7/3/15

Dear Dairy,

Today is the day of my only game from group 'B'. All the other games I'm going to are from group 'A'. I didn’t plan it that way it just happened. But I suppose that when you focus your attention on games featuring the head and the heart (New Zealand and Scotland) you end up focusing of group 'A'. And this game was only a late addition to my schedule. I realised that I would have to fly back to Australia via Auckland anyway so if I just stayed an extra day I could catch the big game between Pakistan and South Africa. I'm glad I did because it's been a belter of a day.

After a big breakfast and a big lunch I head into Eden Park in plenty of time to catch the toss which South Africa win and chose to bowl. The first wicket goes down in the 9th over to a classic catch as Steyn dives, swallow like, and comes up with the ball showing it to the umpire and crowd while his face is still planted in the turf. You can tell that both teams are up for this encounter. South Africa because they are always up for it and know that one slip up could cost them dearly, Pakistan because they need the points to stay ahead of Ireland in the points table and in the running for the final qualifiers position in this group.

The second wicket is Ahmed, run out going for his 50 and after 20 overs Pakistan are 107/2. Shahid Afridi gets the biggest round of applause of the evening before he even steps onto the field but when he comes in to bat there are still 13 overs left which is enough for an extended fireworks display. Unfortunately he brings the rain out with him and the umpires quickly take the soldiers made of sugar off the field immediately to a safe place far away from the barely perceptible sprinkling of rain. Mind you, it did get heavier so I suppose it was a good decision after all.

Off at 4:30 back on at 5pm with no loss of overs. Off again for rain at 5:10 again for a sprinkling that grew heavier and more persistent and play didn’t resume until 6pm, this time with a reduction to 47 overs. After the rain break Afridi mistimes a massive 6 over cow corner and brings up his 8000 O.D.I. run. Next ball he attempts the exact same shot and gets caught at deep square leg. Afridi is a frustrating character who is capable of great things and also great indiscipline and today he didn’t show us anything great. This is a shame as his fans, which is really his entire nation, could really have done with him standing up today. Without his talismanic presence the batting failed away from 210/5 before the rain break to 218 all out for 222 in the 47th and last over ... to be adjusted up to 232 by Duckworth Lewis.

At the change of inning, which has been reduced to 10 minutes, I look to change seats to the other side of the isle I’m stuck on the outside of because the chap sitting next to me, nice guy that he is, is a little on the large side and is cramping my personal space. There is more room on the other side of the isle but the grass isn’t any greener as the chap sitting near me there is outrageously drunk! I decide to be all British about it and not make eye contact with him and ignore the potential vomit issue he brings to the seating arrangement.

Rain has reduced the dinner break to only 10 min and we don’t have to wait much longer than that to witness the first wicket as De Kock is out in the 1st over.

One of the funniest things of the day happens when, in attempt not to be run out Faf de Plessis dives to make his ground and knocks all three stumps out of the ground, flattening them with his body momentum. The look of disapproval on the umpires face was priceless and he showed his annoyance with hands on hips and a frowning shaking of his head in Faf’s general direction.

Some people think that South Africa are having a little bit of a wobble at 67/3 in the 11th over but that’s when A.B. De Villiers comes out to bat. A couple of quick wickets including Miller for a duck puts Pakistan right back in the match. Meanwhile the chap next to me is so drunk he has more of his meat pie over his hands and his face than in his mouth! I'm in no fit state myself and I really fancy one of those pies, but there no way I'm going to allow myself to look like that! I try to move back to the other side of the isle but there’s no room in my original seat due to big fella overspill. I am literally trapped between a big man and a spew trigger. I take my chances with the vomit lottery.

Meanwhile, down in Tasmania, Ireland have scored 331 from their 50 overs against Zimbabwe. Great score from the Irish there and they stand a good chance of winning that game, the result of which will go a long way to affecting the outcome of this game too. Both Pakistan and Ireland are now effectively in a fight for the fourth position in this group. It’s an interesting situation and Pakistan need to win here to stand a chance of piping Ireland to the quarter finals.

South Africa are behind the Duckworth Lewis par score but there is no further rain around so that becomes irreverent as they are maintaining a good run rate however some silly batting sees them slump to 102/6 when Steyn comes in to bat. You can usually rely on Steyn to add a quick 30 runs in the last few overs of a match but you can’t really rely on him to hang around for 20 overs which is what he need to do now. For the first time in the match a growing feeling that South Africa could lose becomes apparent. De Villiers is the key and as long as he is there holding everything together, like the great player and captain that he is, everything will be all right for the Springboks.

He pushes past his 50 and in doing so takes the lead in the tournament’s leading run scorers nicking the title of Amla who just earn it earlier in this match. Steyn out, more pressure for A.B.

Miller out for a duck. Morkle in at 9. At the 19th over South Africa need 51 runs from 100 balls. An easy equation most of the time but not when you only have two wickets in hand. South Africa better hope that A.B. dosnt get out.

A.B. out. Caught behind for 77 off 58 balls. Tahir is the last man in with the Saffars still needing 30 odd runs to pinch it. Squeaky bum time. Is this going to be a last over/run thriller? Will Tahir figure out which end of the bat to hold? Could this be another Eden Park classic?

Tahir is out the very next over and as the Pakistanis run from the field celebrating this pretty impressive upset. The rain starts again in earnest this time to seal the deal (South Africa were behind the D/L at all points in the game so rain would not have helped them anyway).

It’s great to watch the Pakistan fans celebrate so whole heartedly and many spontaneous chants break out all round the ground. I stay to wait for a break in the weather and find the second funniest thing is Rameze Raja interviewing the players in the suddenly howling wind and pelting rain.

The rain didn’t affect me at all during the game as, luckily, my seat was under cover of the tier above. More importantly, the drunken chap next to me managed to keep his stomach to himself and also sobered up enough to have a coherent conversation by the end of the match. That’s gotta be regarded as a win/win.

The only down part of the evening was waiting for a taxi to take me back to the accommodation. Why did that take so long? Where were all the taxis? Should have been home by 10:30 but my poor little Mum had to wait up until she was cranky at me. This was the only rubbish bit of an otherwise excellent day at the cricket. That and not having any internet to find out what the ire/zim game score was.


"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it." Jules Renard - (1864 - 1910)