Just enough time to
catch the rugby
Saturday, 27
October, 2001
BBC Sport Online columnist Neil McKenzie reflects on
helping South Africa win the triangular
series - now it's time to watch rugby.
Durban has always been a good hunting ground for the team
when it comes to one-dayers, on the field that is...
We have a good track record at Kingsmead and thankfully
we kept up that record here
yesterday with a good win over India in the summer spice
series final last night.
A few times during the match I really thought that we
were playing an away game in India.
The local Indians had turned out in full force with their
flags and were shouting every time
India did something.
Thankfully though, we played good cricket and quietened
the crowd down with regular wickets and then a solid run
chase.
Man-of-the-series Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis
provided the backbone yet again.
The climatic conditions before the match didn't help much
as practice was interrupted on
Wednesday with wet nets.
Then it was totally rained off on Thursday with the field
looking more like a dam than the green pastures of a
cricket oval and some of the guys went indoors to sharpen
up their game.
Forecast wrong
Fortunately, the weather broke yesterday and the rain
that the weathermen were predicting
stayed away.
We were able to complete the match uninterrupted. This
was important for two reasons.
Firstly, it meant that we could all head off home and
spend some quality time this weekend
with family and friends before re-grouping for the first
test match in Bloemfontein next
Thursday.
Secondly and perhaps more importantly in the context of
the weekend, the Currie Cup rugby
final is on and if the cricket final had been rained off,
we would have
had to stay on a second day and miss catching it live.
So, the Western Province boys flew off back to Cape Town
today to head back to Newlands to watch their beloved Bob
Skinstad and his crew take on the might of the Natal
Sharks.
Last year, the WP team came to Durban for the final and
spoilt the Natal boys' party by
turning the "Shark Tank" into the "Septic
Tank".
So it's a pretty good rematch with the only change being
the venue.
I'm sure the Sharks players have had last year's memory
of their defeat etched into their minds by the coach and
plan to do the same to the WP beach-heads this afternoon
down in Cape Town.
Not wishing to dwell on the rugger for too long as the
Lions from Jo'burg won't be growling
today, the boys celebrated the final win in true style by
grouping together and heading off to
a favourite spot here in Durban for a few late-night
thirst quenchers.
Needless to say it was quite difficult getting up for the
early morning flight home with a few
cheesy and puffy eyes to be seen around 7am in the
morning.
For the time being, this is Neil McKenzie from SA for BBC
Sport Online.