Of bunglers and broken records.

And that's what the first 7 matches of the Cricket World Cup 2007 have been about.
While matches like Aussie vs Scots, Lanka vs Bermuda and even Kenya vs Canada have been pretty boring, because everybody just KNEW which team will win, matches like Windies vs Pak, Ireland vs Zimbabwe and Eng vs NZ have been close matches.

Pak threw away what could have been easily won by collapsing like dominoes. England too, started badly but then consolidated with Collingwood and Pietersen to get to about 130 for 3. Then they did their trademark collapse and were 134 for 6. It was pretty apalling to watch, and we took that as the cue to switch the TV off and hit the sack. They were subsequently all out for 209. NZ naturally, had no difficulty in getting to a simple target like 210. It's amazing, how my two top favourite teams are so susceptible to insane collapses like this. I sincerely hope India doesn't do that today, especially not with everyone coming over to my house to watch. I want it to be a good match (which India wins, DUH).

The IRELAND-ZIM match, however, was one hell of a thriller. It came all the way down to the last over, with Zim needing 9 runs to win, with 1 wicket in hand. Wow, it was a nailbiting finish, right down to the last ball. Zim scored 8 runs in the first 5 balls, and tied the scores. AND THEN. AND THEN IRELAND gets the final wicket in the last ball!! OMG it was tie. I was watching the highlights AFTER knowing the results of the match, and I still chewed my nails down to stubs. It was incredibly exciting. The Irish erupted in celebrations when they managed to tie the match, dancing and doing a lap of honour around the ground.

But honestly, the Irish dropped 5 or 6 catches and missed at least 2 run outs. They were terrible in their fielding. AND YET Zim couldn't win!! How badly did they play man? But Ireland really did bowl well, even though they didn't back it up with their fielding. I tell you, if they had caught even two of those missed catches, they would have cleansweeped the match from Zimbabwe. Now THAT would have been seriously interesting. So much for minnows.

As for the SA-Netherlands match, OMG. It was a run feast from SA. Bats were flung around, boundaries ablaze in every direction, burning record books. 18 sixes in the innings, 354 runs from just 40 overs, and 6 sixes in an over by Herschelle Gibbs, the first time EVER in a ODI. Truly truly amazing batting. As the cricinfo article says, "Don't call one-sided matches boring". I mean, how often do you get to see such CARNAGE on the cricket pitch? The SA-ans practically devoured the Netherlands bowlers. Amazing.

So that is how it's been progressing. Today is India vs Bangladesh. Bangladesh can't be underestimated, they are good. So how will this one turn out? Only time will tell. :)