply was inevitably frenetic. Upul Tharanga smashed his first ball over cover for four but soon nibbled at a Nathan Bracken swinger. Then Sanath Jayasuriya, as everexploring the off-side boundaries, tormented Shaun Tait. Now Kumar Sangakkara was also galvanised. This pair threw the bat in thrilling style; the chase was on as they added 114 together in 17 overs. The Aussies, if not drowning, were no longer cruising in the Caribbean.
Tait was immediately replaced by Glenn McGrath in his last international. So here we had two champions of the game, Jayasuriya and McGrath, gentlemen both behind the ********, locked in combat one last time. Jayasuriya paid McGrath the respect of watchfully leaving most of his first over. Then the swinging resumed.
Seeing the clouds massing on the horizon, the Sri Lanka pair had to take more risks to keep up with Duckworth/Lewis targets for a foreshortened game. Sangakkara pulled to midwicket and Jayasuriya heaved and missed against Michael Clarke.
The rest of the Sri Lankans flailed away earnestly; the Aussies, hampered by a wet ball, were booed for their slow over rate and it grew dark as the sun set behind the clouds.
The tournament may have got the farcical final it deserved, but some great players were owed more than this. It should have been a showpiece to say a more dignified farewell to two of the greatest cricketers of the past 15 years, Jayasuriya and McGrath. Instead we all left shaking our heads that after seven interminable weeks it had ended like this.
Lara, McGrath, Jayasuria, Inzamam, Anil Kumble have decided to call it a day in One day Internationals. I will sorelymiss them, they belong to an elite level of sportsmen, hugely talented, tactically brilliant and ruthless in their approach. Thank you Gentlemen.
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