2003 cricket World Cup

Going into the tournament, Australia were generally regarded as the warm-to-hot favourite to defend their title, with co-host South Africa and the enigmatic Pakistan team regarded as the major obstacles.

Controversies

There were a number of pre-tournament controversies, including the possible refusal of many Indian players to play due to their inability to promote their personal sponsors (many of whom provide most of the players' income, but whose products clash with those of the tournament sponsor). Also raised was the security and political situation in Zimbabwe, and the appropriateness of playing there given the alleged misdeeds of the regime of Robert Mugabe.

Australian star player Shane Warne was sent home from the cup in disgrace after a positive drugs test in a lead-up competition in Australia.

England refused to play in Zimbabwe on political grounds, and New Zealand decided against playing in Kenya because of security fears.

Participating Nations

Fourteen teams played in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. In the first round, they were divided into two groups of 7 teams. The best three of each group qualified for the "Super Six", carrying the results against other qualifiers to that round. The top four teams qualified for the semi-finals, and the winners of those matches played the final.

• Australia - test status
• Bangladesh - test status
• Canada - qualified through ICC Trophy[?]
• England - test status
• India - test status
• Kenya - one-day international status
• Namibia - qualified through ICC Trophy
• Netherlands - qualified through ICC Trophy
• New Zealand - test status
• Pakistan - test status
• South Africa - test status
• Sri Lanka - test status
• West Indies - test status
• Zimbabwe - test status

Preliminary Round Results

1. 9 February 2003 South Africa v West Indies - West Indies won by 3 runs.
2. 10 February 2003 Zimbabwe v Namibia - Zimbabwe won by 86 runs.
3. 10 February 2003 New Zealand v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 47 runs.
4. 11 February 2003 Australia v Pakistan - Australia won by 82 runs.
5. 11 February 2003 Bangladesh v Canada - Canada won by 60 runs.
6. 12 February 2003 India v Netherlands - India won by 68 runs.
7. 12 February 2003 South Africa v Kenya - South Africa won by 10 wickets.
8. 13 February 2003 New Zealand v West Indies - New zealand won by 20 runs.
9. 13 February 2003 England v Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe won by default.
10. 14 February 2003 Bangladesh v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets.
11. 15 February 2003 Australia v India - Australia won by 9 wickets.
12. 15 February 2003 Canada v Kenya - Kenya won by 4 wickets.
13. 16 February 2003 New Zealand v South Africa - New Zealand won by 9 wickets.
14. 16 February 2003 England v Holland - England won by 6 wickets.
15. 16 February 2003 Pakistan v Namibia - Pakistan won by 171 runs.
16. 18 February 2003 West Indies v Kenya - match abandoned due to rain.
17. 19 February 2003 Sri Lanka v Canada - Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets.
18. 19 February 2003 India v Zimbabwe - India won by 83 runs.
19. 19 February 2003 England v Namibia - England won by 55 runs.
20. 20 February 2003 Australia v Netherlands - Australia won by 75 runs.
21. 21 February 2003 Kenya v New Zealand - Kenya won by default.
22. 22 February 2003 South Africa v Bangladesh - South africa won by 10 wickets.
23. 22 February 2003 England v Pakistan - England won by 112 runs.
24. 23 February 2003 West Indies v Canada - West Indies won by 7 wickets.
25. 23 February 2003 India v Namibia - India won by 181 runs.
26. 24 February 2003 Kenya v Sri Lanka - Kenya won by 53 runs.
27. 24 February 2003 Australia v Zimbabwe - Australia won by 7 wickets.
28. 25 February 2003 Pakistan v Netherlands - Pakistan won by 97 runs.
29. 26 February 2003 New Zealand v Bangladesh - New Zealand won by 7 wickets.
30. 26 February 2003 England v India - India won by 82 runs.
31. 27 February 2003 Australia v Namibia - Australia won by 256 runs.
32. 27 February 2003 South Africa v Canada - South Africa won by 118 runs.
33. 28 February 2003 Zimbabwe v Netherlands - Zimbabwe won by 99 runs.
34. 28 February 2003 West Indies v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 6 runs.
35. 1 March 2003 India v Pakistan - India won by 6 wickets.
36. 1 March 2003 Kenya v Bangladesh - Kenya won by 32 runs.
37. 2 March 2003 England v Australia - Australia won by 2 wickets.
38. 3 March 2003 New Zealand v Canada - New Zealand won by 5 wickets.
39. 3 March 2003 South Africa v Sri Lanka - tied after rain interruption.
40. 4 March 2003 Zimbabwe v Pakistan - no result due to rain.
41. 4 March 2003 West Indies v Kenya - West Indies won by 142 runs.

Super Six Results

Australia, India, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Kenya and New Zealand advanced to the Super Six stage.

1. 7 March 2003 Australia v Sri Lanka - Australia won by 96 runs.
2. 7 March 2003 India v Kenya - India won by 6 wickets.
3. 8 March 2003 New Zealand v Zimbabwe - New zealand won by 6 wickets.
4. 10 March 2003 India v Sri Lanka - India won by 183 runs.
5. 11 March 2003 Australia v New Zealand - Australia won by 96 runs.
6. 12 March 2003 Kenya v Zimbabwe - Kenya won by 7 wickets.
7. 14 March 2003 India v New Zealand - India won by 7 wickets.
8. 15 March 2003 Australia v Kenya - Australia won by 5 wickets.
9. 16 March 2003 Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka won by 74 runs.

Semifinals

18 March 2003 Australia v Sri Lanka - Australia won by 48 runs.

On a difficult, slow pitch at Port Elizabeth, Australia struggled their way to 212 against tight Sri Lankan bowling, thanks mainly to 91 from Andrew Symonds[?], demonstrating again captain Ricky Ponting[?]'s faith in him. Chaminda Vaas, continuing his excellent tournament, took three wickets. Australia's pace attack then ripped through the Sri Lankan top order, with Brett Lee[?] taking three early wickets and Glenn McGrath[?] taking one. By the time rain arrived in the thirty-ninth over, continued tight bowling had squeezed Sri Lanka to 7/123, well behind the Duckworth-Lewis[?] target.

20 March 2003 India vs Kenya - India won by 91 runs.

The fairytale finally ended for the Kenyan team, the only non test-playing nation to make a World Cup semifinal. Sachin Tendulkar, with 83 runs, and Sourav Ganguly[?] with 111 off 114 balls, batted the Kenyans out of the game as India careered to a total of 4/270 off their 50 overs. Under the Durban lights, the newly potent Indian seam attack of Zaheer Khan[?], the experienced Javagal Srinath[?], and Ashish Nehra[?] careered through the Kenyan top order, who were never in the hunt and were bowled out for 179.

Final

24 March 2003 Australia v India.

India won the toss, and Ganguly -- slightly strangely -- asked Australia to bat, hoping to take advantage of a pitch left damp by dew and rain. On a lively Wanderers Stadium pitch, the Australian openers took advantage of very wayward Indian opening bowlers to get off to a flying start. Bringing up a century opening stand in the fourteeth over, Gilchrist, who had been swinging at everything, holed out off a sweep shot from the bowling of Harbhajan Singh[?] leaving Australia at 1-105. Matthew Hayden[?], looking somewhat better than he had throughout the tournament, soon followed for 37. Captain Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn[?] then completed an astonishing partnership of 234, an Australian record for one-day cricket. Ponting and Martyn started efficiently, putting away bad balls but mostly keeping the scoring going with good running, then letting loose in the last ten overs, taking 109 from them, Ponting in particular dispatching the bowling over the fence with monotonous regularity. The final Australian total of 2-359 looked impregnable, particularly after India's trump card Sachin Tendulkar was out in the first over after skying a pull shot, Glenn McGrath completing the caught and bowled. Nevertheless, Virender Sehwag[?]'s run-a-ball half century gave India respectability as they maintained a high scoring rate, but their only realistic hope—a washout—looked a possibility as the game was interrupted by rain in the eighteenth over. However, the rain proved fleeting, and India's hopes were dashed when Sehwag was run out by Darren Lehmann[?] for 82. India's batsmen continued to throw wickets away in the chase and were finally bowled out for 234 giving Australia an emphatic victory underlining their dominance of the tournament. Ponting was named "Man Of The Match", and Tendulkar "Player Of The Tournament."

External links

• Official Website (http://www.cricketworldcup.com)

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