2.14pm The sun is out. Covers are coming off. If we start by 1.10pm, we could have a game of something close to 40 overs a side
11.44am Okay it stopped drizzling for about a couple minutes. It is back now
"This is an interesting scenario - the longer the rain goes on, the more likely there will be a wash out and SA qualify. However, if play does get going at some point, the longer the rain goes on, the more likely WI will win in a shorter format of the game!" Marc, that sums up the dilemma
"Would it be possible for the West Indies to bat first. Score very quickly. The game to be washed out and West Indies to go through on NRR or not?" No, Ashley, only completed games count towards net run rate
11.41am Rain has stopped momentarily. If there is no more rain, we can start at 12.41pm, and we might have a game of more than 40 overs a side
"Highveldhillbilly has a point. West Indies didn't drop Ambrose Walsh or Bishop. Ambrose would have been a handful with the variable bounce." James, Ambrose that day: 10-0-29-1
11.30am Still raining, but very light. And it has got brighter too. Our calculations say that we must begin by 4.05pm if we are to have a 20-over game. That means the rain has to stop by 3.05pm
Highveldhillbilly: "With all due respect regarding the quarter final in 1996, while the pitch may have been tough to bat on SA's selection also didn't help matters. They dropped Donald and played two spinners. Let me repeat, they dropped Donald in 1996 when he was in his pomp and played two very average spinners. Ask Lara who he'd rather face dry pitch or no dry pitch. Remember watching that game as a very sad 13 year old, little did I know the 1999 world cup was around the corner - definitely the pinnacle of pain for an SA fan with a slightly unhealthy obsession with cricket."
"if Pakistan scored above 216 against SA , SA would have been out....credit is due @McLaren for taking last two wickets against pakistan" Strong point, Bimal
11.10am "I really hope the elements are not just toying with me! Rain and WI have played significant roles stopping SA at previous tournaments! Is this karma?"
Dale, I hear you. Knocked out by rain in 1992, and by West Indies in 1996. In fact I remember Fanie de Villiers telling me they didn't choke in that 1996 quarter-final. He said the pitch was so dry and full of cracks they were pleading with Hansie to win the toss because it would be impossible to chase on that wicket. Sure enough, Roger Harper and Jimmy Adams took seven wickets for 100 runs between them. For more from Fanie, go here and here
Still drizzling, by the way
10.55am Sameer: "@Nitin Chaudhary:When Morne came to bat to better the teams NRR, he had no clue by what margin WI would lose to India. "Thats why #Respect Morne Morkel""
"But am surprised, McLaren should get the credit if any, but why morkel who socred 8 of the 48 partnership" Ravi, not taking anything away from McLaren, but Morkel was not fit to bat and hobbled through that innings. McLaren wouldn't have had any partner to bat with had Morkel listened to his body
Meanwhile, still drizzling in Cardiff. We began to lose at 10.45am, assuming it takes an hour for ground to become fit once it stop raining and that we can take 15 minutes off the lunch break
10.45am "@Sid and all Morkal fans, Sorry to disappoint u guys but even without those 48 runs SA NRR is -0.07 (better than WI -0.086)" Nitin Chaudhary, I did the math just now, and I agree with your findings, but it is the spirit and the thinking that is being appreciated here
And Warren here talks about his economical bowling too: "Spot on! If play is suspended due to rain, then SA will go through to the semi's thanks th their better run rate, which was thanks to Morne Morkel's performance against India, both economical bowling and then coming to bat while injured and help his team add an extra 48 runs."
Leonard: "About the fantasy cricket. Had a look at the weather forecast and did not pick a single player playing today."
10.40am "You're going to have to change the name of it so it sounds good! Here's a link" Jonathan, I appreciate your and everybody's effort, but the PA man at Centurion, who is Morne's friends too, has created the best mix of all time. Of all time. There the tone of saying "Morne Morkel" is similar to the "Barbra Streisand" in the original, which by the way is a remix of Boney M's Gotta Go Home
10.30am To all those asking me about fantasy cricket, the transfers you make today won't come back even if not a single ball is bowled
10.20am Nick Ivey: "With respect to Morne Morkel and Barbra Streisand, try this"
10.15am Still raining. Nagraj tells me that about a thousand of the 10,000 who bought tickets have arrived at the ground. Most of them are at the Ymochen Du pub. Meanwhile the groundsman now says it will take an hour for the game to start once it stops raining. And it hasn't stopped raining yet
Peerzada: "WWOOOOOOOOOWOWOWOWOOOOOOOOOOOWOWOOOO MORNE MORKEL WWOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOWOWOWOWOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOO MORNE MORKEL WOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MORNE MORKEL WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOO"
10am "The format of the game is 50 overs per side. They should not change the format prior to the game to try and manufacture a result. If in the course of the game it becomes necessary to apply the DL system then so be it." Craig, I agree
And if South Africa do go through on net run rate, I want to take you back to the first match when the inured Morne Morkel came out to bat just so that South Africa could minimise their net-run-rate damage. Well done, Morne, who added 48 runs with Ryan McLaren. Time to listen to the Morne Morkel song. Well, in your heads, change every mention of Barbra Streisand to Morne Morkel in this song
9.45am "Say they get on at 2pm, and the forecast is for a 3-3.5 hour window before the rain returns. Do they play a 20 over game to a finish, or does the first innings last (say) 32 overs, meaning the game is washed out at 5.30?" James, you raise an interesting question, but we have to follow procedures. We can't assume it will start raining at 5.30pm again, can we? And what if we play just a 20-over game, and it doesn't rain? Won't it be unfair on sides that keep getting better with the length of the match? For the record, if the match starts at 2pm, we should be able to have a 37- of 38-over game in
9.30am Temporary good news. It has stopped drizzling, but they are expecting more so not taking the covers off in a hurry
Aabhas: "In such kind of a tournament where every game is important, surely there must be a case of having a spare day. There's no game in Cardiff tomorrow so why can't they have played tomorrow in case of a washout?"
"What's the deal with changing your fantasy team if rain delays the play??" Shreyansh, you have to make your changes by the scheduled start of play, which 10.30am BST, even if the start is delayed
9.15am Another day with early start to commentary. This time not because someone has punched someone, but because the weather has not been good in Cardiff. We are looking at a delayed start for sure, but the groundsmen believe there is a window for some play this afternoon. They are working hard, trying to remove excess water off the covers even as it rains so that they can be ready within 40-45 minutes once the rain stops. If we don't get a game in today, South Africa will go through thanks to a better net run rate
| |
| Commentator Sidharth Monga | Scorer Sanjay Murari |
On June 13, 1999, Herschelle Gibbs duly dropped the World Cup, as Steve Waugh went on to play the greatest innings of his life. Karthik Parimal looks back in detail at the first of the two greatest One-Day Internationals played that week.
“In a way, the story actually starts at the pre-game meeting. The very last comment came from the king [Shane Warne]: ‘If anyone hits the ball in the air in Herschelle’s direction and he catches you, don’t walk straightaway because he has a habit of “show boating” and he might drop it in the process.’ With a hint of scepticism, someone said, ‘Good point, Warney,’ and the meeting was over,” – Steve Waugh
The duel between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras easily made for one of the greatest tennis rivalries in the Open era. In the 34 times they played each other from 1989 through 2002, Sampras had a 20-14 record over Agassi. People flocked the stands every time the two met, regardless of the round, for these stalwarts always gave a hundred per cent in the confines of the rectangular court. The others did too, but these two individuals operated on a different level.
A similar rivalry had been brewing on the cricket field, this between Australia and South Africa, just as the Agassi-Sampras Era was approaching twilight. Grounds were filled to the brim, even at neutral venues, for cricket of the highest grade was guaranteed. The two sides have been involved in at least four of the finest One-Day Internationals (ODI) ever played till date; the first of it kicked off at the historic Headingley in the Super Six stage of the 1999 World Cup.
The equation
Having lost to Pakistan and New Zealand in the group stages meant that the Australians were standing on thin ice in the Super Six, but victories against India and Zimbabwe provided them enough momentum. A win against South Africa, though, in the last match of that round, was imperative if they were to clinch a berth in the semi-final. On the other hand, the South Africans had already made the cut, but, owing to the complexity of this tournament’s model, were looking to finish above their rivals in the Super Six standings, for there was every possibility their place in the table could be of great significance ahead in the World Cup.
The sombre weather at Headingley greeted both teams.
Herschelle Gibbs puts Australian attack to sword
South African skipper Hansie Cronje won the toss and promptly opted to bat first. Australia’s famed attack was immediately put to test by openers Gary Kirsten and Gibbs. While one consolidated, the other attacked. Kirsten departed after scoring 21, but in Daryll Cullinan, Gibbs found an able partner. A 95-run stand ensued before Cullinan, with a fifty beside his name, succumbed to his nemesis Shane Warne.
Despite the fall of wickets at the other end, Gibbs continued to carve the Australian bowling line-up. Having comprehended the fact that he was in the zone, the process of ‘mental disintegration’ commenced, with lines such as ‘I wonder why Herschelle isn’t in the Test team?’ and ‘I can’t believe he’s not in the Test team — he must be a bit soft’ being exchanged between the fielders within the hearing range of Gibbs. However, on that day, he was timing each ball with an elegance bestowed only upon champions, and nothing could obstruct him. He finished on 101.
Once Gibbs departed, Lance Klusener, the swanky all-rounder, walked in and pummelled a 21-ball 36 to take South Africa’s total to 271. Their bowling department certainly had the firepower to defend it. Things certainly looked bleak for Australia.
Arguably, the greatest World Cup innings
Before this game, Steve Waugh’s position as a captain was beginning to be questioned. Talks surrounding it took a turn for the worse when the Australians put up a mediocre show during the first stage of the World Cup. In fact, Waugh pondered stepping aside. But, what followed went down in the annals of history as the greatest ever two games played by Australia, and perhaps the greatest individual innings in a World Cup.
The Australian top-order floundered as Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn contributed little. At 48 for three, two of the finest modern-day batsmen — Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh — occupied the crease. The intent to build a partnership was evident, for risks were completely eliminated. In the next 10 overs, a meagre 22 runs were scored. The Australian supporters were understandably jittery. Nonetheless, the approach was the need of the hour. Soon, both batsmen stepped up a couple of gears and 82 runs were scored from the next 10 overs. The South African fielders were no longer smiling. Both Ponting and Waugh notched fifties, and then, an incident that will continue to haunt Gibbs for the rest of his life followed.
Waugh, who was as composed as ever, crossed paths mid-pitch after the over with an embarrassed-looking Gibbs and ‘couldn’t resist a jibe’. “’Hey Herschelle,’ I said, ‘do you realise you’ve just cost your team the match?’ My mouth was well ahead of my brain and almost out of control, but I still knew this moment was the turning point of the game,” states Waugh in his autobiography Out of My Comfort Zone.
It was widely reported at the time that Waugh had asked Gibbs ‘how it felt to drop the World Cup?’, but that wasn’t the case. "I wasn't quite that clever," Waugh told Australia's Inside Cricket magazine. "I wish I could claim that and the myth is sort of perpetuated and I'm going to break it a bit but it wasn't quite that. I just said: 'Look, do you realise you've just cost your team the game?'" In hindsight, it did cost South Africa the game and the World Cup.
An incredible ton
It indeed was a game-changing drop. Waugh punished the South African bowlers thereafter and, on 91, played what he believes was the greatest shot of his career. Steve Elworthy, the opening bowler, steamed in and bowled a full-length delivery, and Waugh, surprising all, employed a slog-sweep. The ball sailed miles over the longest boundary at Leeds. Waugh got himself into an awkward position playing that shot, but the satisfaction on his face was evident. “There are few greater joys than seeing a ball launch off your bat so well that it’s not a question of whether it’s a six but rather how far will it go,” recollects Waugh.
He spared none. Even the fear-inducing Allan Donald was carved mercilessly. A push to the on-side in the 43rd over, off Klusener’s slower delivery, brought up Waugh’s incredible 91-ball century, and although the celebrations weren’t loud, it certainly deserved to be, for an Australian victory now looked inevitable. A minor hiccup ensued when Michael Bevan was the fifth wicket to fall, with 26 runs still needed off 26 balls, but Tom Moody’s calming presence helped Waugh complete the job. He remained unconquered on 120. The Australians not just stormed into the semi-finals, they’d duly arrived. Moreover, the win moved them above South Africa in the Super Six stage, a statistic that would be of utmost importance in the coming days.
There was also newfound respect for Warne’s intuition.
“In a way, the story actually starts at the pre-game meeting. The very last comment came from the king [Shane Warne]: ‘If anyone hits the ball in the air in Herschelle’s direction and he catches you, don’t walk straightaway because he has a habit of “show boating” and he might drop it in the process.’ With a hint of scepticism, someone said, ‘Good point, Warney,’ and the meeting was over,” – Steve Waugh
The duel between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras easily made for one of the greatest tennis rivalries in the Open era. In the 34 times they played each other from 1989 through 2002, Sampras had a 20-14 record over Agassi. People flocked the stands every time the two met, regardless of the round, for these stalwarts always gave a hundred per cent in the confines of the rectangular court. The others did too, but these two individuals operated on a different level.
A similar rivalry had been brewing on the cricket field, this between Australia and South Africa, just as the Agassi-Sampras Era was approaching twilight. Grounds were filled to the brim, even at neutral venues, for cricket of the highest grade was guaranteed. The two sides have been involved in at least four of the finest One-Day Internationals (ODI) ever played till date; the first of it kicked off at the historic Headingley in the Super Six stage of the 1999 World Cup.
The equation
Having lost to Pakistan and New Zealand in the group stages meant that the Australians were standing on thin ice in the Super Six, but victories against India and Zimbabwe provided them enough momentum. A win against South Africa, though, in the last match of that round, was imperative if they were to clinch a berth in the semi-final. On the other hand, the South Africans had already made the cut, but, owing to the complexity of this tournament’s model, were looking to finish above their rivals in the Super Six standings, for there was every possibility their place in the table could be of great significance ahead in the World Cup.
The sombre weather at Headingley greeted both teams.
Herschelle Gibbs puts Australian attack to sword
South African skipper Hansie Cronje won the toss and promptly opted to bat first. Australia’s famed attack was immediately put to test by openers Gary Kirsten and Gibbs. While one consolidated, the other attacked. Kirsten departed after scoring 21, but in Daryll Cullinan, Gibbs found an able partner. A 95-run stand ensued before Cullinan, with a fifty beside his name, succumbed to his nemesis Shane Warne.
Despite the fall of wickets at the other end, Gibbs continued to carve the Australian bowling line-up. Having comprehended the fact that he was in the zone, the process of ‘mental disintegration’ commenced, with lines such as ‘I wonder why Herschelle isn’t in the Test team?’ and ‘I can’t believe he’s not in the Test team — he must be a bit soft’ being exchanged between the fielders within the hearing range of Gibbs. However, on that day, he was timing each ball with an elegance bestowed only upon champions, and nothing could obstruct him. He finished on 101.
Once Gibbs departed, Lance Klusener, the swanky all-rounder, walked in and pummelled a 21-ball 36 to take South Africa’s total to 271. Their bowling department certainly had the firepower to defend it. Things certainly looked bleak for Australia.
Arguably, the greatest World Cup innings
Before this game, Steve Waugh’s position as a captain was beginning to be questioned. Talks surrounding it took a turn for the worse when the Australians put up a mediocre show during the first stage of the World Cup. In fact, Waugh pondered stepping aside. But, what followed went down in the annals of history as the greatest ever two games played by Australia, and perhaps the greatest individual innings in a World Cup.
The Australian top-order floundered as Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn contributed little. At 48 for three, two of the finest modern-day batsmen — Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh — occupied the crease. The intent to build a partnership was evident, for risks were completely eliminated. In the next 10 overs, a meagre 22 runs were scored. The Australian supporters were understandably jittery. Nonetheless, the approach was the need of the hour. Soon, both batsmen stepped up a couple of gears and 82 runs were scored from the next 10 overs. The South African fielders were no longer smiling. Both Ponting and Waugh notched fifties, and then, an incident that will continue to haunt Gibbs for the rest of his life followed.
Waugh, who was as composed as ever, crossed paths mid-pitch after the over with an embarrassed-looking Gibbs and ‘couldn’t resist a jibe’. “’Hey Herschelle,’ I said, ‘do you realise you’ve just cost your team the match?’ My mouth was well ahead of my brain and almost out of control, but I still knew this moment was the turning point of the game,” states Waugh in his autobiography Out of My Comfort Zone.
It was widely reported at the time that Waugh had asked Gibbs ‘how it felt to drop the World Cup?’, but that wasn’t the case. "I wasn't quite that clever," Waugh told Australia's Inside Cricket magazine. "I wish I could claim that and the myth is sort of perpetuated and I'm going to break it a bit but it wasn't quite that. I just said: 'Look, do you realise you've just cost your team the game?'" In hindsight, it did cost South Africa the game and the World Cup.
An incredible ton
It indeed was a game-changing drop. Waugh punished the South African bowlers thereafter and, on 91, played what he believes was the greatest shot of his career. Steve Elworthy, the opening bowler, steamed in and bowled a full-length delivery, and Waugh, surprising all, employed a slog-sweep. The ball sailed miles over the longest boundary at Leeds. Waugh got himself into an awkward position playing that shot, but the satisfaction on his face was evident. “There are few greater joys than seeing a ball launch off your bat so well that it’s not a question of whether it’s a six but rather how far will it go,” recollects Waugh.
He spared none. Even the fear-inducing Allan Donald was carved mercilessly. A push to the on-side in the 43rd over, off Klusener’s slower delivery, brought up Waugh’s incredible 91-ball century, and although the celebrations weren’t loud, it certainly deserved to be, for an Australian victory now looked inevitable. A minor hiccup ensued when Michael Bevan was the fifth wicket to fall, with 26 runs still needed off 26 balls, but Tom Moody’s calming presence helped Waugh complete the job. He remained unconquered on 120. The Australians not just stormed into the semi-finals, they’d duly arrived. Moreover, the win moved them above South Africa in the Super Six stage, a statistic that would be of utmost importance in the coming days.
There was also newfound respect for Warne’s intuition.
Brief scores:
South Africa 271 for 7 in 50 overs (Herschelle Gibbs 101, Daryll Cullinan 50; Damien Fleming 3 for 57, Shane Warne 2 for 33) lost to Australia 272 for 5 in 49.4 overs (Steve Waugh 120*, Ricky Ponting 69; Steve Elworthy 2 for 46) by 5 wickets.
(Karthik Parimal, a Correspondent with CricketCountry, is a cricket aficionado and a worshipper of the game. He idolises Steve Waugh and can give up anything, absolutely anything, just to watch a Kumar Sangakkara cover drive. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/karthik_parimal )
