Soggy end to Afro-Asia Cup

This game, the decider with the series standing at one-all, was intended to be a day-nighter but beneath leaden Durban skies, the floodlights were on even as the Inzamam ul-Haq and Graeme Smith, taking over from Shaun Pollock as captain of Africa, contested the toss of the coin.

Smith was successful and elected to bat first but before any action of a cricketing nature was possible, the inevitable drizzle started, stopped, started again and became heavier before petering out. Eventually, a decision was taken to get the game under way as a 48-over per side contest.

Asia struck as early as the fifth ball of the first over and it was African skipper Graeme Smith who departed for a duck, trapped in front by a ball of full length from Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar.

Zaheer Khan shared the new ball and following a leg-side delivery that went for four leg-byes, Boeta Dippenaar registered the first runs off the bat with a brace down to third man where Shoaib slipped and slid around on the treacherous outfield.

Dippenaar was then quick to pounce on a short one from Shoaib and slammed it to the ropes, but by and large the ball held sway in the early stages. It was no surprise when Khan bagged his first wicket of the match and the 150th of his international career as Dippenaar (7) edged to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips to leave Africa in a fair bit of trouble at 16-2

Ashish Nehra, not initially named in the starting XI, was introduced as ‘Super-sub’ as early as the start of 11th over, replacing Mohammed Ashraful on the field of play. Jacques Rudolph threaded a Shoaib half-volley through the well-policed cover region for a rare boundary, but it was to be one of his final actions of the innings . In the same over, Jacques Kallis called him through for the quickest of quick singles and Rudolph (7) was left wanting.

Africa’s sorry 26-3 became 26-4 an over later, and this time it was Jacques Kallis who departed, leg before wicket to Zaheer Khan for a painstaking four, compiled in a fraction under an hour.

There was worse to come without further addition to the score. Shoaib Akhtar came steaming in to Ashwell Prince (0), dug the ball in short of a length and the hapless Prince could only prod the ball gently to the waiting hands of Muttiah Muralitharan.

It was difficult to see where any African recovery was going to come from at this stage and when Zaheer Khan picked up his third wicket of the innings when he trapped Justin Kemp in front for 8 to leave the ‘home’ side on a desperate 35-6 in the 18th over, Tatenda Taibu and the bowlers were all that remained of their continent’s finest.

Sensible running saw the pair beginning to forge the basis of a partnership, then Taibu cracked Nehra over cover for a rare boundary. A single to Taibu took the African score past 50 and at last a batsman had made it into double figures – just.

In the following over, Inzamam ul-Haq turned to Abdul Razzaq to replace the excellent Zaheer Khan whose ten overs had earned him 3 wickets at a personal cost of just 21 runs. With just his second delivery, Taibu (10) edged and Virender Sehwag safely snaffled the chance at first slip and the 7th wicket had gone for 54.

Heath Streak strode to the wicket and immediately signalled his intent, driving Razzaq’s next ball through the on side for four, but it was Shaun Pollock who really picked up the gauntlet. Desperate needs require desperate remedies, and Pollock set about trying to hit his team out of trouble.

In Razzaq’s second over, Pollock twice drove square on the off side for successive boundaries then turned his attention to Ashish Nehra, slamming 14 off four balls with strokes all around the wicket to send the scoreboard surging round to 88-7 at drinks, still in a terrible mess but at least one of arguably manageable proportions.

The flurry of boundaries prompted the introduction of Muttiah Muralitharan and the recall of Shoaib Akhtar, and this brought an altogether more watchful approach from the South African all-rounder. There was still opportunity for him to crash a loose ball from Shoaib Akhtar through the covers for yet another boundary, a stroke which brought about the immediate withdrawal of Shoaib.

Shahid Afridi was brought into the attack for the first time and Streak worked the ball backward of square on the leg side to bring up the African 100, a figure that had seemed most unlikely three quarters of an hour before. A single took the partnership to 50, completely out of context with anything that had gone before, but instead of it signalling a launching-pad to bigger and better things, it merely precipitated the removal of whatever wheels had been temporarily glued to the vehicle.

First of all Streak (14) was adjudged leg before wicket to Shahid Afridi with the total on 105, then Steyn departed in similar fashion to Muralitharan for a single. Finally, Monde Zondeki, having already survived a bat-pad appeal from Murali, succeeded in running himself out for a duck, leaving Pollock high and dry on 44 not out.

Africa’s total of 106 is the lowest-ever One-Day International total at the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, and such a nonsense of an innings is only fitting for what has been such an ill-conceived tournament, as barmy as playing in England in February.

After the briefest of lunch breaks, Africa took the field again needing to take quick wickets – and lots of them. Shaun Pollock opened the bowling and Virender Sehwag immediately flayed one through the covers for the first boundary of the innings.

As the clouds closed in and threatened a premature and merciful end to the tournament, Dale Steyn was called upon to share the new ball with Pollock, and there ensued a most eventful start to his first over. A wide was closely followed by a no-ball for over-stepping. His first legal delivery produced the goods though, full and fast, spreadeagling Sehwag’s stumps for 5 out of a total of 7-1.

Shahid Afridi can be a quite brilliant all-rounder in this shortened form of the game, but self-destruction is never far away. On this occasion, the less-than-hostile pace of Pollock was too much to resist and the heave across the line went miles – almost straight up. When the ball finally reappeared, Heath Streak was waiting at square leg to grasp it safely to his chest to end Afridi’s tenure for a duck.

At the end of the third over Asia had made 8-2, at which point the heavens opened once more sending the players racing for the pavilion and the ground staff scurrying on with the covers. There ensued another further lengthy delay, ample time to study the Gospels according to Duckworth and Lewis as the covers made further excursions to and from the centre.

It was all to no avail despite the best efforts of the ground staff, and following a further deluge, the officials had little choice in calling the contest off. Perhaps it is fitting that a competition that was scheduled for the wrong place at the wrong time and which failed to capture the imagination of the South African public should end in a tame and soggy draw.

Afro-Asian Cup, 2005 – Match 3

Africa XI 106 all out
Pollock 44*
Zaheer Khan 3-21, Shoaib Akhtar 2-16

Asia XI 8-2

Match Abandoned, No Result.
3-Match Series Drawn 1-1