Sports
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| Hurrah
for giant killing Windies For many years now, the once almighty team from the Caribbean Islands have been kicked around on cricket grounds around the world. In a matter of one week they ended the drought with three gigantic wins. First they disposed of the South Africans, then the Pakistani's and then when all seemed lost, salvaged a game from the jaws of defeat. What a fairy-tale ending for Brain Lara and his team! A week has passed by and life is back to normal in the cricketing world. Zimbabwe have already taken on the Pakistani's and lost, following a home team batting recovery. The case concerning their rebels is being heard meanwhile, in Harare. Various disputes have occurred connected with the back-to-back visits of Australia and South Africa. The Aussies have already arrived in India and immediately begun to shake off the Champions Trophy blues! The concluded tournament is a major money spinner for the ICC and the concept is accepted. It’s all done and finished in under three weeks, with the best in the world assembled in one country. The change in playing conditions to continue a game on day two, if it rained on day one, was hugely helpful. The only comment in the negative is that it would have been better cricketing weather for players and spectators alike had the games been played in July or August. A thought for the future. The final was not a high scoring game. That was the case throughout the tournament whenever two evenly matched teams met. Nevertheless this game and many others produced close finishes. An absorbing battle between bat and ball sometimes is better watching than a carnage of the bowlers who only come and deliver simply because they have to. England were struggling for runs and struggling to keep wickets intact from the outset after having been put into bat. That too was common practice and the way the games progressed on most occasions of the tournament. At 148 for 6 England were looking down the barrel. Then, the batsman of the day and of the tournament, Marcus Trescothick found an ally in big Ashley Giles and the pair added sixty-three valuable runs. They both departed just a shade too early and the rest could not contribute much with four wickets falling and only seven runs added. They were short by about a dozen runs. At this stage the West Indies looked the favorites. England were better equipped in the bowling department and before long they had accounted for half the opposition batsmen who had totalled eighty runs. Gayle, Wavel Hinds, Sarwan, Lara, Bravo were back in the hut. When the hard working Chanderpaul scooped a catch to Vaughan it looked like curtains for the Windies. In situations such as this experience plays a major role. Courtney Brown and Ian Bradshaw were in this team because of their consistently good performances in domestic cricket. Both have played the game for a long time. That day they were rock solid. They kept cool heads and accumulated and accumulated until the target was reached with seven deliveries remaining. It was a lesson on batting for all batsmen. Hurrah for the West Indies! |
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