South Africa need Windies lifeline

On the first match-free day of the World Cup, South Africans were yesterday left to contemplate the unthinkable - their team being on the verge of first-round elimination.

Ironically, their chances of survival now depend on West Indies, whose victory over them in the tournament opener triggered the problem that was compounded by their loss to New Zealand on Sunday.

Providing neither are upset in their remaining matches against lesser teams in the group, South Africa's slim chance hinges on West Indies beating group leaders Sri Lanka at Newlands in Cape Town on February 28.

Even then, they would have to follow up by beating the Sri Lankans in their final match in Durban three days later.

It is a combination that prompted yesterday's Cape Argus newspaper to suggest the South African crowd would be even more firmly behind West Indies than usual in the Sri Lankan match.

"Newlands fans backing West Indies is an unlikely scenario but desperate times require unusual methods," he wrote. "It would not be strange, then, to see the usually green-clad Newlands fans decked out in maroon."

The South African Press yesterday highlighed the depression hanging over their team's prospects, most using as a metaphor the weather that meant Sunday's match against New Zealand had to be decided by the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Gloomy Forecast ran the front page banner headline in the Joahnnesburg Star, superimposed on a picture of the rain clouds banking over the floodlit Wanderers ground.

"South Africa's dream of winning the World Cup is being held together by sticky tape and prayers," wrote Kevin McCallum in The Star.

Quoting South African captain Shaun Pollock's comment: "We've got to hope, we need a lifeline", McCallum added: "There will be 40 million South Africans clinging on to that same hope and looking for that lifeline over the next couple of weeks."

Writing in the Cape Times, Michael Owen-Smith offered some cheer. He noted that, at present, South Africa's net run rate was superior to the rest and that "teams that have barely scraped through the first round have tended to go on to win the tournament".

He cited 1992 when Pakistan made it into the second round only because rain gained them a share of the points against England and yet went on to win the Cup and 1999 when Australia lost two of their first-round matches before taking the championship.

The form of Alan Donald, their greatest, but aging, fast bowler, and the overall quality of bowling that has conceded totals of 278 for five off 50 overs against West Indies and 229 for one off 36.5 overs against New Zealand are also under the microscope.