Needle tie to decide Lanka’s fate

Many of their players believe they were the team that should have won the event in 1996. And they also feel they were robbed of a fair chance of the trophy in 1992.

South African captain Hanse Cronje, however, said the past was no longer relevant. “I have said all along that it is important that we play well in our first three games. Sri Lanka is a big game for us,” he said.

As World Cup novices in 1992, South Africa lost in the semi-final when a controversial rain rule turned the game into a farce. They had earlier gone down to Sri Lanka by three wickets in Wellington.

In 1996, the two sides dominated their groups but never met. While Sri Lanka went on to win, the impressive South Africans, with five wins out of five, suffered a shock defeat against the West Indies in the quarter-finals.

Since then, South Africa have won four — quadrangular events in Kenya in 1996-97 and in Pakistan in 1997-98, a triangular in South Africa in 1997-98 and the Mini World Cup in Bangladesh in 1998-99.

Sri Lanka, with three wins in their last eight outings against Hansie Cronje’s men, won a triangular tournament in England in 1998.

Cronje said the four-wicket win over India at Hove on Saturday had strengthened his team’s confidence. “There was not too much tension in the chase,” he said, “there was more when we were bowling. We were a little bit nervous in the first game of a World Cup and the Indian batsmen played well.”

“We needed to calm it down. When it came to the chase, we placed it well and the guys kept their cool.”

Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga responded: “We respect South Africa as one of the top teams but what is important is how we play.”

He admitted the team needed a lift after an eight-wicket defeat against England in the tournament opener at Lord’s.

“We have to bounce back,” the Sri Lankan captain said, adding the toss had been vital at the Lord’s and could play a big role in the Northampton if overcast conditions continued.

Sri Lanka manager Duleep Mendis launched a scathing attack on his batsman and said unless they improved, disgrace was around the corner.

Mendis outlined the importance of big innings from master blaster Sanath Jayasuriya and the experienced Aravinda de Silva to topple favorites South Africa on Wednesday.

“If you can’t bat then you will have to forget about cricket,” former skipper Mendis said after Sri Lanka’s top order failure against England.

“It’s absurd, you can’t expect the bowlers to bat. You don’t expect No 8 to get runs.”

“It was pathetic to see them batting,” Mendis added. “Unless we pull our socks up, the ultimate disgrace will be in store for us.”

South African coach Bob Woolmer hinted there could be changes in the South African team. He did not elaborate, but with the pitch looking well-grassed, fast bowler Steve Elworthy could come into contention at the expense of left-arm spinner Nicky Boje.

Teams

South Africa (likely): Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Darryl Cullinan, Hansie Cronje (captain), Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Allan Donald, Steve Elworthy.

Sri Lanka (likely): Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama, Maravan Atapattu, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga (captain), Hashan Tillekeratne, Romesh Kaluwaitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Pramodaya Wickremasinghe, Eric Upashantha, Muttiah Muralitharan.