Smart money will be heading Australia's way

When I asked the Aussie captain how he was hitting the ball he smiled with a knowing grin and simply nodded his head. Watching Ricky Ponting in the practise nets it was no surprise to see him race to thirty five in less deliveries. When he chopped one onto his stumps it reminded me of how fickle this game called cricket can be. One lapse in concentration and it doesn't matter how well a player is seeing the ball as it only takes one to send him back to the pavilion. As usual Mark Waugh was hitting every ball in the centre of his long-bladed bat and Michael Bevan seemed as leopard-like as ever. Summing it up, Australia are looking more like a stable full of form thoroughbreds than one Red Rum or Shergar.

Their victory at Lords today will add more dry wood to the flames of confidence. From Sandy Gordon, the Australian sport psycholgist's point of view, the overall performances have been very promising, as every player has played a part. "There hasn't been any out and out stars, every one is chipping in with good performances when it counts. Usually Glenn McGrath, Mark Waugh or Warney dominate the honors, but so far everyone is playing a part."

Although there is still along way to go in this competition the smart money will be heading the Aussies way. As has been seen so regularly in the last few weeks anything can happen on the day in a one-day encounter, but if my countrymen continue with their extremely positive style of play they will be hard to beat next time they visit cricket's Mecca.

Zimbabwe's opening batsman Neil Johnson, who played an innings of rare class, was one of two other outstanding performers today. After playing Warney like Sachin or Brian Lara might, he batted through the innings to record a magnificent one-day international century. His effort will be a very positive boost to the Zimbabweans who now look certain to play in the semi-finals.

Congratulations should also be extended to Lords groundsman Mick Hunt and his tireless workers for producing the near perfect one-day pitch. Going with the more traditional surface, the Lords pitch was closer to a batsman's run paradise than most of the pitches used thus far in the World Cup. No doubt the bowlers from both sides will be complaining tonight about the return to the traditional batting surface but you can be sure that none of the batsman will find anything to whinge about. Accept of course those player's who didn't take advantage of an absolute belter of a pitch in the middle of St Johns Wood.

Cricket again was the winner as the battle for the four semi-final places begins to take shape.

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