Quick singles

Win pleases South African captain Shaun Pollock was happy with his team's performance against tournament minnows Canada in East London yesterday, despite their unconvincing 118-run win in their group B match.

"I think it actually worked out quite nicely," Pollock said of the middle order batting, where Boeta Dippenaar and Graeme Smith hit half centuries and shared a 109-run stand for the third wicket.

South Africa recovered from 23 for three to post 254 for eight from their 50 overs, lifted by half centuries from Dippenaar with 80 and Smith, who got 63.

In reply, Canada comfortably batted through their 50 overs, finishing on 136 for five with left-handed opener Ishwar Maraj carrying his bat for a boring 53.

South Africa must beat Sri Lanka in their final group game in Durban on Monday night.

Waqar warning

Pakistani captain Waqar Younis has warned World Cup organisers that one of the tournament's finalists is likely to be decided by the toss of a coin.

He urged them to rethink their plans of staging the second semifinal as a day-night match.

"It has become obvious that, in the matches played under lights in this World Cup, teams winning the toss are getting an unfair advantage," Waqar said.

"I would say any team which wins the toss has won the match 75 per cent [of the time] and that is grossly unfair."

Cup executive director Ali Bacher said that changes in climate were part of the game. He added that the March 20 semifinal in Durban would be a day-night game.

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'Lara the key'

Muttiah Muralitharan has hailed Brian Lara as his toughest opponent as he prepares for Sri Lanka's key match against the West Indies in Cape Town tonight.

"I think Lara is the key. He played against me in Sri Lanka and he did very well," the offspinner said yesterday.

"I think of all the batsmen in the world he plays my bowling better than anyone else, including Sachin Tendulkar."



One big yawn

There were shades of Sunil Gavaskar at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday when Canadian World Cup cricketer Ishwar Maraj produced the second most tedious one-day innings of all time.

The snail-paced Maraj faced 155 deliveries - 25 overs and five balls out of Canada's 50 overs against South Africa in their group B match - to carry his bat through the innings for 53 not out.

Twenty-eight years ago Gavaskar, one of the great batsmen of his era, inexplicably batted through 60 overs to score a soporific 36 not out as England beat India by 202 runs at Lord's on the first day of the inaugural cup.

Maraj, a left-hander, became only the eighth opening batsman in cup history to bat through an innings.

When South African television panned around the stands and grass banks at Buffalo Park - a venue flanked by a cemetery - they picked out several sleeping spectators.

Protest continues

Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower revealed yesterday that his controversial anti-Robert Mugabe protest will continue despite enormous pressure on him to abandon the gesture.

Flower and team-mate Henry Olonga both donned black armbands in their opening match against Namibia to protest at Mugabe's regime.

"We have had meetings, been spoken to often by cricket authorities and received letters. But we are not going to back down. How can we?" Flower said yesterday.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union last weekend warned them to drop their protest or lose their places in the team.

Flower was going to be dropped for the game against Australia until a group of senior players said they would not play in that match if the threat was carried out.

Flower said his protest will now be represented by wearing white armbands.