Kiwis' dream turns to nightmare

In a way I got it half right, as New Zealand did win the toss and decide to bat first. The theory was sound, as was the deliverance by the batting order, who fought boldly for a very competitive score of 241. At the break it would be fair to say that the Kiwis would have rightfully felt quietly confident of protecting a score that could have easily ruined Pakistan's dreams.

Unfortunately for New Zealand the sweet dreaming turned into a nightmare as Saeed Anwar walked to the centre of Old Trafford with the look of a Samurai warrior. It quickly became apparent that he had no intention of leaving the crease until the final run had secured a place in the World Cup final on Sunday.

So often the ruthless slayer of bowling attacks, Saeed was more vigilant than I have seen him before as he set about building an unbreakable foundation for his team. His shot selection was close to perfection. as was his encouragement to his less experienced partner. There is never any doubting the ability and entertainment value of the great players like Lara, Tendulkar and Waugh, but on his day Anwar is my favourite batsman to watch. Not only can he slaughter an attack with brutal power and force, but his touch and timing are second to few in the batting department of cricket.

Watching the first 15 overs of the Pakistani run chase, I was intrigued by the watchfulness of the champion Anwar and his rookie partner Wajahatullah Wasti, in the early overs. So carefully were they watching the ball that I rang Mark Ramprakash to see if he was witnessing these two batting hawks stealing the game from their opponents.

Like hungry animals, Pakistan's record-breaking openers were eyeing the chance to reach the World Cup Final as if the Cup could be their last meal. The hungrier and greedier they became, the quicker their wounded prey's chances of survival became. Although the Kiwis continued to fight energetically, the Samurai warrior was simply too skilful and desperate to succeed in his quest for a precious World Cup opportunity.

Interestingly, Pakistan's effort was the third mighty run chase in as many games. First it was New Zealand, then it was the Aussies on Sunday, and now the gifted but unpredictable Pakistanis. From an Australian's viewpoint, it is generally the preference to get the runs on the board first. Maybe after the last three thrillers Steve Waugh and Hansie Cronje may change their usual game plans tomorrow.

Traditionally, the pitches over here in England tend to flatten out as the game progresses, a factor that may have affected the results in the last few rounds of fixtures. As the sun has begun to shine more frequently, the late-afternoon pitches at venues around the country certainly look to be developing into batsmen-friendly surfaces.

Where ball dominated bat in the early rounds, it seems this trend is turning around as the summer starts to show its friendly face. No longer are the green seaming pitches and the heavy cloud cover benefiting the bowlers to the same extent as they did in the weeks of May. In the last few weeks the one-day game is returning to the more typical outcome of heavy run-scoring and a planned tight bowling rather than wicket-taking approaches. Just what the punters love to see!

Now that one of the finalists has been decided, the race is on for the second lucky contender. Tomorrow's rematch between South Africa and Australia promises to be a dog-eat-dog affair between two of the toughest and most determined teams in the cricket world.

My biased prediction is Australia, as is my objective prediction, because I feel the Aussies have beaten South Africa in these "big games" on many occasions. I think this psychological advantage will be a major contributing factor, as will the two maestros Warne and McGrath.

By this time tomorrow we will know.

Back to current Personal View