Some of you may recognise the title as the lyrics to a song by an obscure ska-punk from Tewkesbury, [Spunge], who I had the pleasure of seeing last night, but I thought the lyrics were quite fitting.  The first chapter was closed yesterday, & I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next.

It all started off quite mundanely, with Sri Lanka, Australia and Kenya all winning comprehensively, and only the West Indies comfortable defeat of Pakistan raising one or two eyebrows.  Then, in the first game of the second round came the first real excitement.  Zimbabwe, needing just 10 runs with 3 overs and 4 wickets remaining, somehow managed to enter the final over having added just 1 run, but losing 3 wickets.  The match came down to the final ball, with Ireland pulling off an amazing comeback to tie.

As expected, England’s batting order collapsed against New Zealand, to leave the Pom’s with it all to do against Canada and Kenya.  However, on the same day, South Africa managed to hit 353 runs off just 40 overs against Netherlands.  This included 128NO from Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher hitting the quickest World Cup fifty in history, off just 21 balls, surpassing Brian Lara’s record.  However, it wasn’t these knocks that made the next morning’s papers.  Herschelle Gibbs, facing an over from Dutch spinner Daan van Bunge, hit the first delivery for 6.  Then he whacked the second for 6 as well.  The third was also a maximum.  As was the fourth, and the fifth.  Gibbs must have felt the eyes of the cricketing world on him as he prepared himself to rewrite the record books.  van Bunge bowled full and outside offstump, and Gibbs smashed him for 6 over deep midwicket for 36 off the over, becoming the only man to do this in a One Day International.  South Africa went on to win by 221 runs.

Then, on Saturday 17^th March, St. Patrick’s Day (and my Mum’s birthday if anyone’s interested?) came the major event of this World Cup so far.  We woke up to stories about Andrew Flintoff’s drunken pedalo escapades, with various other members of the England squad and coaching staff out drinking well into the early hours of Friday morning.  The first major shock came that afternoon, with Bangladesh beating India by 5 wickets, leaving India needing to beat both Sri Lanka and Bermuda in order to qualify.  This however was not the main story of the day.  Ireland’s bowlers reduced Pakistan to a miserly 132, reduced to 128 via the Duckworth-Lewis method.  Ireland’s batting order stuttered but a composed 72 from Niall O'Brien guided Ireland to a 3 wicket victory, knocking Pakistan out of the World Cup.  The Pakistani public were outraged, and burned effigies of coach Bob Woolmer and captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq.  Events took a sinister turn that night, with Woolmer tragically found dead in his hotel room the following morning.  Initially it was thought he had overdosed on alcohol and prescription drugs, but it now seems likely that Woolmer was murdered, with Jamaican police spokesman, Karl Angell, reported on Friday March 23rd that, "Mr. Woolmer's death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation".

These were the last of the big shocks, with Australia, England, India, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan all recording comprehensive victories.  Netherlands victory over Scotland allowed the Dutch to regain some confidence and pride.  On March 23^rd, India faced Sri Lanka knowing that anything less than victory would make it very difficult to progress to the Super-8’s, and become the second high profile team to go out in the early rounds.  Sri Lanka hit a respectable 254 with Tharanga and Silva both hitting half-centuries.  India’s response was hardly enamoring, with Tendulkar and Dhoni both out for ducks and Ganguly and Singh both out for fewer than 10 runs.  India only managed 185 (to leave one friend of mine who’d put money on them to win the entire tournament absolutely gutted) and barring a miracle in the Bangladesh v Bermuda game, India were out.  The same day, West Indies beat Ireland to guarantee them 2 points in the Super-8’s stage.

The following day came the match that everyone had been looking forward to.  Just over a year before hand, Australia had become the first team ever to hit 400 runs in a 50-over match, only to see South Africa actually break this new record, and win the match.  This match was played on the smallest ground used, and Australia started like a house on fire, hitting 50 off the first 5 overs, and making the in form Shaun Pollock look like a mere mortal.  Matthew Hayden went on to score the quickest ever World Cup century, off just 66 balls, and with Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke also hitting 90+, Australia managed a very competitive 377.  South Africa started their reply well, but never recovered from losing Graeme Smith to cramp, and managed just 294, with only Smith and De Villiers managing half centuries.

Just two matches were left now, and both would decide who progressed and who didn’t.  England faced Kenya, with the winner to progress to the Super-8’s.  England bowled out Kenya, thanks in part to some shocking running between the wickets, for 177 (including 22 extras), before 75 from Ed Joyce and 56 from Kevin Pietersen steered England to victory and the Super-8’s.  The 24^th and final group stage match was between Bermuda and Bangladesh, with a tie or a victory taking Bangladesh through and knocking India out.  A rain hit Trinidad meant that both teams would only face 21 overs.  This didn’t upset the form book though, with Bangladesh securing their Super-8’s place, winning with 7 wickets to spare.

Despite the thrills and spills of this World Cup, it will be mainly remembered for the terrible demise of a cricketing great in Bob Woolmer.  Hopefully the rest of the tournament can be played in the manner that he, and his family, would have wanted.

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