Sympathy as Australia take Cup, weather wins the day

SYDNEY – Australians celebrated their cricket team’s third straight World Cup victory on Saturday tempered by sympathy for their Sri Lankan opponents who were forced to end the batting in the rain-shortened match in pitch-black darkness.

Prime Minister John Howard, often described as a “cricket tragic”, led the congratulations for skipper Ricky Ponting’s men with praise for outgoing fast-bowler and player of the series Glenn McGrath. Howard said he got up in the middle of the night to watch some of Adam Gilchrist’s record knock of 149 in Bridgetown, Barbados, which put Australia on the road to victory.”Congratulations to Ricky and the boys, but to Glenn McGrath, that lanky bloke from Narromine, thanks for a wonderful contribution to Australian cricket,” Howard said.”He joins the greats of Australian fast bowlers, he’s a wonderful bloke and he’s been a wonderful player and he went out on a very high note.”Sri Lanka’s president yesterday congratulated the national team’s World Cup effort and pledged to help the side prepare for future tournaments after their finals ‘loss’.President Mahinda Rajapakse, who travelled to Barbados for the final, said captain Mahela Jayawardene and his team mates did a great job in the two-month tournament.”I congratulate the captain and members of the Sri Lanka cricket team on the success in finishing runners-up in the ICC World Cup 2007 tournament,” he said in a statement.”I take this occasion to renew my government’s pledge to give all assistance to the continued success of Sri Lankan cricket.”In Sri Lanka the game was marred when Tamil Tiger air attacks on the capital during the match forced fans to flee their parties for safety.Fans dressed in the Sri Lankan team T-shirts and carrying the national flag had earlier braved the rain to gather in their hundreds at playgrounds, clubs, hotels and bars showing live coverage of the match on giant screens.Australia triumphed by 53 runs using the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-shortened match concluded in confusion and gloomy light and amidst controversy over the dismissal of Sri Lankan captain Jayawardene.Jayawardene was given out lbw by umpire Steve Bucknor in the face of an intense appeal by the Australians.However, replays clearly showed that the Sri Lankan captain, who scored over 100 against New Zealand in the semi-finals, was not out.Sri Lanka, chasing Australia’s 281 for four in 38 overs, finished on 215 for eight, short of a rain-revised target of 269 off 36 overs.But confusion from the umpires saw the Australians celebrating victory three overs before the end.The Sri Lankans were then forced to continue batting in darkness at the ground, with no lights.Comments on Australian sports blogs were scathing of the misunderstanding.”What a joke.The players deserved so much more than that,” John wrote on The Sunday Telegraph sports website.”What a shocking tournament, coach of Pakistan murdered, a rain-affected shemozzle of a final that should have been postponed, along with the high farce of the final ending twice in pitch-black night,” he wrote.”The game descended into an absolute farce due to inept umpiring decisions,” agreed Aiti of Wollongong, south of Sydney.”I am amazed, also, that the venue for the final had no lighting facilities.I am sure that you would have needed radar to locate the ball!.”At the end of the day though – the Australians won and thoroughly deserved to win, having remained unbeaten through the entire tournament.”But whether they would have won the final if the playing field had been even, no one will ever know.Howard said he got up in the middle of the night to watch some of Adam Gilchrist’s record knock of 149 in Bridgetown, Barbados, which put Australia on the road to victory.”Congratulations to Ricky and the boys, but to Glenn McGrath, that lanky bloke from Narromine, thanks for a wonderful contribution to Australian cricket,” Howard said.”He joins the greats of Australian fast bowlers, he’s a wonderful bloke and he’s been a wonderful player and he went out on a very high note.”Sri Lanka’s president yesterday congratulated the national team’s World Cup effort and pledged to help the side prepare for future tournaments after their finals ‘loss’.President Mahinda Rajapakse, who travelled to Barbados for the final, said captain Mahela Jayawardene and his team mates did a great job in the two-month tournament.”I congratulate the captain and members of the Sri Lanka cricket team on the success in finishing runners-up in the ICC World Cup 2007 tournament,” he said in a statement.”I take this occasion to renew my government’s pledge to give all assistance to the continued success of Sri Lankan cricket.”In Sri Lanka the game was marred when Tamil Tiger air attacks on the capital during the match forced fans to flee their parties for safety.Fans dressed in the Sri Lankan team T-shirts and carrying the national flag had earlier braved the rain to gather in their hundreds at playgrounds, clubs, hotels and bars showing live coverage of the match on giant screens.Australia triumphed by 53 runs using the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-shortened match concluded in confusion and gloomy light and amidst controversy over the dismissal of Sri Lankan captain Jayawardene.Jayawardene was given out lbw by umpire Steve Bucknor in the face of an intense appeal by the Australians.However, replays clearly showed that the Sri Lankan captain, who scored over 100 against New Zealand in the semi-finals, was not out.Sri Lanka, chasing Australia’s 281 for four in 38 overs, finished on 215 for eight, short of a rain-revised target of 269 off 36 overs.But confusion from the umpires saw the Australians celebrating victory three overs before the end.The Sri Lankans were then forced to continue batting in darkness at the ground, with no lights.Comments on Australian sports blogs were scathing of the misunderstanding.”What a joke.The players deserved so much more than that,” John wrote on The Sunday Telegraph sports website.”What a shocking tournament, coach of Pakistan murdered, a rain-affected shemozzle of a final that should have been postponed, along with the high farce of the final ending twice in pitch-black night,” he wrote.”The game descended into an absolute farce due to inept umpiring decisions,” agreed Aiti of Wollongong, south of Sydney.”I am amazed, also, that the venue for the final had no lighting facilities.I am sure that you would have needed radar to locate the ball!.”At the end of the day though – the Australians won and thoroughly deserved to win, having remained unbeaten through the entire tournament.”But whether they would have won the final if the playing field had been even, no one will ever know.