The Cup That Counts: South Africa Stuns India

Robin Peterson after beating India. Via Cricinfo

Me writing about cricket is like Ranjit Fernando doing commentary, but whatevs. The Cricket World Cup really is the cup that counts and the excitement and energy around it make it a wonder for anyone to watch. What I love about the game is that it’s an emotional roller coaster and yet goes on long enough for you to drive around and have meals in between. I left the South Africa match to make dinner and they were losing, came back and they were batting well, then bad again, then, at the very last minute, they pulled it out. Truly thrilling, as it seemed to be for everybody on Twitter as well.

I still think last night’s Bangladesh match was the best. I left that thinking Bangladesh was winning, then saw it on TV at a friend’s house where they were suddenly down in the dumps. Gave them up for dead, came home, and they pulled it off at the last minute. These last two matches have been amazing, down to almost the last ball, very high tension, very intense action, very good fun.

People say some sports are dumb, but I don’t think that’s ever quite true. As Shehan wrote in Chinaman (which should be a World Cup read for everyone) “Unlike life, sport matters.” You can really feel it in the last over of a World Cup match. Everything is imbued with meaning and you truly pay attention.

24 Comments

  1. Pingback: Sri Lanka: On The Cup That Counts · Global Voices
  2. Pingback: Sri Lanka: On The Cup That Counts | Daringsearch

  3. What an awesome game! I have nothing much against the Indian team, but the majority of Indian fans are another story. They have turned into absolute assholes (success gone to the head perhaps?) and it is quite pleasing to see their arrogant faces in despair.

  4. I hate the Indian team and the vast majority of Indian supporters. The cricketing world hates them as well. It took close to a decade of utter domination coupled with an equally douche bag on field attitude for the world to hate the aussies. Indian however has incurred the same animosity without even a 10th of the accomplishment of the aussies. Mostly thanks to their attitude and financial bullying. Despite all the lionizing that is done by the indian media, even in this world cup india has failed to impress. Yesterday’s monumental collapse & subsequent loss plus the fact that they haven’t won a single game against the stronger opposition teams show how brittle these overpaid fatsos really are

  5. ‘The Ugly Indian Fan’ is now becoming legion.

  6. I always get this feeling that test cricket is the real thing and fifty over cricket and T20 are just completely different sports that are not worth watching unless the game is pretty close. I like fifty over and T20 matches that end in ties, or one team win by one run or so and unless that is about to happen, I don’t watch them. On the other hand, if I have the time (I usually do), I watch all 450 overs of test matches.

  7. Hating the Indian team is one thing…but do you guys have the guts to bet a years salary on Silly Lunket winning the 2011 world cup? I doubt if even the Silly Lunket team would bet a years match fees on them winning the cup! Beating kenya (or was it zimbabwe?) and other minnows is like a whale having anal sex with a sprat! Silly Lunket lost to Pakistan…lets see how they fare against teams like Australia, South Africa, India and even England! You can’t win a world cup with only 2 batsmen (Sanga & Mahela) and 2 bowlers (Murali & Malinga). Idiots like Dilshan and Tharanga and the middle order can only score (regularly) against the minnows. Que Sera…Sera…

  8. I don’t think there are many people who will bet an years salary on any team. From the looks we’ll get through to the semi’s from there onwards our buggers will have to click. Especially the support bowlers. New Zealand have also struck some form thanks to kamran akmal. England look exhausted, they have also got too many injuries and Anderson is useless in these conditions.

  9. @presiduncebean- english team looked like a bunch of kids mate. ausis are out. sa were useless. just two more games. the guy u called idiot was much better than classical trott. how about a bet now?

  10. Lol. duncie, what’s going on. Why is sri lanka winning all these games.

  11. Remember the 2007 Final? Remember the 2009 T20 world cup final against Pakistan? Just like that payoff line for the WC “The Cup That Matters…” …its the FINAL that matters…all the previous wins…records in the previous games don’t matter…So don’t count your chickens until the finals on Saturday…

  12. I’m proud that we made it to the finals. It’s a great honour just to quallify for the finals. We expect to win the cup too, but we won’t be torching our heroes’ property if they were unable to bring it home either. We’ll still love them. We know they will do their best.
    I think anyone who allows their political views or personal hatred to cloud their enjoyment of sport, really needs help, and should only be pitied.

  13. Well, you can’t get to the final without winning most of the group stages, and winning the quarters and semis. Anyone — like our dunce of a friend here — who says all that matters is the final, really is a dunce.

  14. Dear Mr. Kane,
    Take the 2007 WC as an example. SL played well…broke records (as usual) Malinga got 4 wickets including a hat trick etc. But Australia won the Finals and retained the WC for 3 years running. 4 years from now…nobody is going to be talking about how Sri Lanka beat England by 10 wickets in the quarter finals…they will be talking about Saturdays finals and about the team that won it. The problem with SL fans is that they are crazy over records even if their team loses.

  15. And if we win it, we will be the team they will talk about, Dunce. The final maybe what’s remembered, but you can’t get to the finals without winning at group, quarter, and semi, and that’s what we have done. So I repeat, to say that it’s the final that’s important is idiotic. Every stage is equally important.

    But don’t get so excited, it’s only cricket. The Indians won’t have human shields;)

  17. Mr. Kane,

    http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/current/story/508950.html

    if you read the last paragraph of the article you would see that Sangakara voices the same sentiments that I did. He says…
    “In reality, none of this will matter when the teams step on to the field on Saturday. As Sangakkara said after his team made it to the final, nothing of what they have achieved so far will mean anything if they fail to get over the line on Saturday.”

  18. It won’t mean anything if they FAIL, Dunce. You seem to have comprehension issues lol. The point is if they hadn’t thrashed England and NZ in the quarters and semis they wouldn’t be in the finals. Which still makes you an idiot.

  20. there is a difference between player expectations and what a community can appreciate. Competitors don’t don’t go into games thinking ah i’ll settle for second. They would want to win and nothing less. what fans & the community at large appreciate is something else. A community of fans that can’t appreciate nothing less are the indians and pakistanis who both worship and burn effigies of thier sportsmen, often within a matter of hours. Too much moon watching has put you into that group. Then again you did once say you enjoyed pakistani cricket over the corrupt & politicized cricket that this country offers.

  21. Dunce, Sanga is the captain of Sri Lanka, so he knows what he’s talking about; you’re just an idiot on the internet. As you’ve quoted, none of it will matter if we lose, but it will matter if we win, because without the groups, quarters and semis, we wouldn’t have had the chance to win. It’s a pity your internet connection didn’t come with an attached brain, dumb fuck.

  22. Dear Mr. Kane,
    Name calling won’t help your team win tomorrow. SL had it easy on their way to the finals. They lost to Pak, Aus match abandoned, Won twice against NZ and Once against Eng.
    On the other hand India had it much harder. Lost to SA, Drew against Eng, Beat WI, Pak and Aus (4 times winners of the WC).
    Tomorrow the No.2 ranked team (ICC rankings) plays against the No.3 ranked team. In the last year SL has won only once against India in India. (cricinfo)
    Ha…ha…the Daily Mirror says “MR to offer prayers for success to Lord Venkateswara.” This is the first time I am hearing that Lord Venkateswara is a SL cricket fan? FIrst they buried a cricket ball wrapped in pirith nool in the Hum Bug Thotta stadium to bring good luck to the SL team…and now the Lord Venkateswara episode. I wonder which Gods the Aussies prayed to when they won the WC in 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007?

    ps. What happens if the SL team wins tomorrow? Will MR claim all the credit for the victory? Will GoatPaksha claim that Sanga is the greatest cricket Captain the world has ever seen? If Sanga decides to run for the PresiDuncy will he be tried by a kangaroo military court and be incarcerated in Welikada? Will the hotel housing the SL team be surrounded by the armed forces? Will all Sanga’s fans and supporters be hounded by MRs henchmen and minions? Will MP Sir Nut JOYsooriya be made captain of the SL team?Will he play until he is 55 and is eligible for EPF?

    Ha…ha…ha…anything is possible in this land like nooo other! Be patient Mr.Kane…we will know on Saturday night…until then HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY TO YOU!

  24. Yes…IF that happens I will say sorry Dodo I read it wrong…just like Dhoni read the pitch wrong in the semi finals and played Nehra instead of Ashwin. BUT if India wins I won’t rub it in either…Sanga, mahela, murali and malinga are world class…the rest are idiots.

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