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The first of its kind in World Cup history:
A mix-up and Sri Lanka 'tie' with South Africa
By A C De Silva
WORLD CUP CRICKET (2003): Ever heard of a World Cup cricket
match ending in a 'tie'! Yes it did take place in the 2003 tournament.
There were 14 teams divided into two pools of seven-Australia,
England, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Holland and Namibia in pool `A'. The
pool 'B' comprised: Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka,
West Indies, Kenya and Canada.
 All played all, and the top three in each group qualified for the
Super Six stage, where they met the three qualifiers from the other
group. Each team took with them all the points from their meetings with
their two fellow-qualifiers, plus a quarter of the points from their
other games.
At the end of the Super Six, the top four went through to the
semi-finals.
It was match No. 40 and played at Durban on March 3 (day/night) in
2003. Sri Lanka won the toss and batted.
Atapattu-Aravinda stand 154 runs
Marvan Atapattu (124) and Aravinda de Silva (73) were the chief
scorers for Sri Lanka who made 268 for 9 wickets. The Atapattu-Aravinda
de Silva fourth wicket partnership realised 154 runs and it was fine
batting by both. An exhilarating 'tie' produced an enduring image: a
distraught Shaun Pollock - the South African Captain, face burried in
his hands, doing the misreading of the Duckworth/Lewis tables that
bundled his team out of their own World Cup. Off the fifth ball of the
45th over Boucher, instructed by the dressing-room that South Africa
required 229, clubbed Muralitharan for six to reach the target. He
pumped his first in celebration, blocked the next ball and left the
field as rain poured down.
Truth dawned
Moments later the truth dawned: 229 was enough only to "tie" the
match. South Africa, needing a victory to make the next round, had been
knocked out. "We knew it was a 'tie', Jayasuriya confirmed afterwards,
"I had the sheet in my hand".
Jayasuriya had worries of his own earlier when Sri Lanka, needing at
least to avoid a hasty hammering to seal their own Super Six spot,
slumped to 90 for 3.
They were rescued by that glorious partnership between Marvan
Atapattu and Aravinda de Silva, both timing the ball majestically in
piling the runs - and Sri Lanka want up to that fine total of 268 for 9
wickets.
Jacque Kallis was the leading bowler for South Africa - 3 for 41.
Then it was the turn of South Africa to bat. Gibbs (73) and Smith (35)
replied with 65 in the first 11 overs for the first wicket. Gibbs faced
88 balls for his 73 - giving him 384 World Cup runs at 96 - but the Sri
Lankan spinners suffocated the middle order as South Africa sagged to
149 for 5 wickets.
Boucher and Pollock regained the edge before the match seesaved yet
again on Pollock's run-out for 25.
Trying to steal a quick single to the wicket-keeper, he took on
Sangakkara's throw and was found (countless TV replays later)
millimetres short.
Sri Lanka had nosed ahead again, but the umpires allowed South Africa
to bat on in driving rain and Boucher swung the bat, only to fall
agonizingly and unwittingly, short. South Africa, for the second World
Cup in a row, went out with a tie and a tear. Then there was that mix-up
and the match ended in a "tie".
SCORE BOARD
SRI LANKA
M.S. Atapattu c sub b Hall 124
S.T. Jayasuriya run out 16
H.P. Tillekaratne c Boucher b Kallis 14
M. Jayawardene c Boucher b Kallis 1
P.A. de Silvac Smith b Ntini 73
R.P. Arnold b Pollock 8
K.C. Sangakkara c Pollock b Kallis 6
C. Vaas run out 3
M. Muralitharan 4
C.R.D. Fernando not out 1
Extras (lb2, w11, nb5) 18
Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs, 210 mts) 268
Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-77, 3-90, 4-242,
5-243, 6- 258, 7-261, 8-266, 9-268
Bowling: S. Pollock 10-1-48-1
M. Ntini 10-0-49-1
Zindeki 6-0-35-0
J.Kallis 10-0-62-2
L. Klusener 4-0-31-0
SOUTH AFRICA
G.C. Smith c Gunaratne b De Silva 35
H. Gibbs b Muralitharan 73
G. Kirsten b De Silva 8
J.H. Kallis b Jayasuriya 16
H.H. Dippenaar lbw b Jayasuriya 8
M.V. Boucher not out 45
S.M. Pollock run out 25
L. Klusener not out 1
Extras (lb4, w12, nb2) 18
Total (for 6 wkts, 45 overs,189 mins) 229
Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-91, 3-124, 4-149
Bowling: C. Vaas 7-1-33-0
Gunaratne 6-0-26-0
C. Fernando 1-0-14-0
A. de Silva 8-0-36-2
R.P. Arnold 4-0-16-0
M. Muralitharan 9-0-51-1
S.T. Jayasuriya 10-0-49-2 |
