Cricket as they say indeed is a funny game. Records tumbled like a pack of cards as South Africa clinched the decider against the World Champions. The total number of runs scored in the two thousand three hundred forty ninth Limited Overs International match played on 12th March 2006 at Jo'Burg is more than many of the 5 day Test matches. I am sure statisticians had to be hired by news companies for compiling the statistics for the headlines. This match surpassed the existing highest Limited Overs Int'l aggregate record by more than 25 percent. The highest team total record was broken twice in a matter of 4 hours. The Kiwis would surely have achieved this record in their match against Zimbabwe when they scored 391. Unfortunately that match had to be curtailed down to 44 overs. The record for highest winning total in a run chase was left behind by the Proteas by more than 30 percent. The Kiwis couldn’t even savor this record for 2 months.
Most of the batting records were smashed but Saeed Anwar would surely be smiling. I feel bad for Gibbs who could have easily crossed the Magical 200 but when you are chasing something like this, and you see hopes of victory, you just cannot think of personal milestones.
The wounds of the 1-run dramatic World Cup defeat must have healed by now. South Africans would have lost the most number of close encounters and they were criticized for not being able to provide the final kill but this match was an answer to all those criticisms.
It was a second major setback for the Oz after their loss to England in the Ashes last year. These matches prove how important was Shane Warne to the side. They should lay stress on their bowling attack now and get bowlers who don’t go for 113 runs in 10 overs :)
Nothing is impossible these days in the modern form of Cricket but these records would be there in the record books for many days to come, if not for ever.
Most of the batting records were smashed but Saeed Anwar would surely be smiling. I feel bad for Gibbs who could have easily crossed the Magical 200 but when you are chasing something like this, and you see hopes of victory, you just cannot think of personal milestones.
Nothing is impossible these days in the modern form of Cricket but these records would be there in the record books for many days to come, if not for ever.
