Fans will be able to enjoy the Soccer World Cup using the latest technology, but the referees will only have their judgement when making decisions.
Australia trounced South Africa by seven wickets on Wednesday to move smoothly into the final of the Cricket World Cup, chasing down a paltry target of 150 with 18.3 overs to spare. Australia’s bowlers blew away South Africa, reducing them to 27-5 before the Proteas rallied to reach 149 all out, Justin Kemp top-scoring with 49 not out.
The West Indies’ Bennett King became the latest international coach to quit on Monday as the revolving doors of cricket management gathered speed. King quit after the West Indies, who won the first two World Cups and reached the final in 1983, won just one Super Eights match and failed to qualify for the last four of the 2007 tournament.
Weary of its reputation of being unable to win the big match, South Africa gets another chance to rid itself of the ”choker” label with another trip to the Cricket World Cup semifinals. Australia, always quick to focus on their opposition’s mental weaknesses, says it senses fear among the South Africans.
The Irish are famed around the world for knowing how to throw a party. Now Ireland’s cricketers are not just joining world cricket’s biggest club, they’re winning matches and lots of new friends. Ireland’s comfortable 74-run defeat of Bangladesh on Sunday in the Super Eights is the amateur side’s second victory at the World Cup.
Struggling through in the Super Eights, South Africa and England meet at the Kensington Oval on Tuesday chasing the last place in the semifinals. Tuesday’s game is South Africa’s last in the Super Eights, while England must still play the West Indies in the final match before the semifinals.
South Africa are looking to sweep aside the challenge of Bangladesh in a Super Eights match on Saturday and take a maximum six points from the team’s stay on the South American mainland. Captain Graeme Smith said on Friday his team were aware of the dangers posed by Bangladesh but would be up to the task.
If the soccer gets boring at the World Cup, watch out for the secret signals between the match officials running the game. Over the years referees have developed discreet ways of passing or receiving messages, often involving the assistants helping out the man in the middle when he or she may not have seen an incident.