Sri Lanka vs South Africa

The first semi final of the 2015 cricket world cup promises to be an intriguing affair. South Africa vs. Sri Lanka has traditionally proven to be extremely close competitors at One day international level. How close you ask? Well, Sri Lanka has win twenty nine matches to South Africa’s 28. Razor-thin really, between the two of them. An interesting sub plot in this match is the fact that this might be the last time Kumar Sangakarra steps onto a cricket pitch in pajama gear. In my opinion, the greatest batsman since Don Bradman, it would be fitting if Kumar could lift the trophy, owning two runner-up medals already. Cricket however, doesn’t really do fitting. After all, Don Bradman himself needed only four runs in his final knock to retire averaging 100, and as we all know, he went for a duck. Probably wished he retired just before the match on his way out. No, this isn’t really a sport which deals in poetic justice. Warne had to retire from ODI having failed a drug test. Hansie was retired at the proverbial hangman’s noose in the King’s Commission. What chance then, does old Sangakarra have of attaining the fairy tale ending? There’s a view, which has merit, that he already has the fairy tale ending. After all, no other batsman has scored four hundreds in four consecutive cricket games. But Sangakarra is a great team man, and individual accolades, while great, are probably not the reasons for him giving this world cup thing one final go. It is therefore unfortunate that Sri Lanka has lost, rather convincingly, their only two matches against pre-tournament favourites. Both New Zealand and Australia went to town on Sri Lankan bowling, amassing over 700 runs in 100 overs against a rather limited attack. Even England, managed to knock three hundred past this attack. This does not bode well going into a match against the only team in history to score 400 in back to back matches. Yes, South Africa cannot chase, but they’d be licking their lips at a chance of batting first against this Lankan attack. It is my opinion that if South Africa bats first, they have a 60-40 chance of winning the match. If Lanka bat first, they have a 65-35 chance of winning. I’m not a fan of cricket matches being decided on the toss, but we may very well have Kumar Sangakarra’s future decided by a head or tail call.