Cricket: Rain threatens to rival Lee and Lara as Cup key

JOHANNESBURG - Rain could yet become as significant an influence as Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara at the 2003 cricket World Cup.


Australia almost became the latest victims of South Africa's recent bad weather on Thursday.


Ricky Ponting's team only escaped with all four points from Potchefstroom thanks to a police helicopter - used to help blow-dry the pitch - and their co-operative opponents.


The Dutch amateurs could have justifiably argued the soggy surface was not fit for cricket but instead voted unanimously to play, determined to enjoy their big day against the world champions.


One match, however -- West Indies versus Bangladesh -- has already been rained off, depriving Carl Hooper's side of two certain points against weaker opponents.


Two other games, including the pivotal Group B encounter between New Zealand and South Africa, have also been affected by downpours, leading to revised run chases. With no time to replay first-round matches, the weather could have a big influence on team prospects right up to the semi-finals, according to Australia coach John Buchanan.


"Teams going through to the Super Sixes would like to take a maximum of 12 points," Buchanan said. "In our situation, assuming we qualify, it (a rained-off game) potentially brings our points back closer to the other teams.


"Therefore it's more bunched and alters the dynamics of the whole Super Six section."


Teams take four points from each victory against fellow qualifiers into the Super Six second phase, as well as one point for each win against eliminated sides.


Buchanan added that some teams hoping to qualify for the second round "might not even get there" because of bad weather, adding: "If they do get there it means it's life on the edge and they just can't afford to lose another game."


The West Indian wash-out at Benoni on Tuesday had already had a significant effect on South African chances of staying in the tournament.


Shaun Pollock's team lost two of their first three games, leaving them reliant on other results to avoid an early exit.


But the West Indies' misfortune means they will now almost certainly qualify just by winning their last three matches, whatever other results. Pollock said the rain had given his team "a lifeline".


Bad weather has had a huge effect on the cricket World Cup before.


In 1992 it played a large part in deciding both finalists.


Pakistan, the eventual champions, lost three first-round matches but were saved by the rain against England after being bowled out for 74. Had they lost that game, they would have been eliminated at the first hurdle.


South Africa, meanwhile, well-placed in their semi-final against England, were robbed of a chance of victory as rain cut short the match.


A spokesman at the South African Weather Bureau forecast better weather from Saturday, despite the chance of some thunderstorms, with good prospects over the next week. "Beyond seven days, it's guesswork," he added.


South Africa play Bangladesh at Bloemfontein on Saturday, when England meet Pakistan in a day-nighter in Cape Town.

Meanwhile Australia captain Ricky Ponting was a relieved man after his side managed to dodge the elements and collect four World Cup points courtesy of a 75-run win over the Netherlands on Thursday.

Heavy rain over the previous four days had placed the match in doubt and when the ground staff accidentally dropped water from the covers on to the pitch there was a chance there would be no match at all.

"I heard about that as I was about to leave the hotel," Ponting told reporters. "I heard John Buchanan, who was already at the ground, wanted to move the pitch and I didn't have a clue what was waiting for me when I got there.

The local authorities used a portable air-blower and the services of a local police helicopter to help aid the drying process and the match was able to start an hour late.

There were two further delays for rain totalling 135 minutes, but a 36-overs-a-side match was completed.

"Full credit to everyone as it was pretty wet and at first we didn't know when we would start or how much it would rain through the day," added Ponting.

Ponting said the attitude of the Dutch players was vital in getting the game played.

"Full credit to them, they were really keen to play," he said. "They could have stalled and not wanted to play on that wicket but they turned up wanting to play and it turned out well for us."

Ponting said the team's decision to bat cautiously through the final eight overs of their innings, when only 47 runs were scored, was motivated by their understanding of the Duckworth-Lewis method.

"We wanted to keep our loss of wickets down to a minimum to get a greater target for them to chase and that worked out well too," he said.

Dutch captain Roland Lefebvre said he was delighted to have played the match despite his side finishing on the wrong end of the result.

"For everyone in the team it was the biggest game of the tournament against the current and may be future world champions," he said.

"If it meant pursuing whatever solution was possible to get the game in then that was a road we were willing to pursue."

Lefebvre also said he felt his side had faced the likely winners of the tournament.

"They are on the top of my list to be champions," he said. "The way they are playing, they have a very solid, settled side and there are not many that could challenge them. For me they are right up there."

For Ponting it was another satisfactory day, with Ian Harvey and Andy Bichel collecting wickets and Damien Martyn and Darren Lehmann spending valuable time at the crease.

"It has been a pretty useful day today and I think another win would be just enough to get us into the Super Sixes, then we will look at things again from there," he said.

"We have got another big game against Zimbabwe coming up, who are not the worst in their own conditions.

"They have played good cricket against us in the past, but hopefully we can play as well as we have done so far and the scoreboard and the result will look after itself."


- REUTERS



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