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Showing posts with label Dale Steyn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dale Steyn. Show all posts

Saturday 4 April 2015

Part 3 - Top 5 Moments of CWC15

This one is from the epic semi final at Auckland between South Africa and New Zealand. Both teams vying for their first final appearance at the world cup and both had disappointing histories in previous world cup key games

South Africa, has a freaky World Cup experience - 1992 (Rain rule elimination in semifinal at Sydney), 1996 (pitted to win to win trophy easily - ran into Lara and knocked out), 1999 (another epic at Birmingham - a tie vs Australia but lost place in final due to super six defeat at Australia's hands), 2003 (miscalculated the D/L system and did not take extra single that would take them into the super sixes), 2011 (again strong contenders to win - run out of AB and Kiwis ran over them in the quarters).

Not to be left behind, Kiwis appeared in six semifinals at the World Cup and lost all of them!!

With that kind of history and high stakes, it was going to be some moments of individual brilliance and failure that would determine the outcome of the game for sure.. and indeed it happened that way!

The match see-sawed all the way through.
SA skipper ABDevilliers kept reiterating his team would win the world cup but his moods were brilliantly captured in the game that oscillated brilliantly right until the very end.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, SA were brilliantly placed at 216 for 3 in 38 overs. AB himself looking ominous on 61 in 38 balls and looking to launch in the end overs. OH NO ... rain once again!

After resumption, match curtailed to 43 overs a side.
That allowed SA to bat for another 5 overs only but Miller dynamics allowed them to score 281 for 5. Score readjusted to 298 for NZ to win under D/L rule.
AB seemingly happy to get that many on board and confident his bowlers would defend that score!

Then the McCullum assault on SA bowlers left him wondering what hit him!
Puzzled, confused and shaken at times, he hoped for Mc's wicket and got it eventually but a fine start put NZ ahead in the game.

Quick wickets in the middle meant SA pulled things back brilliantly. AB looking composed.

Then Anderson-Elliott partnership flourished and AB was looking for options, confused. To add to that, he missed a simple run out opportunity to dismiss Anderson something he will rue for a long time.

In the 47th over, a top edge off Elliott and Duminy-Behardien collision means catch dropped, Agony.

Last over, 12 runs to win. Steyn with ball in hand. Seems secure.
Vettori sludges one past third man for four and sneaks a single from somewhere to hand over strike to Elliott.

5 off 2.
Steyn steams in, and Elliott slams one over long on/midwicket fence for a six.
What a shot under pressure. AB resigns, distraught and inconsolable. Tears flowing down his cheek and ditto with his team mates. Kiwis rejoice, Elliott picks Steyn up and consoles him. 

AB's reactions in that match, moments to remember from #CWC15.

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Wednesday 18 March 2015

CWC15 LIVE - SA Strike First, SL Openers Back In The Hut

#SriLanka vs #SouthAfrica
#SCG
18th Mar 2015


South Africa have started with purpose and really unleashed their seamers at Sri Lanka.
Steyn, Abbott and Morkel are getting their swing, pace, bounce absolutely right to unsettle the Lnakan batsmen.

They have been rewarded for their disciplined bowling.
#KusalPerera, a surprise opener sent in to whack the bowl around, was trying to hit too hard against an attack very potent and lethal. #KyleAbbott got him to edge one behind for 3.

#Dilshan who was tied down for 10 balls without scoring, had to get himself away. He chose a steaming #DaleStryn to attack. Bad choice. Steyn got him to edge to second slip where DuPlessis took a wonderful catch.

At 4 for 2 in 4 overs, Sri Lankans were really pegged back.

#KumarSangakarra, who's batting like a dream in this #CWC15 and #LahiruThirimanna are at the crease now. Thirimanna has opened up and hit a few boundaries to up that scoring rate.

Its pretty intense out there. 
This is certainly the best quarterfinal in terms of a contest and intensity.
Both teams equally matched and its about who seizes the moments?

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Sri Lanka: 42 for 2, 12 overs
Sangakarra - 5*
Thirimanna - 29*

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CWC15 LIVE - SL Win Toss Elect To Bat vs SA

#SriLanka vs #SouthAfrica
#SCG
18th Mar 2015


Sri Lankan captain #AngeloMathews has won the toss and elected to bat first.
A very good toss to win in a big game.

Two changes for Sri Lanka
#KusalPerera comes in for #DineshChandimal
#Kaushal comes in for #RanganaHerath (he's their mystery spinner waiting to be unleashed against SA)

South Africa have made two changes as well.
#KyleAbbott replaces #VernonPhilander
#FafDuPlessis comes back in place of  #FarhadBehardien

Let the game begin ...

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CWC15 - Will SA Choke Or Prevail vs Sri Lanka - QF1

#SriLanka vs #SouthAfrica
#SCG
18th Mar 2015

As Sri Lanka and South Africa open the quarterfinal stages of this exciting #CWC15, all eyes are set on battles within battles

#Sanga vs #Steyn
#Malinga vs #ABDevilliers and #HashimAmla
#Tahir vs #Mathews

Some superb contests within the main one will add super spice to this match. While Sanga vs Steyn duel is going to take the cake and effectively determine outcome of this match probably, would love to see how Devilliers tackles the Lankan spin battery!

The "C" tag continues to haunt South Africa and this is a big pressure game tomorrow. They have dug a hole for themselves at critical junctures in world cups and luck has deserted them at times too.

1992 - lost to England by the farcial rain rule in semifinals (ironically at SCG i.e venue for tomorrow's game)

1996 - ran into a rampaging Brian Lara and his innings outclassed the Proteas

1999 - in the greatest ODI of all time, they tripped at the last moment when Kluesner and Donald couldnt communicate and complete the winning run vs Australia in a semifinal at Birmingham.

2003 - poor calculation of the D/L numbers meant they allowed Sri Lanka to qualify for the next stage by tying that game at Port Elizabeth. Boucher actually played a defensive shot when all they needed was one run to win that game on D/L system

2007 - ran into a rampaging Aussie side and Matthew Hayden's blistering century blew them away.

2011 - one of the clear favorites, they literally choked against the Kiwis in their quarterfinal.  

2015 - Such has been their CWC history. Will tomorrow be different?

Sri Lanka seem to have mastered the art of reaching final rounds of top cricket tournaments so they can handle pressure but have not won anything in the 50 over CWC for some time. 

1992 - Minnows of the game but beat South Africa in a stunning game

1996 - World Champs led by inspirational Arjuna Ranatunga

1999 - Blown away in England in league stage

2003 - Semi finalists but lost to Australia in a keen contest

2007 - Finalists, but again ran into a rampaging Australian side and Gilchrist's stunner century blew them away.

2011 - Finalists yet again and best chance to win the cup, but MS Dhoni's inspirational innings and captaincy snatched victory from their grasp.

Going by this history, SL seem to have a better chance in this contest, although on paper, South Africa is much stronger of the two teams man to man.

Tomorrow will tell. Stay tuned....

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Saturday 7 March 2015

CWC 2015 LIVE - Catch of the Tournament? Dale Steyn You Beauty

#SouthAfrica v #Pakistan
7th Mar 2015

#DaleSteyn has produced the catch of the tournament.
What a stunning catch out of nowhere....

Pakistan were off to a steady start through #AhmedShehzad and #Sarfaraz.
Both had blunted out the morning swing and the SA seamers weren't able to induce any breakthroughs. They were certainly concerned.

Then out of nowhere this happened.
#KyleAbbott got Shehzad to flick one in the air over #midwicket
Everyone thought it had clearly flown over the fielder for a #boundary.
Steyn patrolling the area swooped in and produced a stunning one handed dive.
Absolute stunner .... SA players swooped on him like footballers celebrate a goal.

Absolute beauty .. sight to behold.

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Wednesday 21 January 2015

Will South Africa Bury Ghosts Of Previous Cricket World Cups in 2015?

Will #SA break the #CricketWorldCup jinx this time?

The eternal "chokers" of cricket enter yet another world cup carrying ghosts of previous editions. The dreadful #Rainrule in 1992, the #Lara magnum opus in 1996, the ultimate #KluesnerChoke in the greatest one dayer of all time in 1999, the silly miscalculation against  #SriLanka in 2003, complete annihilation by #Australia in 2007 and the #NewZeland choke of 2011.

What are their chances this time around then?

Almost every world cup has thrown a situation that has pushed them out of the cup. Ironically, on most occasions they are the team to beat. Wessels' team in 1992 was their re-entry into world cup after the apartheid era but they did tremendously well to reach the semis only to be cruelly thrown out due to the ridiculous rain rule that was being applied to rain curtailed games. The #DuckworthLewis rule came in later to even out a contest.

In 1996 and 1999, under #HansieCronje, they were arguably the best side to win both tournaments on form and man-to-man strengths. Bowling, Batting, Fielding, All round ability .. they had it all. And some of the best names at that. However in 1996, they ran into a rampaging #BrianLara in the quarterfinal to be blown under his assault. In 1999, the greatest one day match of all time (a tied semi final against Australia) saw them bow out on account of losing to the Aussies in the group stage. An eternal #choke (that went on to become a sobriquet associated with them for years to come).

In 2003, under #GraemeSmith and being hosts, was another golden opportunity. And what did they do? Fluff up a Duckworth-Lewis calculation and failed to take an extra run that would see them in the next round. Instead Sri Lanka went through. What a mega blunder!

2007 World Cup was dominated by Australia throughout and they blew away everyone along the way including SA in the semifinals. Fair and square. No bad luck involved here.

Come 2011, and again tragedy struck in the quarterfinals against New Zealand. From what seemed like a easy win, they wasted another opportunity...

Any luck this time around?



Well, they seem a bit inexperienced and a lot of fresh faces.
However their key strength is their bowling, especially #DaleSteyn and #MorneMorkel. They will hold key on the fast Australian pitches and seams NZ tracks.

Batting is in safe hands of #ABDevilliers, #HashimAmla and #FafDuPlessis.

Solid all round strength and fielding is extra-ordinary right from the #JontyRhodes era.

With SA its all going to be about self belief.
Can they conquer their mental demons this time around?

SA Team for Cricket World Cup 2015
A B Devilliers
Hashim Amla
Kyle Abbott
Farhan Behardien
Quinton De Kock
Jean Paul Duminy
Faf Du Plessis
Imran Tahir
David Miller
Morne Morkel
Wayne Parnell
Aaron Phangiso
Vernon Philander
Rilee Rossauw
Dale Steyn