Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

SA hopes washed away.

Tuesday, March 4 2003

Durban was the scene for South Africas crucial must win World Cup Group game against Sri Lanka yesterday. Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat giving themselves the best chance to make use of the wicket for run scoring.

Atapattu and Jayasuria got Sri Lanka off to a steady start. Atapattu was magnificent driving powerfully and crisply through the covers. Jayasuria was the first to go, run out by Kirsten for a subdued 16 after facing 30 deliveries and hitting just one boundry. Next in was the stylish Tillakaratne who took the score to 77 in the 18th with Atapattu before he edged behind to give Kallis his first wicket of the innings. Out of form Jayawardene came and went, taking 11 deliveries to score 1 run before he gave Boucher his second catch of the innings this time of the bowling of Hall. Sri Lanka were in a precarious position with the score at 90/3 in the 23rd over.

Aravinda de Silva strode to the wicket and provided Atapattu with solid support showing off his big match temperament with a well timed 73 runs from 78 balls which included six 4s and two large leg side 6s. The pair showed their experience, rotating the strike and smashing the bad ball to the boundary. The South African selectors opted for youth instead of experience in their bowling attack, including Zondeki ahead of legend Donald, which seemed a costly decision, Zondeki conceding 35 in 6 expensive overs including 3 wides.

The partnership was finally broken in the 45th over. Atapattu was caught by substitute fielder Peterson but not before he had scored 124 memorable runs off just 129 balls and steered Sri Lanka to the brink of a very respectable total. Two balls later de Silva was caught by Smith for 73 off Ntini leaving Sri Lanka at 243/5 in the 46th over.

South Africa played out the final overs well, conceding just 25 runs after the wicket of de Silva. Arnold (8), Sangakkara (6), Vaas (3) and Muralitharan (4) all went cheaply meaning Sri Lanka probably finished 20 to 30 runs short of what could have been a very imposing total. None of the South African bowlers impressed, all conceding more than 4 runs an over. Captain Pollock was unusually expensive at his home ground, conceding 48 runs off 10 overs for just 1 wicket and the lack of variety was apparent. All the South African bowlers were right arm fast-medium bowlers and in hindsight the spin of Nicky Boje may have been a welcome change. Discipline was also problem, 12 wides and 2 no balls being given away which when it all came down to one run, cost South Africa the game and any hopes of winning the World Cup on home soil.

South Africa then started brightly in reply to the Sri Lankan total. Gibbs played the swinging ball expertly, opening his stance to Vaas and putting away anything loose to the boundary. Smith provided good support and together the Western Province pair took the total to 65 in the 12th over before Smith hit a ball off the part-time spinner de Silva down the throat of the mid-wicket fielder. Kirsten came in at number 3 and took his time compiling 8 runs before an attempted sweep shot off de Silva bowled him around his legs.

Kallis, who has struggled for consistency and form in both his batting and bowling, quickly took his score to 16 and the total to 124 in the 23rd over before the Sri Lankan skipper bowled him with ripping delivery. Dippenaar (8), who had scored a good 80 in South Africas last group game, came and went quickly. Jayasurias left-arm spin accounting for another victim, catching Dippenaar LBW with a quicker delivery.

Gibbs then stretched across his stumps to sweep a Muralitharan delivery but missed the ball and bowled to give the off-spinner his first and only wicket. Gibbs had scored 73 runs off 88 deliveries, smashing seven 4s and two 6s. South Africa were living on the edge, their total stood at 149/5 in the 30th over.

Pollock then joined Boucher, who had begun to show glimpses of a return to form, and together they revitalised South African hopes with 63 runs in 13.1 overs. The game seemed to be swinging South Africas way until a brilliant back-hand flick by Muralitharan had Pollock run out for 25 runs. Klusener came to the crease but struggled to time the ball, scoring just 1 run in 8 deliveries.

Off what would turn out to be last ball of the game, Boucher tapped a Muralitharan delivery straight to mid-wicket meaning that the scores were tied. Had he taken a single off that delivery South Africa would have won the game and have kept their hopes alive of winning the World Cup at home. There was brief hope for South Africa when the rain seemed to lighten but umpires Bucknor and Venkataraghavan wouldn’t remove the cover and the result was a tie.

This will be a bitter pill to swallow for all South African supporters but in saying that the team never looked altogether that convincing. Losses to the West Indies and New Zealand made things incredibly difficult, a lacklustre performance against Canada, the injury and subsequent retirement of Jonty Rhodes and the lack of form of key players such as Kallis, Kirsten, Boucher and Donald meant South Africa would really had to have turned their fortunes around to win the World Cup against teams such as Australia.

Result: Match Tied (Duckworth/Lewis Method)

Sri Lanka: 268/9, 50 overs (MS Atapatu 124, PA de Silva 73, Kallis 10-0-41-3)

South Africa: 229/6, 45 overs (Gibbs 73, Smith 35, Boucher 45*, de Silva 8-0-36-2, Jayasuria 10-0-49-2)


Posted by Rupert