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World Cup Cricket - we go rally around the West Indies
Written by : Cheryl Barker
Location : Trinidad & Tobago
Posted : Mar 7, 2007 : 8:54:46 AM |
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This month sees the Caribbean playing host to its own sons, the West Indies, and fifteen other countries in the Cricket World Cup. The tournament is held every four years, and over the course of six weeks the teams battle it out in a series of one day matches, until the winning team gets to raise the World Cup trophy in the air.
The opening ceremony on March 11th signifies the start of the tournament. Then the matches begin; the teams are arranged into four groups, and play each other within their group. They are arranged thus:
A - Australia, South Africa, Scotland and The Netherlands (St Kitts & Nevis)
B - Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Bermuda (Trinidad)
C - New Zealand, England, Kenya and Canada (St Lucia)
D - Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland (Jamaica)
The top two teams in each group will then proceed to the second 'Super Eight' stage, and the winners of these games will then play in the semi-finals, and then onto the final. The full itinerary may be found at www.cricketworldcup.com.
The trophy weighs in at about 11 kilos, and is around 60cm tall. It is made from silver and then gilded, and features a golden globe held up by three columns shaped like stumps and bails. As the teams and their supporters arrive in islands around the Caribbean, they all feel that they have an equal chance of lifting that trophy -and all players will also have the opportunity to become 'man of the match' or 'man of the series.'
Of course there are the front runners, such as Australia, India, South Africa and England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, who are all in with a chance with their big hitters and fast bowlers. But this must not be taken for granted, as some of the lesser known cricket teams could cause some upsets along the way, so the path to the trophy may not as easy as some may predict.
The West Indies may be at an advantage playing on the pitches they know so well, but recent years have shown them to be unpredictable, and capable of causing great heartache to many of their supporters. However, then there are moments like the one when Browne and Bradshaw managed to turn a game around, and walk away with the ICC trophy These occasions leave us filled with hope and faith in the West Indies team, but they are guaranteed to keep us on the (very) edge of our seats, whichever part of the world we will be watching the games from.
If you are not fortunate enough to be in the Caribbean for the Cricket World Cup, you can watch all the action live on Sky Sports, with highlights on BBC1 and BBCi, or listen on BBC Radios 4 and 5.
The 2007 World Cup will not only raise the profile of cricket, but will act as a showcase for countries in the Caribbean. It will raise tourism levels across the islands, and bring in much-needed revenue, and ultimately make the people in the Caribbean very happy. Why? Because they love their cricket! This passion has been epitomised in poems such as Tanti at de Oval by Paul Keens Douglas and in many a soca and calypso song. One that springs to mind is Rally around the West Indies by David Rudder, which is bound to receive plenty of airplay during the World Cup.
To conclude, good luck to all the teams taking part in the Cricket World Cup 2007, and here's hoping that Lara, Gayle and Chanderpaul can restore the glory and the pride in the Caribbean left by "the men many feared," Richards, Lloyd and Holding. |
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