It's now showtime at Lord's (18 June 1999)

18 June 1999

It's now showtime at Lord's

Tony Becca

The Seventh World Cup of cricket is down to its final match, and although at the start of the contest many believed it would have been South Africa versus Australia, it is Pakistan against Australia in Sunday's showdown for the title.

On Wednesday, Pakistan, winners of their group in the first round, trounced New Zealand to waltz into the final; and yesterday, Australia, who squeezed into the second round by knocking off the West Indies and into the semi-finals by clipping South Africa in the Super Six round, rose to the occasion again. With defeat staring them in the face, they slipped into the championship match after a dramatic and sensational finish.

With Lance Klusener blasting away, with the score tied, and with three deliveries to go, South Africa appeared home and dry when last man and non-striker Allan Donald failed to respond to Klusener's call for a quick single to mid-off, and was runout to tie the match.

Australia went through on the rule which says that "if a semi-final match is tied or there is no result, the team that finished higher in the Super Six phase will proceed to the final".

Last Sunday when Australia defeated South Africa in the final match of the round, three teams finished tied on six points with net run rate leaving Pakistan on top, Australia second, and South Africa third.

Going into the tournament, Australia were the bookmakers' second favourites behind South Africa, with Pakistan at number three. Following some devastating performances, however, Pakistan took over as the bookies' favourites, Australia dropped to number three, and when they enter Lord's on Sunday morning, they (Pakistan) will be the favourites to win the title with the winner joining the West Indies as the only two-time champions.

For Pakistan to win the title, however, they will have to do what Australia did to South Africa: after losing their first round encounter at Headingley, they will have to beat them again - as the West Indies did in 1975 when they beat the Aussies in their first encounter and again in the final.

Blessed with an array of exciting batsmen - including left-hander Saeed Anwar and Inzamam Ul-Haq, a nicely balanced attack - including left-arm swing master Wasim Akram and the fiery Shoaib Akhtar, a wicketkeeper/batsman like Moin Khan who can change the game with a few strokes, and a quartet of allrounders - including pacers Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood, there is no question that Pakistan possess the skill to upset Australia's recently-found rhythm and to dance away with the Cup.

Australia, however, are just as good, and could make the bookmakers rue the day they changed sides.

Although, but for the skills of Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh, the Australians, who are more conservative in their batting, are not blessed with a batsman as exciting as any in the Pakistani line-up, or with a bowler as fast as Akhtar, they too, despite being a bit short of a full complement of bowlers, boast some quality players and also a well balanced team.

In Ricky Ponting, they possess a batsman of class; in Michael Bevan and Darren Lehman, they have some solid batsmen. In pacer Glen McGrath and right-hander legspinner Shane Warne, they parade two of the world's top bowlers. In Tom Moody, they possess a good allrounder, and led by Ponting, they boast the second best fielding team in the business.

Will it be Pakistan, or will it be Australia?

At their best, Pakistan should be too hot for Australia - especially if Anwar comes out blazing at the start of their innings, and if Akram and Akhtar are on target.

Pakistan, however, have a history of going to pieces at the first hurdle, and although when they are hot they are really hot, if McGrath picks up a few scalps early, if Warne bowls as well as he did yesterday, they could be blown away by a set of Australians who love a fight, who, once they get on top, never ease up, and who, as they demonstrated yesterday, also never give up.

The winner is difficult to call. It is a match which brings together two of the three best teams in the world, one of which is bursting with exciting talent, one of which is tough to the core, and both are confident of victory.

They are confident of victory because each set of players believe that they play cricket how cricket should be played, and because each set believe that they are the best.

In a match which brings together two teams of contrasting styles, it would be a final to remember if both teams are at their best - if the winners beat the losers at their best.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)