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1st Semi Final - New Zealand v South Africa (24th March)

Who will win this match?


  • Total voters
    57
  • Poll closed .

otagoman

School Boy/Girl Captain
Some thoughts after some of the buzz has worn off

Elliott was correct, we almost let the game get away from us. We were into the last 10 overs needing about 8 an over, we really should have cantered home from there...Superb bowling from Morkel and Tahir to put us behind in the game

lack of confidence in the 5th bowler showed, bowling Duminy as early as the 10th over rather than trying to go for the throat was a negative tactic

Elliott is one of our better players at finding gaps, although he can look terribly at see against class fast bowling. He gives the middle order a point of difference with his gapping ability

Ross Taylor, while his running is still iffy, and his dismissal was poor, probably looked as good as he has looked all tournament at the crease. He has seemed to lose his ability to drive though

McCullums aggression at the start just took away a lot of the run rate pressure...yeah at times it feels like he throws his wicket away, but when he can do what he did tonight, it just makes it that much easier for the rest of the team
 

Swingpanzee

International Regular
What a match!

Not much to say, for words won't do it justice, but this match shows us just how brutal and beautiful not just cricket but every sport can be. You can come so close to winning and yet defeat by the smallest of margins can shatter you for ages. Momentum can be such a bitch - who knows what would have happened if the rain hadn't arrived? The fact that the game had so many rapid twists and turns must make the victory for New Zealand that much sweeter, and conversely the defeat for SA that much heartbreaking.

SA, along with NZ and Australia are my favourite teams. Am really happy for New Zealand but at the same time crushed by this defeat too. When they cried after Elliott's six, their passion and commitment to prove everyone wrong and to really get over the line and win this world cup was evident. Really classy post-match interview by AB too. Yes they've lost but this is as good a world cup showing as a team can hope for - they have proved their doubters wrong (they almost pulled off an anti-choke ffs), although the doubters wil claim otherwise, and shown strength and a lot of a courage. Likewise, NZ hung in and pulled off one of the ballsiest chases in WC history. What a set of brave and likeable guys both these teams consist of. They are my heroes and win or lose they are a great source of inspiration in my life, and that's what matters to me.

I think we should realize just how ****ing hard it is to win a World Cup. You can have one of the best players ever in your team, have a really good fielding/bowling day, do ****loads of things right and still lose because there was a team who wanted the win in equal measure and were lucky enough it was their day. That's hard luck, but it doesn't make your performance any less and I'm sure in the coming years people will acknowledge what an epic match this was.

This is sport, guys. It hurts, but it can be the sweetest thing too and more importantly it brings us all closer together.
 

Jarquis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
NZ obviously deserved the win and I don't think anyone is complaining about SA being robbed in the same way as they would if it had been down to poor umpiring or any other such thing but I dont think you can disagree that, despite how magnificent a game it was, it wasn't slightly marred by the rain coming and the effect that Duckworth/Lewis had.

I know in the end it transpired to give us the finish we had but had it all come about organically then it would've just been so much better. This World Cup has really shown D/L to fall short in some respects and accounting for the tightness of the finish it wouldn't have required all that much more of an 'accurate' reflection of death overs batting these days to mean than NZ fall short.

Obviously a phenomenal, phenomenal game and the last 10 overs were just stupidly captivating - lost my **** when Corey got out - but afterwards I now can't shake the disappointment that the rain had any impact at all. It deserved 100 overs and to be decided by the players and them alone. Hmph.
 

Cabinet96

Hall of Fame Member
Main problem for D/L is that what's normal in cricket is constantly changing. It was probably fair a decade ago, but what sides can do at the death has escalated so much recently.
 

kiwiviktor81

International Debutant
I know in the end it transpired to give us the finish we had but had it all come about organically then it would've just been so much better. This World Cup has really shown D/L to fall short in some respects and accounting for the tightness of the finish it wouldn't have required all that much more of an 'accurate' reflection of death overs batting these days to mean than NZ fall short.
This is a load of **** - had the rain not come who knows what would have happened. Perhaps Faf would have faffed around more and not gotten Miller to the crease to smash his 46 off 18 or whatever it was. If SA scored 350 NZ would have batted differently. You might as well whinge that ODI cricket is 50 overs and not 55 and how arbitrary that all is.

You play what's in front of you.
 

jcas0167

International Debutant
Such a class act, AB, at the post match interview. Feel gutted for him :(
Absolutely, so gracious in defeat. The man is a class act. I'm elated as a New Zealand fan, but feel for South Africa. I hope their fans cut them some slack, they had to contend with rain, a wet outfield, injury and ultimately Elliot played the innings of his life. It was one of the great World Cup matches and they should go home with their heads held high.
 
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RossTaylorsBox

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yeah, does the D-L calculation constantly update? I read that there was an update in 2009 but obviously there's a flaw if it's a static formula.
 

hendrix

Hall of Fame Member
SA could well have got 350+, but they could also have gotten 310-320 because they have little batting depth. They had 7 extra pre-death overs, one of the most volatile periods of batting - plays can run riot knowing they can just wait for their balls to hit, or lose a wicket and go into their shell, wait for the death.
.
Ah bugger off. In that Universe Guptill may have toned up. Cricket isn't a hypothetical sport. This was as fair a rain shortened hame you get. You can't take what Miller came out and did for granted. Could easily have edged one early and they'd be looking thankful to reach 310.
SA had 297 to defend in 43 overs. that's just as hard, harder even, than a potential 350 in 50.
Can people please stop going on about the ****ing rain and how it screwed South Africa? Yeah I get that ABdV is the best ODI batsman in the world but how many do South Africa pile on if he sticks ball 38.1 straight up in the air?

There were 12 overs left which is a long time in limited overs cricket. Plenty of time for South Africa to lose a couple of wickets and completely lose their way.
This. Moreover, it would have given us another 12 overs to chase down whatever they scored.
!
So why I was lambasted when I was the only person who had this opinion at the time of the rain interruption?
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
I will think of something poetic to say tomorrow when I have dealt with this properly.

Neutrals must have been in 7th heaven watching this game because it had absolutely everything happen.

I just yelled from my couch when he hit the six - but only really started to believe when Dan hit his four. Dan you wiley dog you.

Massive amount of luck for the blackcaps with the rain itbt but like Howsie said they chose to bat first, and most of us were saying bowl first today if we win the toss.

I think Brendon did play a game changing inning. Good captain's knock.
 

James

Cricket Web Owner
Absolutely, so gracious in defeat. The man is a class act. I'm elated as a New Zealand fan, but feel for South Africa. I hope their fans cut them some slack, they had to contend with rain and a wet outfield and ultimately Elliot played the innings of his life. It was one of the great World Cup matches and they should go home with their heads held high.
Yeah well said. AB is a class act, and a great ambassador for South Africa. I certainly hope the South African public cut him some slack as like he said himself, South Africa really did leave everything they had out on the field.

Hopefully AB is still around in 4 years for the next World Cup.
 

hendrix

Hall of Fame Member
In fairness though it is dangerous to play for rain and cost yourself wickets. Maybe they erred at the toss by batting first.
playing for rain would be keeping wickets in hand so that the DL calculations favour them. Which is exactly what they tried to do.
 

Flametree

International 12th Man
An astonishing mix of brilliance and bumbling in the field : THREE run-outs - Roussow could have lobbed it in and de Villiers had so much time to get Anderson that he didn't need to be hurtling to the stumps, then de Kock gets Elliot with a clean take, then de Villiers missing from short midwicket with Vettori backing up too far last ball of Steyn's penultimate over... plus the catch-collision... plus de Kock unable to stop two byes in the last over... Throw in the fact that whatever the rights or wrongs, the game certainly changed with the rain break an South Africans will be wondering if their curse lasts as long as the Red Sox.
 

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