Indians add a splash of colour to opening game (15 May 1999)
Hove - They came with their flags, drums, whistles and chants, thronging the small seaside resort better known for its holiday flats and sea view and cosy retirement villages
15-May-1999
15 May 1999
Indians add a splash of colour to opening game
Trevor Chesterfield
Hove - They came with their flags, drums, whistles and chants, thronging
the small seaside resort better known for its holiday flats and sea view
and cosy retirement villages. The World Cup had come to Sussex and the
small county ground would jump and jive all day.
In fact you gained the impression that while the five week event was
officially opened at Lord's on Friday, the England-Sri Lanka match played
here yesterday was a mere sideshow: the real event was South Africa and India.
Such was the passion yet good natured banter between supporters that
even the flag waving exercises and chants was carried off without any
noticeable incidents.
While South Africa and India started their rivalry in November 1991 and
are the oldest combatants in the new South Africa, until yesterday the Safs
had won 18 of the 27 games, which gave India eight wins and a no result match.
But what are such statistics when the whole sub-continent, and a large
number of those Asians living in England, have been waiting for months for
this clash? In fact the World Cup 1999 is a major sell out in Asia; for the
millions in India the rest of the world doesn't exist only cricket. It is
the sport of the people and they are the ones who count.
If the ICC are in need of advice they should host every alternate World
Cup on the sub-continent.
Yesterday the sub-continent came to the Sussex seaside anxious their
team does well; most of them are first or second generation British-born,
but no matter, they passionately support their team and are proud to tell
you about it.