Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa

**adrianxw** · 03-18-2003

First semi starts on a dismal cloudy day. Already comments are being made about the quality of the pitch. Let's just remember, the pitch is the same for both sides.

Australia 212 for 7 off 50
Sri Lanka 123 for 7 off 38.1 *** in progress *** RAIN

Australia judged to have won by 48 (DL)

Golden duck for Michael Bevan. Andrew Symonds the Aussie hero, (91 not out). For me, Gilchrist is the real hero for walking.

Good partnership developing for Sri Lanka, but rain interruption now. If there is no more play, Australia will win under DL.

**zahid** · 03-18-2003

No one can predict about this game.

**adrianxw** · 03-18-2003

In a match as important as this one isn't it great to see real sportsmanship still alive...

>>>
Adam Gilchrist, who walked despite the appeal for caught behind being given not out by umpire
<<<

...a gent.

**novacain** · 03-18-2003

What, its started already..........bloody daylight saving.

Bugger, I'm off home.

**Indian_fan** · 03-18-2003

SL, 43/4 off 11.4 overs !!!
This is the least I expected from SL. Oh, well ...

SL would have been a preferred opponent for the finals than the Aussies.

**adrianxw** · 03-18-2003

Yes, I don't think SL can recover from this, (60 for 5 at the moment). There'll be recriminations about the pitch, but I think this is wrong.

If a wicket is a good batting track, then the batsman's averages improve. Great. However, what about the bowlers averages? There were calls to modify todays wicket so there were more runs in it, surely this discriminates against the bowlers.

Reading and playing the wicket is just as much a part of the game as the opposition.

**Indian_fan** · 03-18-2003

there is always an attempt to find a scapegoat in such losses. Usually it is the umpires who may be wrong on a decision or two, else the DL system (remember the SA vs SL match ?) and if none of them qualify, it has to be the pitch

**adrianxw** · 03-18-2003

Raining now, so ithis one may go to DL as well.

**Indian_fan** · 03-18-2003

Is there some website where I can see the DL analysis should it come into force at this stage ? ... (Ok, for today, I'm a Lankan fan

)

**adrianxw** · 03-18-2003

Australia are judged to have won by 48. If you were after a page that explains DL, have a look here.

I don't know of a page which shows the details of the calculations for an individual match, that might be interesting actually.

**zahid** · 03-18-2003

Australia is on it's way.. Expecting Kenia to joing

Sorry joking.. Hope India will find it's path, actually as a neighbour we know how indians expect from cricket.
More truth is that all over the South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan), cricket is a part of daily life. People here enjoy cricket.

**novacain** · 03-18-2003

>> If a wicket is a good batting track, then the batsman's averages improve. Great. However, what about the bowlers averages? There were calls to modify todays wicket so there were more runs in it, surely this discriminates against the bowlers.<<

I think the complaints were that the quality of the pitch changed during the game. That is it was better for one team (due to drying out).

The turning point in the SL v Aus had to be Bichel running De Silva out. Great fielding off his own bowling and a direct hit. De Silva was looking very good. What a WC Bichel is having; 7 matches in this WC batting ave 117! (only out once), 15 wickets at under ten each.

SL was fighting back but 100 off 12 overs with 3 wickets looked too hard (seeing they had only made 112 off 38) when rain stopped play.

**adrianxw** · 03-19-2003

>>>
I think the complaints were that the quality of the pitch changed during the game. That is it was better for one team (due to drying out).
<<<

It is in the nature of wickets to change, even during the one day game. This has always been so. One can also point at the weather conditions, I don't need to tell the people in here how much a difference a there is between bowling on a dry sunny day, and a damp cloudy day. Another factor is the day/night games, the night batting teams have not done well. I think it's part of the game. To overcome that, we'd be playing on synthetic wickets, under floodlights inside airconditioned domes!

>>> Bichel

Yeah, the guys doing well, although his "partner" Michael Bevan picked up a golden yesterday.

I don't think Sri Lanka could have closed the gap, although there was a useful partnership developing towards the end there. I just think it is a shame that the game got washed out, one could never really know.

Still, tomorrows another day, Kenya have beaten India twice before...

**adrianxw** · 03-19-2003

Anyone see a logical flaw here?

14/2/2003

>>>
Pakistan wicket-keeper Rashid Latif has announced his retirement from international cricket following a 10-year career.
<<<

19/3/2003

>>>
Waqar was stripped of the captaincy by Pakistan cricket bosses on Wednesday and replaced by 34-year-old wicket-keeper Rashid Latif.
<<<

As an aside, I think Waqar Younis has been unfairly made a scapegoat for Pakistans early departure.