“We’ve peaked at the right time and I am sure the players have realised it will be the last hurrah for most of them. They will try and make it big here.
“If we are to qualify, we need at least three wins in a very tough group. The only way you could achieve that is by beating some big names. The first big hurdle [Australia] has come and we will clear it.”In pre-World Cup warm-ups New Zealand achieved a six-wicket win over Bangladesh at Chelmsford while the Australians won by the same margin against Scotland at Worcester, but dropped three catches and threw poorly.Scotland scored a surprising 181 for 7 after being sent in and the Australian coach, Geoff Marsh, said: “Our fielding was disappointing I don’t think it could get any worse.
We had a chat about it, and all the boys came out and worked on it. It’s not as if they haven’t been doing the work.”Let’s hope it was one of those days that’s come and gone, but we do need to improve. We need to concentrate a bit more.”The New Zealand coach, Steve Rixon, is confident of a strong showing. “The guys are starting to talk about winning something, and playing well,” he said “There’s a big turnaround in the mentality.”. DECISIONS, DECISIONS… some good, some bad and some downright dubious, but in the end the only one that mattered was South Africa’s collective resolve to blast aside the World Cup holders, Sri Lanka.
After the disasters that had befallen their own innings no one would have blamed the South Africans if they had come out sulking; instead they came out fighting and produced an awesome display of controlled pace bowling and fierce competitive spirit. Within seven overs Sri Lanka’s hopes lay in tatters, and two decisions that had gone against the South Africans were rendered immaterial, probably to the relief of the authorities.
Lance Klusener turned in a superlative all-round show. His murderous assault with the bat pulled the South African innings out of the fire at 115 for 7, then he dropped the Sri Lankan effort into the frying pan with the ball, taking 3 for 21.It could have ended in tears, though, after the South Africans found themselves victims of two decisions by the third umpire, Ken Palmer, one of which looked wrong, the other at best dubious.The first was the dismissal of Shaun Pollock, who drove at a delivery from Muttiah Muralitharan. The ball appeared to hit the boot of the Sri Lanka captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, before ballooning in a gentle arc back to the bowler. Steve Bucknor and Steve Dunne conferred then passed the buck to Palmer. He spent several minutes studying television replays before deeming that the ball had gone directly from bat to boot to Muralitharan.
