da pixbet： The day’s most interesting moments on and off the field
Dileep Premachandran in Antigua03-Apr-2007
Crash, bang…fizzle: Andrew White’s run-a-ball 30 ended with a full toss to midwicket © Getty Images
The joy of six
Mickey Arthur wanted a comprehensive victory, butthe fighting Irish ensured that South Africa would have to strain mostsinews for the two points. The target though was reached in the bestpossible fashion, with Ashwell Prince slamming a beautiful six overlong-on. Stodgy batsman with few strokes? Those that watch him comethrough the ranks in Cape Town would tell you a very different story.A wide … or not?
If Niall O’Brien hadn’t reached for it, theumpire wouldn’t have had to think twice before calling a leg-side wide. Asit was, Charl Langeveldt was gifted a wicket, with the attempted glanceballooning off the back of the bat to Herschelle Gibbs. A gimmie if thereever was one.Pie thrower of the day
Langeveldt missed out on thewicket-off-rubbish-ball award though, when Andrew White’s run-a-ball 30ended with him smacking a Graeme Smith full toss straight to midwicket.Plucked chicken
Those who waited for the Trent Johnston chickendance weren’t disappointed. It helped that it came after anotherabsolutely stunning catch, this time an audacious pluck five inches offthe ground after Smith had walloped one straight back at the bowler.Are you at Lansdowne Road?
After AB de Villiers slashed at afairly wide delivery from Boyd Rankin, William Porterfield brieflyresembled a frozen-fingered wing on a bone-chillingly cold March day atLansdowne Road. He fumbled, nearly fumbled again, and then held on. Justas well too. Rankin’s not the sort of guy you should be looking to upset.And the band played on
Despite all the prohibitions and therestrictions – you have to get permission from the local organisingcommittee before musical instruments can be brought inside the stadium -the band never let up throughout the day. What a shame then that it wasmostly soulless plastic seats that made up the audience. The World Cup acelebration of the Caribbean way of life? About as true as Hitler being aphilanthropist.