South Africa emerge as winners - 1998
Evolved as part of the International Cricket Council's globalisation scheme, the ICC Champions Trophy - or the mini World Cup - has proved to be a resounding success both from the financial and cricketing viewpoints
Partab Ramchand
12-Sep-2002
Evolved as part of the International Cricket Council's globalisation
scheme, the ICC Champions Trophy - or the mini World Cup - has proved
to be a resounding success both from the financial and cricketing
viewpoints. In importance, it ranks next only to the World Cup and is
staged every two years. Indeed, the unique feature of the tournament
in the inaugural year was the fact that only the nine Test-playing
nations participated, and that meant it represented the apotheosis of
the game in every respect.
When the idea for such a competition was first mooted, there was
serious talk of Disney World in Florida hosting the event. Then
Sharjah seemed to be emerging as a candidate before the tournament was
finally held in Dhaka from October 24 to November 1, 1998. The
attractive catch-phrase associated with the tournament underscored its
pulsating format: "Nine teams, eight matches, one chance." Indeed,
with the event being held on a knock-out basis, there were no second
opportunities for the contestants. One bad match and even the most
heavily fancied side could be out of the tournament.
The pattern for the exciting fare during the week was set in the
opening match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe. Replying to Zimbabwe's
258 for seven in 50 overs, New Zealand were always behind on the runrate and required 40 runs with just three overs left. Chris Harris,
then, launched a ferocious assault on Neil Johnson and 18 runs came
off the 48th over. Off the last over, New Zealand needed 12 runs and
they got to the last ball wanting three. Harris emerged the hero,
hitting the ball to the extra cover boundary, and New Zealand won by
five wickets in the narrowest manner possible.
The quarter-finals were not without surprises, the biggest being
India's 44-run win over Australia. Not surprisingly, Sachin Tendulkar
was the architect of the unexpected victory. First, he tore the attack
apart to score 141 off 128 balls with 13 fours and three sixes. After
two wickets had fallen for eight runs, Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid (48)
added 140 runs for the third wicket. This was followed by a 132-run
fourth-wicket partnership between Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja (71). When
Australia made a gallant bid to challenge India's imposing total of
307 for eight in 50 overs, Tendulkar, with his mixture of leg-breaks
and off-breaks, finished with four wickets for 38. The match also saw
Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin become the first to play 300 oneday internationals, even if he was out for a third-ball duck.
A comparatively minor surprise was the West Indies' 30-run victory
over Pakistan. Opener Philo Wallace's blistering 79 off 58 balls and
his second-wicket partnership of 109 runs with Shivnarine Chanderpaul
(49) paved the way for West Indies' challenging total of 289 for nine
in 50 overs. Against four spinners, an unlikely attack for the West
Indies to possess, Pakistan were restricted to 259 for nine in 50
overs.
South Africa were always expected to get the better of England, who,
preparing for the sterner Ashes battle in Australia, sent a team that
had a Second XI look. Under the circumstances, even a total of 281 for
seven in 50 overs was not enough to avoid defeat. Skipper Adam
Hollioake top-scored with an unbeaten 83, but South Africa, with
breezy knocks from Darryl Cullinan (69), Jonty Rhodes (61 not out) and
skipper Hansie Cronje (67), coasted home with six wickets and 3.2
overs to spare.
The match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka had the looks of being a
scorcher, but their heroics against Zimbabwe seemed to have left the
Kiwis exhausted. When they were all out for 188 in 49.5 overs, they
were always going to be up against it. To their credit, they had the
Lankans at five for three with Sanath Jayasuriya out for a first-ball
duck. But skipper Arjuna Ranatunga (90 not out) brought all his vast
experience into play, and Sri Lanka were home by five wickets in 41.3
overs.
In the semi-finals, South Africa were expected to get the better of
Sri Lanka, while few bold predictions were being made regarding the
outcome of the India-West Indies tie. South Africa did make it to the
title round, but they needed the Duckworth-Lewis method to do so. The
first rainy day of the tournament meant that the game was delayed by
two hours, becoming a 39-over match. A further five overs were later
lopped off the Sri Lankan innings, revising their target to 224 in 34
after South Africa had led off with 240 for seven thanks to Jacques
Kallis' unbeaten 113 off 100 balls with five sixes. The Lankan batsmen
looked out of sorts, lost wickets too quickly, and were all out for
132 in 23.4 overs to leave South Africa winners by the comfortable
margin of 92 runs.
Against all expectations, the other semi-final too ended in a rather
lop-sided result, with the West Indies winning by six wickets and
three overs to spare. India were always going to be up against it
after they lost Tendulkar and Azharuddin with only 21 runs scored,
both batsmen falling to Mervyn Dillon. Though Sourav Ganguly (83) and
Robin Singh (73 not out) raised the total to 242 for six in 50 overs,
the West Indies encountered little difficulty in achieving their
target. In a reversal of roles, Chanderpaul hit a stroke-filled 74,
while skipper Brian Lara, playing with restraint, got an unbeaten 60.
Despite another tight bowling spell from Tendulkar (two for 29 from
ten overs), Lara and Keith Arthurton (40) steered their side home with
an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership of 89 runs.
Living up to the pre-match tag of favourites, South Africa duly won
the trophy, defeating the West Indies by four wickets and three overs
to spare. An electrifying 103 by opener Philo Wallace and a score of
180 for three gave the West Indies hopes of raising an imposing total,
but Kallis (5 for 30) ripped through the middle and late order. The
West Indies were dismissed for 245 in the last over. There was a
glimmer of hope for them when South Africa were 137 for five, but
Cronje stood firm with an unbeaten 61 and got his team home. A few
minutes later the beaming South African captain was receiving the
trophy from the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.