African teams featuring in this year’s world cup have so far played their first matches in the group stages wining a match (16.66%), drawing two matches (33.33%) and losing three matches (50%). This is not too impressive, considering the fact that Africa has 6 teams taking part in the tournament on her soil.

Only Ghana was able to win her first match; South Africa and Cote d’ivoire each drew their matches while Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon all lost theirs. To be fair to Nigeria, losing to a great team like Argentina was not a particularly a poor performance. This is because Argentina paraded 4 deadly strikers – Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Diego Milito (Remember Messi is the current world footballer of the year). Nigeria actually put up a superlative performance to be able to contain the rampaging Argentine attack. Nigeria’s Goal keeper, Vincent Enyeama was voted “Man of the match” and is currently rated one of the best Goal keepers of the tournament.

Algeria played well against Slovenia, but lost the game after their striker Abdelkader Ghezzal was red-carded for deliberately handling the ball in the second half. The Slovenians took advantage of the one man deficit to defeat the North African team. So far of all the teams that have lost their opening games, Cameroon has disappointed the fans the most, losing 0-1 to lowly rated Japan. That loss to Japan has now dampened their chances of advancing in a group that still has Netherlands and Denmark. Cameroon now needs to win their last two matches or at least win one and draw the other, if they hope to make it from that group.

South Africa started well in their opener against Mexico, drawing against Mexico which had earlier beaten the world champions, Italy in a friendly match prior to the commencement of the world cup. Siphiwe Tshabalala got voted as the “Man of the match”. Coted’ivoire also gave a very good account of themselves as they held Portugal to a goalless draw. With Didier Drogba sitting on the bench for a better part of the encounter, the Ivoriens were able to stop the Portuguese (with Cristiano Ronaldo|) from scoring against them.

All hope is not lost for Africa, as the participating teams still have chances to make it to the second round and beyond. All they need to do is believe in themselves and take every game as they come. All kinds of fear must be dissipated; they would play better if they remain comported and fearless against their opponents. The fans are solidly behind them; the environment is friendly for them to perform well. They should also remember that only once has a continent hosted and lost the trophy (Korea/Japan 2002). This might just be the chance for an African team to win the world cup. Best luck to you all.

Giving a tough fight to our distant neighbours, India impressively won against Pakistan, leading the nation towards the magnanimous Cricket One Day World Cup 2011 final against Sri Lanka. And then, as Oracle Bejan Daruwala had very rightly prophesised, history recreated itself when the Indian cricket team lifted the World cup after 28yrs of waiting…that too winning it on our soil and in my very own city of Mumbai. What more could we ask for huh!

Height of Ecstasy

It was a volcanic blast of patriotism and pride that erupted on that winning day, the 2nd Apr 2011. Winning the world cup brought 1.2 billion Indians together as one nation irrespective of the diverse cultures, languages spoken, social status, and religion prevalent in secular India. Look at what eleven men of the Indian cricket team have done to this nation! They have not only won the World Cup for us but, they have united the nation giving it a long lasting ecstasy that no other drug can give. And as lover boy Enrique Iglesias would say, “I’m addicted, I’m out of control, but you’re the drug that keeps me from dying.” This is exactly what the cricket drug has done to Indians all round the world. We are still reeling in euphoria and this feeling is still sinking in. The India that was celebrating with fireworks, whistling through the vuvuzela, dancing to the World cup signature tune, draping herself with the tricolour flag, and hugging each other till eternity is the real India which erupted in national harmony since a long time. Even I saw the real India on that very glorious night. Frankly…it gave me goose bumps!

Our maiden World Cup win was in Y1983. The difference however was that, we were the underdogs then…the apple of no one’s eyes. But today, things have changed…tables have turned. India is not only brimming with her cricketing glory but also with her brilliance showcased in each and every sphere of life. After this huge win, the emotionally gripped Kapil Dev, the captain of the Y1983 World Cup winning squad said that the team that he captained is different from the Team India of today. Today’s team he said were under tremendous pressure and that they are better players that the players of 1983. What more could Team India 2011 ask for!

Demigod of Cricket

As a young boy, God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar always dreamt of winning a World Cup. The World Cup 2011 win by far was the best moments he had been waiting for since 21 years. It might have taken this master blaster two decades to see this glory, but happy are those youngsters in the team who got to see this big day very early in their life…some of them hardly a year old in their careers.

Beyond Cricket

Supposedly, the gentleman’s game (Cricket) may not be India’s national game (Hockey), but this game has got more focus, resources, infrastructure, funding, passion, and dedication than any other game played in India. Thus making it one of the most sought after careers among young India.

There is hence an urgent need for our sports cabinet to rethink their strategy towards inducing the same passion towards other sports in India, including games like hockey, tennis, shooting, boxing, sprint, badminton, to name a few. India is brimming with talented young men and women who would love to make a sporting career, provided the sport is driven with the same motivation like cricket. Indian parents still dream of making their child a doctor or an engineer, and hence it is now time for us to think beyond these conventional careers.

Where is Poonam Pandey?

In the midst of all the excitement that has still not sunk in, everybody is on the lookout for maiden stripper, Poonam Pandey who has gone rogue after India’s win in the World Cup. Before the world cup, Poonam promised to strip every piece of clothe on her skin to celebrate India’s win. But it has already been two days after India’s glorious win and the mysterious lady is gone missing. So, here is a call to readers…if you happen to find or see Poonam Pandey in the vicinity or in around your circles, please report it as soon as possible. The whole of India is waiting for her to do her thing.

Post script

On a lighter note, there is this hilarious joke doing the rounds that I would like to share with you. A Sri Lankan was sitting at the corner of the street slurping tea from a saucer. Looking at him, a passerby asked him why is he drinking his tea in a saucer…and prompt comes the reply…India took away the cup. LOL

A very gracious Shahid Afridi not only kept his cool for a better part of the semifinal clash with India in the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup but was a beacon of cordiality when he congratulated the Indian Eleven for outplaying them. Even after he landed in Pakistan he was calm and requested his nation to look forward from the great experience his young team garnered in its World Cup campaign. So, what happened in a matter of hours when he gleefully confessed to a lady reporter that his team suffered at the negativity spewed by the Indian media and the malevolence of Indian players is what makes them greater sportsmen?

Needless to say Afridi’s interview triggered off a domino effect across India. From social media networks, to mainstream newspapers and television news debates just about everyone was more shocked than surprised at Afridi’s two-faced statements. Was he being a sore loser or was there something else to his outburst? We have said in the past that there was immense strain on the two neighbors when they clashed at Mohali but from the looks of it one thing was clear–the team that lost was the first to crack under pressure. But the fact of the matter remains that had India lost the match the emotions of the Indian fan would have compelled them to do crazy things but the eleven Indian players who played the match wouldn’t have resorted to the two lines that Afridi towed.

Afridi later told an Indian news channel during a live interview that he has been ‘quoted out of context’, which is the oft repeated answer to squirm out of any tight spot. The first time around he blasted Pakistani media for making every clash with India a matter of national pride, a war of sorts while the truth is that Pakistan loves all things Indians right from films to songs to television soaps and the second time around he said that Indian media is negative and Indian players aren’t as large-hearted as they were.

Both these interviews are out there and Afridi can see them a million times like he told the Indian news anchor that he’d like to see the videos again to see what he said but the truth is as simple as this–he’s damned if he speaks and damned if he doesn’t.

There has been great criticism of the manner in which Pakistan played against India and perhaps with the passage of time relevant questions would have haunted Afridi and other senior players like Younis Khan. So could this be Afridi’s ploy to ensure that everyone gets busy with his tirade and forgets asking him about the lives they showered on Sachin Tendulkar, his decision to delay the batting power or bat so low down the other that it felt like he wasn’t even playing. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicking off in a matter of days no one in India would be interested how this issue progresses and perhaps that is what Afridi would be aiming for. One look at how India outplayed Australia, Pakistan and then Sri Lanka in order to become the World Champions and no one in the right mind would question Afridi and his team irrespective of the bizarre tactics employed by them during the semifinal.

The thing with Pakistan when they play India is that ever since the frenzied six that Javed Miandad smashed off Chetan Sharma’s last ball in the final of the Australasia Cup in 1986 at Sharjah, everyone’s hoping for a miracle. In the last 19 years India and Pakistan have squared off five times in World Cup matches and with each victory the memory of that six fades away. Match fixing, substance abuse and a bunch of other blemishes have marred Pakistan’s image in the world of cricket. Can you imagine any Indian Minister ‘warning’ the team of match fixing hours before their biggest challenge? It’s true that they have more prodigious talent than India but somewhere the Indian system, flawed as it may be imparts a greater sense of professionalism unto its players that transforms them into better players.

Even if Afridi had not said what he said things would have been fine. This Shahid Afridi double talk is nothing more than lip service for a nation that is bereft of things to look forward to; this is a desperate ploy on a talented cricketer’s part to divert the attention of his countrymen till they ignore him once they start rooting for Indian city based teams in IPL!

The initial few matches notwithstanding this ICC Cricket World Cup has been just the kind of stuff dreams are made of. India’s unexpectedly early first round exit during the previous World Cup had ensured a great loss of revenue for the organizers but this time around India’s performance has guaranteed that everything goes according to plans. India defeating the once invincible Australians was a gear-changer and now the India-Pakistan clash of the 2011 World Cup promises to be the biggest showdown in recent times.

An India-Pakistan cricket match witnesses a gamut of emotions from just about everyone in the two countries and with the fact that the two are meeting after almost four years is bound to add more fuel to the passion. If India made it to the semi finals by ousting Australia, Pakistan too has made it to the semi finals on the strength of playing like a well-oiled cohesive force. One of the most unpredictable outfits in the cricketing world, Pakistan can be invincible if it chooses to be. Similarly the pool of sheer talent in the India quarter isn’t something that can be overpowered.

The player who holds the key to the outcome of the match is Yuvraj Singh. With four Man of the Matches awards under his belt, Yuvraj’s all-round performance has seen India through some really sticky situations. Barring a single match where he didn’t really set the field on fire with his batting, Yuvraj’s bowling has also come good at the right time.

India might have sprung a surprise in the form of R Ashwin in the last two games but Pakistan, like India, are naturally inclined to tackle spin better and with the Indian bowling lacking the punch besides the exception of Zaheer Khan, the batting like always will become the mainstay for India. Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and either Suresh Raina or Yusuf Pathan are enough to put up or chase any total but they would have to survive an inspired Umar Gul. Shahid Afridi might be the highest wicket taker in this World Cup but its Pakistan’s formidable pace battery that would be more dangerous than Afridi’s slower ones.

Like all India-Pakistan matches this one too has seen its share of conspiracy theories. Some believe that come Wednesday night and India will maintain its victory streak against Pakistan in international tournaments. Since 1992 India has never lost a match to Pakistan in the World Cup. There are rumors that political scenario in Maharashtra will not be conducive for Pakistan to square off in the finals. In the past political parties like the Shiv Sena have not allowed Pakistan to play in Mumbai; so if Pakistan were to play the final it would mean that they would have to beat India in Mohali and if that were to happen who knows what kind of atmosphere would greet the eleven members of the Pakistan team at DY Patil stadium during the finals.

Another strange thing that happened in the run up to the semi final clash is the bizarre warning issued by the Pakistan’s Interior Minister. Is there more to Rahman Malik’s peculiar moral boosting endeavor in the form of a warning against match fixing on the eve of the big match? Why would an official say such a thing? Could it be a face saver for the result?

No matter how hard we try to call the Wednesday clash as just another match the truth is that it simply isn’t. There is much pressure on both the teams to beat the other and the players would be better off without the extra pressure from just about every side. But it’s impossible to imagine an Indo-Pak cricket match without the tamasha it tends to build up. With heads of states and the who’s who of both countries queuing up for the match, Mohali on 30th March, 2011 would be one hell of a match and like experts believe in the end it’d be about the team that doesn’t crack under pressure.

The biennial Africa soccer cup of nations comes alive on 10 Jan. 2010 with great promises. It would be a showcase of most of the soccer talents from the African continent, ranging from those plying their trades in the English premiership, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italian serie A, Brazilian league, Asian leagues, to those in the African leagues.

The traditional national teams like Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d’ivoire, Congo, Tunisia, Algeria, Mali and Zambia would all be there to entertain the teeming followers of the African soccer fiesta. Countries favoured to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament include Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’ivoire, Cameroon, Algeria, the defending champions Egypt and the host nation Angola which is an emerging soccer giant in the African continent.

The likes of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Salomon Kalou, Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Eboue, Peter Osaze Odiwingie, Vincent Enyama, Samuel Eto’o, Zidane, Mohammed Abu Tarika, Taiye Taiwo, Obafemi Martins, Dominic Adiyiah, Opoku Agyemang, etc. would all be paraded by their respective countries. Millions of soccer fans world-wide would be glued to their television sets to feed their eyes with artistic soccer display throughout the period of the Africa cup of nations’ championship 2010. Samuel Eto’o would certainly be the centre of attraction: being the highest goal scorer of all time in the African nations cup history a lot would be expected from him. Would he deliver again this time around? Or would someone else equal or break his record? That would be an uphill task for any player at the moment. Another player that would also attract much attention is Didier Drogba of Chelsea Fc who is currently the highest goal scorer in the Barclays English premiership. With Drogba scoring close 20 goals in the first half of the league a lot of soccer fans would expect him to do very well in Angola.

The question on everyone’s lips is ‘who lifts the trophy at the end’, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’ivoire, Cameroon, Egypt or Angola? The end shall tell as each of the above-listed countries has the wherewithal to lift this year’s Africa cup of Nations’ trophy. As the various teams file out to confront each other and entertain their teeming spectators, they should remember to approach each game in the spirit of ‘fair play’ as the game of soccer is built on the grounds of fostering unity and love amongst the competing nations, and should not be a theartre of war or a do-or-die affair. As the tournament finally winds to a close on 31st Jan. 2010, one thing is sure- there would be a new African champions, but who would that be? Till then.

The Caulfield Cup has for a long time been the main lead-up race to the Melbourne Cup but that trend has been changing in recent years as trainers tend to target either the Caulfield Cup or the Melbourne Cup with their horses. Some trainers will use the non group one races as lead-ups rather than the usual ones in the past such as the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, and McKinnon Stakes.

The Geelong Cup has proved to be a valuable lead-up race since 2002 when Media Puzzle won that race then followed up by winning the Flemington feature. Others to have successfully follow the same route into the big race were Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011). Bauer went close in 2009. All of these are European trained horses.

The W.S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley has been a popular race for Melbourne Cup contenders but this race like the Caulfield Cup is one that trainers tend to target on its own. Still several recent Melbourne Cup winners had their most recent race in the Cox Plate prior to Flemington. Recent Cup winners which last raced in the Cox Plate were Makybe Diva (2005), Green Moon (2012), and Fiorente (2013). Longshot Prince of Penzance which won the Cup in 2015 at odds of 100/1 last raced in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup where he finished second. Prince of Penzance was the first horse since the 1980s that raced in the Moonee Valley Cup before going on to win the Melbourne Cup at its very next start.

In 2016, the Cup was won by Almandin who won the Bart Cummings Stakes at his most recent start in early October while Protectionist, the 2014 winner, finished fourth in the Herbert Power Handicap at his most recent start prior to the big race. What these races have in common is that they are all at 2400 metres or 2500 metres. The Caulfield Cup, Geelong Cup, and the Lexius Stakes are also at that distance range.

The last horse to have raced on Derby Day then come out and win the Melbourne Cup three days later was Shocking who won the Lexius Stakes in 2009 but that is not to say that the winner of the next Cup will not have raced on Derby Day. Every Melbourne Cup has to be taken on its merits when studying the form book not all Cups will follow previous scripts.

Outright Odds: 250/1

Group E Winners: 12/1

After winning four African Cup of Nations titles and producing players of the calibre of Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah, the Black Stars have qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time in 10 attempts, stretching back to 1962.

Despite being a force in African football between the 1960s and 1980s, qualification for the World Cup was never a serious exercise and more recently the country suffered from poor management both on and off the pitch to scupper their attempts to reach the 1994, 1998 and 2002 finals.

However, this problem was eradicated under new manager Ratomir Dujkovic. The Serbian took over in December 2004 after Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto quit four months earlier. Dujkovic enjoyed success with Rwanda, leading a team dubbed as no hopers to their first African Cup of Nations finals in 2004.

His influence was clear as Ghana won four of their five remaining qualifying fixtures, including a 2-0 away victory over South Africa and eventually topping their group by five points at the expense of the Bafana Bafana.

Where Ghana excel is in midfield. Chelsea’s Michael Essien is a key player for his country and has also shone at club level, despite criticism of his £24.4 million price tag imposed by former club Lyon. They are captained by left-footed Stephen Appiah who now plys his trade at Turkish outfit Fenerbahce following eight seasons in Italy with Udinese, Parma, Brescia and Juventus. Sulley Muntari also brings with him Serie A experience as he is currently on the books at Udinese.

Ghana have been boosted in defence by the return of Roma centre half Samuel Kuffor. The former Bayern Munich defender was out of favour following a dispute with the coach but since apologising he is back in contention. Even without him Ghana boasted a mean defence, conceding just four goals in 10 qualifying matches, the least of any African nation.

Despite a strong setup, Ghana go into their World Cup group as the unfancied outsiders which could work to their advantage. They are pitted against one of the tournament favourites in Italy on their opening match so there is no real pressure for them. The team have gelled well under Dujkovic and are capable of causing an opening match upset.

Beyond that they could struggle as they lack players with a true cutting edge in attack. The responsibility will be on Vitesse’s Matthew Amoah and Modena’s 20-year old striker Gyan Asamoah.

Recommended Bet:

Ghana are capable of catching out slow-starters Italy in their first match and qualifying from the group would be a major success. Further tough games against the Czech Republic and USA could see the Black Stars narrowly miss out.

Ghana to beat Italy @ 5/1

Have you ever dreamt about winning a lottery and then actually won it? Or, have you ever really, really wanted something good to happen and then it does?

I was very unhappy with the size of my breasts when I was 17 (who isn’t?), but I knew mine were smaller than they should be for my age and I had a feeling they weren’t going to be getting a lot bigger if nature was the only thing working for me.

Even my younger sister was larger than me and that was pretty humiliating. I am not preoccupied with my looks any more than most normal girls my age (I’m 20 now), but I really wanted to have a bit bigger breasts than I did.

I spent a lot of time on the internet reading about it and there sure seemed to be quite a few products that could help me out. I did some searching and read a lot of reviews some good, most bad, and finally got up my nerve to try one out.

I read a lot of things about a gum that increased breast size so I thought this was the answer.

My mom thought it was hilarious but when I was 18 she was willing to do anything just to shut me up and so she let me use her credit card online ( this was a big deal in our home).

The package finally arrived about two agonizing weeks later and I remember unwrapping it in my room and launching into two months worth of chewing. The results were fairly predictable, however I was still young enough to think that it was just taking a bit longer than expected. Well two months (my initial supply) went by and nothing much happened. My breasts got a bit firmer, but that was about it – and that was probably nature just taking it’s course.

I was terribly depressed but had just become a critical consumer – never again would I be taken advantage of!

Until I tried again – with another product – this time a cream. I smeared that cream on so much I could have slid through keyholes! It was supposed to start to work in 30 days, but 60 days later I was still just me – no change, no difference, nothing! Could I have fallen for it again? No way!

Yup.

Since I was now working at a huge amusement park in Niagara Falls I could afford to invest some more money into this thing, so next I tried pills that absolutely guaranteed success. They were successful alright – successful in making my digestive system cramp up while giving me my first experience with migraines! Sent those guys packing.

I gave up – totally. No more internet crap for me. Ever!

I was still convinced that there must be a way of doing this without buying padded bras. I was kind of fanatical about my quest but never fanatical enough to even consider surgery. My mom would have killed me anyway. She was about at the end with me and my obsession.

The kicker was being at the beach with my sister and a bunch of friends early this summer. I just didn’t compare and was absolutely miserable – as usual when everybody had bigger breasts than me, including some of the boys.

I did a bunch more research and finally settled on a system that combines pills, cream and exercises/massage. The product advertised that my breasts would start to grow in 30 days.

They didn’t – it took about 45 days!

My breasts actually grew fatter, firmer, bigger – 2 whole cup sizes in 3 months! I had won the lottery! I was doing the exercises, taking the pills and smearing on the cream like crazy and it worked! It worked.

I have never been so happy in my life, something actually works! My breasts are growing, and already I’ve had to buy new bras. People have noticed – and I know they have because they look at me differently. Don’t get me wrong – I’ll never be Pam Anderson – but I’ll be happy!

This wasn’t about sex, or boys, or being better than anyone else. This was just about me wanting something and finally getting it.

If you’re considering ways to grow your breasts and don’t want to mess around with expensive products that just don’t work visit my blog to find out what worked and what didn’t.

Do you have the schedule for cricket world cup 2007? Your answer will be a loud yes, if you are an ardent follower of the game. Cricket world cup is an event that takes place after every four years. This is the time when players put in their best performance and try to win the coveted title. After all, this is the biggest event that takes place in the world of cricket and a cricket fan will not want to miss out on any aspect related to the world cup. World cup schedule is a simple means that will help fans in planning their daily routine to make it suitable for viewing all the matches during the world cup tournament.

World cup schedule gives detailed information to fans about the dates on which the matches will be played, whether the matches will be day-night affairs or day matches, and the venues where the matches will be played. So the earlier you get hold of world cup schedules, the easier it will be for you to plan out everything accordingly. Well only if you have the schedule with you beforehand, you will be able to make any alterations or adjustment in your routine for accommodating your liking of watching live cricket matches.

In the year 2007, World Cup will be held in the West Indies. Cricket fans belong to different geographical regions of the world and due to the difference in time zone, for many people it may not be possible to keep track of what is going on in a live match if they do not plan out their routine properly. It is just proper planning with the help of world cup schedule that will help fans keep a track of all that is happening in West Indies during the world cup. Unless you are those fortunate ones who have tickets to watch the matches live in West Indies, world cup schedule is the only solution for you.

Now the next question is where you can find world cup schedules. Believe me, this is not at all a difficult thing to find out. With the approach of world cup, almost all leading daily newspapers provide their readers with world cup schedule. Newspapers and publishing houses realize how important it is for fans to know about world cup schedule and stay in constant touch with the events taking place in the tournament. You can put up the world cup schedule on the walls of your bedroom or inside the doors of your cupboard so that whenever you want to clarify anything, you can do it easily.

The online sites on the World Wide Web are also a great source through which you can get world cup schedules and know about all those matches that will take place during the world cup in West Indies. Several cricket dedicated websites provides fans with cricket schedule and all you will have to do is take a print out of the world cup schedule and put up at a place in your room, where you can easily see it for reference purposes. A world cup schedule will solve many problems and make things easy for you.

At last we have the two finalists of this world cup and it is just a matter of two days before we will come to know who the winner will be. After the semi finials only two teams are left in the fray to vie for the title of world champions. Sri Lanka was the only Asian team left in the tournament after the shock and early exit of two of the pre tournament favorites India and Pakistan. However both Australia and Sri Lanka have played very well throughout the tournament and rightly deserve a place to play in the finals. It is very apt that only the best teams play each other to bag the title of world champions. To play in the finals a team has to show their working potential over a period of time and that is why both these teams have given consistent performance throughout the tournament.

Australia is the only team that has not lost a single match, while Sri Lanka has lost two matches, but what matters is that both the teams have reached the finals. Reaching the cricket world cup final is an achievement that is not easy to earn. The semi finals promised many exciting moments to fans, but in the end both the matches were total dampeners as both Sri Lanka and Australia easily defeated their opponent i.e. New Zealand and South Africa respectively. The other teams which had entered in the Super Eight stage of the World cup and had a chance to reach the Semi Finals are England, Ireland, Bangladesh and the host West Indies. All these teams did not play to the expected levels and lost the golden opportunity to play in the cricket world cup final.

In the first final that was played between Sri Lanka and New Zealand the teams were evenly balanced on paper. So when Sri Lanka was batting first and they lost two quick wickets, it seemed that this will be an even contest. However that was not to be and Skipper Jayewardene who started on a slow note suddenly shifted gears and played the innings of a lifetime to take his team to a competitive total of 289 runs in the allotted 50 overs. The Kiwi run chase did not start too well and they never really recovered to pose a threat to the Lankan total. In the end they fell short by 81 runs and ended their campaign in this world cup. New Zealand’s jinx with the world cup continued and this is the fifth time they crashed out of the semis.

The other semi final match between current World champions Australia and serious title contenders South Africa also turned out to be a really big dampener. South Africa batting first could manage a mere 149 and given the form that they are in, Australia did not face too much of trouble in amassing the required runs. South Africa’s dismal record in the world cup continued this time too and both the losing semi finalists are probably the two teams that have so much of potential but have somehow failed to deliver at the highest levels. It is just a matter of time before the cricket world cup finals will be played and a champion will emerge. May the best team win the tournament.