England are currently 52/2 in their World Cup cricket match against South Africa.
What is funny is that currently there isn’t a single Englishman on the field. Both English batsmen, AJ Strauss and KP Pietersen, are South Africans by birth.
Makes for fierce slagging though with bowlers, fielders and batsmen all trying to outdo each other for national pride.
To say I am relieved after yesterday’s win against the West Indies is to put it mildly. After the thrashing at the hands of Bangladesh, the near-loss against Sri Lanka and other lack-lustre performances I was feeling dispirited about South African cricket.
“We felt we were a little bit tentative against Bangladesh and we wanted to really come out and express ourselves this time,” Smith said. “We got ourselves to the top ranking by playing our natural game, and we discussed how we just occasionally put ourselves under pressure by not sticking to what we do best. We wanted to relax and go back to that today and play with freedom, and a bit of brain.”
That quote expresses exactly what I was feeling. We were going into games fearing the ball and bat, scared to dare. And yet when we stride out onto the pitch and play the game our way, we do so well. Not only do we do well but the game is enjoyable to watch, not the cringe worthy efforts of other games were I literally felt disgusted at the apparent attitude of our team.
The next game is against New Zealand, a team in the ascendancy. If we go into the game brimming with the joy of wanting to play good cricket then we will do well. We may not win but we will be good to watch and can say we are worthy.
My nerves are shot.
It is the 44th over, 5th ball, South Africa are 206/5 and need just 4 runs from 32 balls. At the crease, facing, is Shaun Pollock backed up by Kallis on the other end. Pollock is fresh, just 13 runs, but Kallis is in his 80s and looking solid.
Two good batsman, 4 runs needed, 32 balls and 5 wickets remaining.
Sri Lanka are beaten but somebody forgot to tell Malinga as he comes in and pops a slower ball at Pollock who misses and the ball takes a stump.
Nice ball Malinga. But no worries, we have 4 wickets remaining and need just 4 runs. At this point the South African commentator says “4 runs for 4 wickets, I think I’ll back South Africa” to which the Sri Lankan commentator in all seriousness says “Oh I don’t know, we’ll see.” Ho ho, funny.
Malinga comes in to bowl at Hall, the new batsman. He fires a yorker at Hall who reaches far forward and knocks the ball high into the air and straight into a safe pair of hands. Out.
Another nice ball, Malinga. Still OK for South Africa, 3 wickets for 4 runs.
Malinga is on a hat-trick but has to wait for Vaas to bowl an over. Vaas does a good over conceding just one run and Malinga comes back.
Kallis is facing, Malinga bowls and OUT! Malinga gets his hat-trick and South Africa are 207 for 8 having been 206 for 5 just a short over ago. Still, we only need 3 runs and Ntini comes into bat. He is not a great batsman but he can make a run or two when needed.
Malinga comes in to Ntini and sweet mother of god… OUT! Ntini misses by a mile and Malinga gets four wickets in four balls. Apparently that has never been done before in international cricket. Wow.
I’m sitting on the edge of my couch in Ireland tearing a pillow to pieces. One more wicket and South Africa loose. They need just 3 runs. Three bleeding effing runs!
Malinga into the new batsman, Laangeveldt, and… not out. Safe. Thank god.
I then takes South Africa from 46.4 overs to 48.2 overs to score three runs. The whole time the Sri Lankans look like they can win, their bowling is scary and our batsman are cowering behind bats. Peterson’s bat and stumps are shaved many times, a gust of wind would have made the ball touch and he would have been out.
Very, very poor from the South Africans and well done to the Sri Lankans. Nerve wracking stuff.
I go for a lie down.
Fascinating how tehnology is entering popular culture at an accelerating rate:
Kallis to Silva, OUT, Gibbs does a Jonty! Remember that Inzamam-ul-Haq run out in 1992? Silva pushes a length-delivery on the off side,close on the off side and wants a run. Dilshan doesn’t agree with that assessment and sends him back. Too late. Gibbs charges in, picks the ball and flies into the furniture. Gone! A YouTube moment.
St. Patrick’s day yesterday was absolutely massive. I was part of Waterford’s St. Patrick’s Day parade onboard the ACSE boat which was a new and fantastic experience for me. Then it was off to the pub to watch Ireland hammer Italy in their Six Nations game. The 51-24 result meant France had to score 24 points more than Scotland in the following Six Nations game. That seemed a big ask and with Scotland doing well out of the gates we all thought Ireland had a good chance of winning the championship. France though started pulling ahead and at one point looked good to win. Somehow though Scotland pulled a try back and left Ireland in the lead. The pub went wild, celebrations about to begin when France in the last move of the game went over the line. But a Scottish defender had an arm under the ball and not even on the replays could anyone see if the ball was down. Somehow the TV ref gave the try and France won.
I have to say I haven’t felt that gutted over a sport’s result since South Africa failed in a Cricket World Cup years ago against Australia.
The day wasn’t over though and we happily watched Wales beat England.
Then the most amazing thing happened; Ireland beat Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. Ireland beat Pakistan, who are ranked fourth in the world. Absolutely incredible. Easily the biggest shock of the CWC so far and probably for the rest of the tournament.
A pretty incredible day.
Herschelle Gibbs just hit six sixes off six balls in one over.
That is the first time anyone has done that in international cricket. Absolutely amazing.
Mark Boucher also scored the fastest 50 in a World Cup game and SA scored the most number, 18, of sixes in a WC game.
And “Kallis and Boucher’s partnership was an incredible 134 runs from just 9.1 overs.”
Wow! Just wow!
Well done to Ireland for drawing their game against Zimbabwe in the Cricket World Cup today. A draw in one-day cricket is pretty bloody amazing. 221 each. Zim really fumbled it at the end it seems.
I would have been happy with either team winning as I’ve lived in both countries (Zim as a kid and Ireland now.) Great places both and some of the best people I have known.
The 2007 Cricket World Cup is coming up in March. Thankfully Ireland is such a cricket mad nation I, a cricket fan, won’t have any problem watching any of the games.
Oh wait, sorry, that’s India, not Ireland.
The Irish would rather pick up a cricket bat and beat you with it than sit through a cricket game. It is a shame really as the average Irish fella, and wan, is sport mad. They love their sport and are fiercely competitive even if just sitting at the pub counter swilling pints. I’d bet a hurling fan or an Irish rugby supporter would, were their preconceptions and love for the English set aside, be leaping off their stools in excitement during a Pro20 game.
Sadly I’d be beaten by that aforementioned cricket bat should I even suggest it.
Being a cricket fan though I am determined to get my cricket fix. Going down to the pub, even a sports pub, is not going to happen. They’ll probably rather show reruns of the Croke park massacre than show a second of cricket in an Irish pub. Local TV channels are not showing it. A mate has Sky Sports which is showing it but… he is Irish. Not going to happen.
It turns out I have exactly two options if I want to watch games from the CWC while living in Waterford, Ireland. 1: Fly to the West Indies and buy some scalped tickets. 2: Get Sky Sports.
The funny bit is option 2 would probably end up costing as much as option 1. Sky is expensive, to get what I want it would cost €64 a month. I can’t subscribe for just the two months the CWC is on either, oh no, Sky will be with me for a solid 12 months. That is €768.
Anyone know of an affordable way I can watch cricket in Ireland?
I just noticed one of our svn repos is on rev 111.
*Paul lifts his feet from the floor till the next commit*
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