South Africa v West Indies

At Cape Town, February 9, 2003 (day/night). West Indies won by three runs. Toss: West Indies.

After the South African board's evangelical campaign and Olympic-standard opening ceremony the previous night (a world away from the half-hearted fiasco at Lord's four years earlier), the opening game needed to be great - and it was, thanks to a masterful performance from a great player. Unfortunately for the organisers, though, he was not South African. It was Lara: he lit up Newlands with a century that transformed a terrible West Indies start when Pollock reduced them to seven for two. Playing his first competitive innings since mysteriously falling ill in Sri Lanka five months earlier, Lara was almost out first ball when Kallis dropped a hard chance at second slip. At first he seemed to be over-cautious: it was 30 for two after 15 overs and still 67 for two after 25. But then he tore into Donald and Klusener with a bat as swift as a scimitar to reach 116 off 134 balls. With Powell and Sarwan scoring even more spectacularly - Pollock's penultimate over cost 23 runs - 110 came off the last ten, and West Indies amazed themselves by reaching 278. With one over docked because of their slow overrate, South Africa were up against it. But Kirsten held on, Boucher hit out and then came Klusener, dragging the bittersweet memories of the 1999 tournament with him. His bat still as broad, his jaw still as set, he set out to improve a World Cup average of 140.50. He might have gone when Collins carried a catch over the boundary, but when his fifth six took him to his fifty, South Africa were favourites. However, with four balls remaining and eight needed, Klusener was caught by Hooper at deep midwicket. He and Boje failed to cross, leaving the tailenders exposed to Drakes.

Man of the Match: B. C. Lara. Attendance: 24,180.