Tony Becca, Contributing EditorBRIDGETOWN, Barbados:
Forty-eight days after the glorious and unforgettable opening ceremony, and 46 days after the exciting and memorable opening match, the curtain comes down on the 2007 Cricket World Cup today in the heart of West Indies cricket, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, in what promises to be a final, a showdown, a shoot-out to remember.
After 50 matches, some one-sided, some close and exciting, some ending in upsets, one ending with one delivery to spare, and one ending so close that it was a tie, it is, from the 16 starters, Australia versus Sri Lanka in a match-up which, certainly looking at the players in both teams, definitely looking at the performances of some of those players, could have been made in heaven.
In fact, it promises to be a contest which could make this final, this duel for the title, the best, the greatest and the most exciting of all time.
On top of that in Australia, champions on three occasions, and in Sri Lanka, champions on one occasion, it brings together with swords drawn two past winners - one with revenge on their minds and blood in their eyes.
And those on a mission of revenge are not Sri Lanka, who, having already qualified for the semi-finals, rested their top bowlers and lost easily to Australia in the second round - in the round of the Super Eights.
The ones with revenge on their minds are Australia - beaten finalists in 1996 when after chipping to 241 for seven, Sri Lanka, led by a brilliant Aravinda de Silva, who scored a memorable century, sped to victory at 245 for three with 3.4 overs to spare.
Finalists in 1975, winners in 1987, finalists in 1996, winners in 1999, and winners again in 2003, the double defending champions and the team gunning for a hat-trick of titles, Australia, are favourites to put on the crown and to pocket the US$2.4 million first prize, and with their record in Test and in one-day cricket, and for so long a time at that, they deserve to be.
On top of that with Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, captain Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey, with all-rounders Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson, Australia boast a powerful batting side - a line-up that parades two attacking batsmen at the top, three solid run-getters in the middle and two good batsmen who can adapt to the situation in the lower half of the order.
brilliant fielding
And with left-hander Nathan Bracken and Shaun Tait to get things going, with Glenn McGrath and Watson in support, with Symonds and left-arm spinner Brad Hogg to follow, Australia's bowling, backed up by their brilliant fielding, is just as frightening.
Sri Lanka, finalists and winners in 1996, are bubbling with confidence, however, an Australia enter today's clash with a perfect 10 from 10 in comparison to their eight from 10 after losing to South Africa and to Australia, they can be dangerous, very dangerous at that.
Although they do not appear on par with Australia when it comes to batting, in Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga, they possess two good opening batsmen, in Kumar Sangakkara and captain Mahela Jayawardene, who is coming off a magnificent century innings against New Zealand in the semi-finals, they boast two wonderful players, and in Chamara Silva, Tilakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold, Sri Lanka possess some good all-rounders who bat quite well down the order and who, on their day, can be dangerous.
And the same goes for Sri Lanka's fielding they do not consistently match-up to Australia, they can be brilliant at times.
When it comes to bowling, however, Sri Lanka are as good as Australia. In fact, with left-arm swing bowler Chaminda Vaas and slinger Lasith Malinga with his exceptional pace and prodigious away swing to open the attack, and with Muttiah Muralitharan to follow up with his off-spin and his doosra, Sri Lanka's bowling, to many, is probably even better than Australia's.
Australia, for many reasons and no question about it, are favourites to walk away with the title and the prize money.
For a few reasons, however, they are not as red-hot favourites as they were up to a few days ago.
With Hayden at the top of the tournament's batting with 621 runs, Ponting in third position
with 502, and Clarke in eighth spot with 428, with Hayden boasting three centuries, Ponting one, and Clarke a top score of 93 not out, Australia, so far, parade two of the top three batting stars of 2007 and another one in the top 10, and with McGrath on top of the bowling with 25 wickets, followed by Tait in joint second position with 23, followed by Hogg on 20, and with Bracken on 15, Australia, again and so far, possess almost all the bowling stars.
With Jayawardene on 529 and in second position, however, and Jayasuriya with 404 in ninth, with Jayasuriya scoring two centuries and Jayawardene one, with Muralitharan in joint second position with 23 wickets, with Malinga in fifth with16, an he has only 13, with the dangerous Vaas around, Sri Lanka are not far behind.
Australia boast a stronger batting line-up - no question about that, and apart from their brilliance in the field, they also boast a stronger bowling attack - no question either about that.
There is, however, many a slip between the lip and the cup and while Australia, with most points, most wins and the best individual performances during the tournament, flex their muscles with the likes of Hayden and Ponting plus Gilchrist, Clarke, Symonds, Hussey, and Watson, McGrath, Tait, Bracken and Hogg, Sri Lanka, with second most points, with second most wins, and with thesecond best individual performances, have Jayasuriya and Jayawardene, plus Tharanga and Sangakkara, they have Vaas and Malinga, plus Muralitharan, and if they bat first at Kensington, it could be very exciting, very interesting, and very close.
Such is the promise of the showdown that the people of Bridgetown, the people of Barbados, the people of the West Indies and the fans from all around the world who are gathered here are praying that the rain, which woke them up yesterday, will stay away and that it will be sunshine all day.
