FOR ENHANCED COVERAGE OF THE WORLD CUP GO TO OVAL WORLD'S SECTION 

MARCUS HOOK'S WORLD CUP DIARY 2003 (PART TWO)

                   
Thursday 13 February: West Indies v New Zealand
With no England-Zimbabwe game only one contest took place today, but what a turn up for the books it was! After their opening matches, most people would have made the West Indians favourites. Apart from McCullum and Adams’s late charge, which saw 53 runs come off the last 43 deliveries of New Zealand’s innings, everything was going more or less to plan for the West Indies until, that is, Andre Adams took three wickets in 15 balls. Sandwiched in between these was the crucial run out of Brian Lara. With just one stump to aim at, you cannot tell me Lou Vincent took aim before arrowing the ball in from the mid-wicket boundary. It was a real 100-1 chance, but the kind that has turned tournaments in the past. A feature of the West Indies’ performance on Sunday was Powell and Sarwan clouting runs down the order. This time it was Sarwan and Jacobs who fought back. But, coming together at six wickets down with 162 needed off thirty, it was asking a bit too much. I was far from pleased to see headlines on the internet like ‘White scare for England’ and ‘D-day for White’ today. How can England get to this point and not be sure of the guy’s fitness? They left it as late as possible before confirming he would take his place in the squad. Now we might have to send for Adam Hollioake again. Whatever one thinks of the Craig White, he could be a crucial player for England. After not playing today, as it is they face an uphill task. I just wonder whether the Yorkshireman has been totally honest as to the extent of his injury.

 


The Kiwis celebrate capturing the
wicket of Carl Hooper.

The Bangladesh innings opens with a Chaminda Vaas hat-trick.

 

 Friday 14 February: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh
So, who has got Chaminda Vaas in their Oval World fantasy team? Yep, that’s right – me! Bangladesh continued to do themselves no favours. Their record since being granted Test status is not exactly flattering. So, to lose tamely to both Canada and now Sri Lanka, one wonders whether they are capable of overcoming the Kenyans, who hinted against South Africa that they are capable of putting runs on the board. After today’s match Sanath Jayasuriya highlighted the deficiencies of his support bowlers, but as I wrote in my preview there is basically little he can do about it. Instead of blaming his tools, it is a question of how the Sri Lankan captain combines the potency of Vaas and Muralitharan with what else is at his disposal. Since the Aussies have asked whether they can call in a replacement for Shane Warne, I guess the chances of him being allowed to play again before the tournament is over are pretty slim. Actually, I really ought to word that a bit better. But, thinking about it, no!

 
Saturday 15 February: Australia v India and Kenya v Canada
I was not in the least surprised to hear that the ICC had turned down England’s appeal and awarded all of the bonus points available from their fixture in Harare to Zimbabwe. After the events of the past few weeks, the ICC would have looked fairly stupid if they had done anything else. I am glad England have chosen not to take the matter any further. Perhaps, now, we can get on with the cricket. At the end of the day, our boys can be proud that they have ignored the financial consequences and made a moral stand; which is more than anyone else is likely to do. I just hope there are no repercussions for this summer’s Test and ODI fixture list. The county game cannot afford a revenue shortfall of £2 million let alone £10 million. In the first of today’s games India started positively against the Aussies, making 41 off the first seven before Jason Gillespie caused the wheels to come off. One wonders whether Rahul Dravid would get in the side if it were not for his keeping. One run off 23 balls at number four in the order would have set the Indians back regardless of how the others did. But, again, the Aussies were in a class of their own. To think that Andy Bichel hasn’t even had a game yet just serves to underline their supremacy. Assuming India and Pakistan progress to the Super Six along with Australia, Ricky Ponting’s men are effectively through to the semi-finals! In the other match played today Canada’s Ian Billcliff was impressive once more, but even though Kenya ran out narrow winners the player who really caught my eye was another Canadian – John Davison, who took three for 15 in his ten overs with his off-spin after stroking a quick 31 to open up proceedings.

 


Jason Gillespie picks up the wicket of Rahul Dravid with his first ball.

The eighth day of the 2003 World Cup belonged to Stephen Fleming.		 Sunday 16 February: South Africa v New Zealand, England v Holland and Pakistan v Namibia
The news that Nasser Hussain is considering his international future doesn’t come as a surprise, nor does it worry me particularly. A journalist quite close to Hussain told me halfway through last season that, with a young family, this could well be the England skipper’s last winter away from home. But it makes for a great story if you are scoop monger. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that New Zealand had beaten South Africa by nine wickets. When I left the pub half an hour before the Palace-Leeds FA Cup tie kicked off, all I remember seeing was the ball flying to all parts off the flashing blade of Herschelle Gibbs. If life was fair, an innings of 143 at more than a run a ball should be rewarded with victory. I do like the look of Scott Styris, though. To concede just 44 in ten overs in the face of such an onslaught was some achievement. If tonight’s highlights are anything to go by it was Stephen Fleming’s day. As well as being dropped on 54, the ball always seemed to be in the right place for him to hit. It was either a case of undisciplined bowling, bad field placement or possibly both. Despite a crowd of 35,000, you could hear a pin drop at times. The result means there is a good chance the Kiwis won’t need to play Kenya after all, and to go into the Super Six looking really secure they could do with Sri Lanka losing to the hosts on 3 March. Now, just where would England be without Jimmy Anderson? Sure, the absence of Darren Gough is a blow, but would the Yorkshireman have produced a better opening spell? Regardless of the opposition, four for 25 in ten straight is a superb effort, not to mention being the best World Cup figures by an Englishman for more than twenty years. I was relieved to see Craig White getting through his ten overs against Holland. It was also nice to see Knight and Vaughan get some runs under their belts, but the manner of Trescothick and Flintoff’s dismissals did little to suggest that England are likely to win their last three Pool A games. Today’s other Pool A fixture saw Pakistan blow Namibia away, though not before they had made heavy work of 255 for nine. Like India on Wednesday their batsmen were guilty of trying to force the pace. Talking of pace the Pakistanis needed just two bowlers, apart from four deliveries from Saqlain Mushtaq, to polish off the Nambians. The way Wasim Akram is bowling right now, I just hope England win the toss and bat first in this Saturday’s day-nighter at Cape Town.
                   

BACK

NEXT PAGE

WHERE ELSE?
Free JavaScripts provided
by The JavaScript Source