Thursday, March 20, 2003

Mid-match update

India scored an excellent 4/270 off their 50 overs in the second semi-final. They didn't start all that fast, due to some tight bowling from the Kenyans, but batted pretty well in the second half of the innings, thanks to 83 from Tendulkar and 111 not out from Ganguly (his third century of the tournament). This should mean an easy win for the Indians, if the match is completed. However, I doubt it will be. The sky looked very grey towards the end of the Indian innings. CNN is presently reporting that it is raining in Durban, and South Africans tell me that once it starts raining in Durban it takes a while to stop. We have had rain ruin one day night match in Durban already, and I think here goes another one.

If the match is washed out before Kenya have batted 25 overs, the match will be replayed tomorrow. As to why the match is being replayed and not continued, ask the organisers and the ICC. I assume that the match is replayed as another Day/Night game tomorrow, but I will go read the rules and check. I will post an update once I have done this. If the game is replayed and it rains in the evening again and the match is abandoned a second time, that would be particularly idiotic, particularly considered that the ICC Champions trophy final had exactly that happen six months ago. In that case, the tournament was ruined by the fact that at that time of year it rains in the afternoon every day in Sri Lanka. If the tournament had been able to be continued rather than replayed, the match would have been completed. Hopefully Durban is not like this.

Update: The rule is that a day match should be replayed as a day match, and a Day/Night match as a Day/Night match unless otherwise determined by the tournament Technical Committee. Therefore, if the game needs to be replayed it will again be a Day/Night match tomorrow unless there is some good reason for changing it. Meanwhile, Kenya are batting and are 1/20 off 10.0 overs. We need to play for another hour to get a result under the Duckworth/Lewis rule. If we can do that, an Indian victory looks certain.

Further Update: India 2/21 of 10.1 overs. India could of course win the match sooner by bowling Kenya out in less than 25 overs.

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