I’ll be honest, I considered my legendary 1997-2007 jinx and genuinely considered staying away from this game for the good of the team. But I’ll be forever grateful that I didn’t! Being there in that crowd is something I’ll never forget.
That roar when Elliott hit the game-winning six was… I can’t even describe how loud it was. With ringing ears and my heart still going at a ridiculous speed I unsurprisingly couldn’t get to sleep until after 2am - suffering a bit at work today, but it’s fair to say it was worth it.
Just an incredible game of cricket, and I feel lucky to have been able to witness it. So proud of the NZ team, both for their performance on the field and then their gracious behaviour towards their amazing opposition at the end - it was a game that it’s crushingly sad someone had to lose.
AB’s bravado heading into the game may have irritated me a little, but his class shone through after the game. His praise for the NZ team and for the crowd earned him a richly deserved standing ovation from the (thousands) who stayed in the stands to see the speeches.
SA’s fans at the ground (and here on the forum too - I’ve read all the way through the thread and saw some wonderful posts from Proteas fans) were fantastic. There was one exception sitting near us, who I was all ready to unleash a massive rant about when I got home. But it was a stunning game played in such awesome spirit by players and fans alike, so that tiny minority is absolutely not worth dwelling on.
SA fans, I'm sorry you didn't quite make it this time after coming so close. But your team played some fantastic cricket through the tournament and last night. I hope you get your World Cup soon - it's pretty likely that you'll have my support as my second favourite team in the tournament in 2019.
Lastly, I did not agree with Eden Park’s claim that Stan Walker performing was a “special treat”. But to be fair it did sound like he can actually sing decently live, so credit to him for that at least.