NEW ZEALAND 210 FOR 4 DEFEATED ENGLAND 209 FOR 7 BY SIX WICKETS
SOUTH AFRICA 353 FOR 3 DEFEATED THE NETHERLANDS 132 FOR 9 BY 221 RUNS
On the morning of day 4, it rained in St. Kitts. This was a welcome sight to the team from the Netherlands as they were hoping it would rain
all day forcing a washout of their match against South Africa. It didn’t happen.
The umpires shortened the match to 40 overs each and the Dutch must have been relieved that this might not be the embarrassment many were predicting. They were wrong.
After five overs, the Netherlands had taken their first wicket and South Africa had only scored four runs. And dreams of a possible upset began to creep into the fans’ minds.
Then 35 memorable overs including the most dynamic, most explosive 11-over spell in the history of International One-day cricket.
The carnage can only be described by the numbers and both World Cup and ODI records set by the number-one-ranked team in one-day cricket.
– For the first time in a World Cup, three partnerships amassed over 100 runs each: Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis for 114. Kallis and
Hershelle Gibbs for 105. Kallis and Mark Boucher for 134.
– The record for most sixes fell. 18 shots sailed over the boundaries. That broke the record of 14 set by Pakistan in a match against Sri Lanka.
– Boucher reached 50 runs in 21 balls. That broke the World Cup record of 23 set by Brian Lara in the 2003 World Cup against Canada.
– South Africa’s 353 for 3 was the best total ever in a 40-over World Cup match.
Kallis may have led the way with a 128 not out total but it was Gibbs who set a mark that will never be surpassed. In the 30th over off the
bowl of Daan van Bunge, Gibbs hit SIX sixes. The first such over in ODI history. And they weren’t line drives either. This was power off a cricket bat at its finest.
How do you equate that? A player scoring on every shot during a hockey game? Shooting 100% from the field and the line in a basketball game?
Every pass a quarterback throws in a football game going for a touchdown?
And that 36-run over was supported by a 30-run over in the 40th. It was carnage at its best or worst depending on your perspective.
If this were curling, the teams would have shaken hands and gone to the members lounge for a few pops. Instead, the Dutch, who came to the West Indies to gain more experience, batted their full 40 overs, and got an o.k. 132 for 9 with Ryan ten Doeschate enjoying a spell of 57.
The debate over whether the minnows should play in the World Cup just got a little more fuel but as I said before, you don’t become better
unless you play the best.
Speaking of which, two of the better sides met in St. Lucia. Also delayed by rain in the morning, New Zealand won the toss and sent
England to the drying pitch to bat. It turned out to be a good move.
They took the wicket of Ed Joyce early. Michael Vaughan was out for 26. Kevin Pietersen gave England a little run with his 60. But while Gibbs
had a 30th over to remember, England had a 34th and 35th over to forget. Paul Collingwood, out for 31. Pietersen, out. Then the always-threatening Andrew Flintoff was caught out for a duck (which is worth as much as a goose egg). At that point, England’s world crumbled. Paul Nixon and Ian Plunkett did well to set England’s 209
for 7 total but New Zealand were licking their chops.
England did do very well to take the first three wickets without too much damage. But then, Scott Styris (87) and Jacob Oram (63) carried
their partnership of 138 not out to the victory with nine overs to spare. New Zealand, which had recently defeated Australia in a one-day
series, came into the World Cup with a lot of confidence and this win over England should solidify it even more.
On Day 5, India and Bangladesh finally see action. Also, Ireland hopes to extend their good luck on St. Paddy’s Day against Pakistan. ‘Til
tomorrow.
