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FROM THE BOUNDARY - On the way to fulfilling expectations
published: Tuesday | March 20, 2007 <DIV class=KonaBody BdUr0="true">
Tony Becca
On Saturday evening, minutes after the end of the World Cup Group D clash between Pakistan and Ireland at Sabina Park, I saw a smiling Chris Dehring and his beautiful wife Alicia entering one of the new BMWs at the back of the new and wonderful north stand, and knowing that he is not Irish, I wondered why he was smiling - why he was so happy.
By the time I had walked to Kingston Gardens, by the time I had boarded the shuttle to take me to National Heroes Park where my car was parked, I realised why the managing director and chief executive officer of the ICC CWC West Indies 2007 was so happy.
Back in 2003 in Johannesburg, Dehring stood before an audience of international media representatives and promised the world the best World Cup ever in 2007.
South Africa was then in the process of putting on the best World Cup up to then and many scoffed at Dehring's promise.
Well on Saturday, the World Cup, as far as the action on the field was concerned, was five days old an there was still a long way to go, even though there were a few shortcomings, it was, so far, everything that Dehring, Jamaica and the West Indies could have hoped for.
The World Cup was, apparently, on the way to really being the best ever.
Marvellous ceremony
The opening ceremony in Trelawny was simply marvellous. The colour, the music, the dancing and even the speeches were great and the reaction of the people, West Indians and visitors, home based and natives returning home for the occasion, was wonderful.
One man standing at the crowded bar at the Ultimate Jerk Centre in Discovery Bay that night said to me, with a drink in one hand and a bit of pork in the other, "Tony Becca, you don't know how proud I am tonight. When I get back to Toronto, I am going to tell every one of my friends, every one I meet, about tonight."
The opening ceremony was certainly the best ever opening ceremony in the history of the Cup - to many the best, probably but one, they had ever seen.
Well, up to Saturday, only nine of the 51 matches had been played and so far, it was so good.
Colourful and beautiful
On opening day, Sabina Park was packed almost to capacity,the place, colourful and beautiful, was buzzing with excitement and the West Indies, the home team, turned in a magnificent performance with Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Smith starring with the bat, with Dwayne Bravo and Smith, plus Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor and Corey Collymore starring with the ball, and led by Bravo, with every West Indies fielder, but for one mistake by captain Brian Lara, starring in the field.
Playing like true professionals, the West Indies gave everything they had in a sterling performance and in the process got their hunt on the way with a victory over the much-vaunted Pakistan.
On day two at beautiful Sabina Park, there was a tied match - a lovely, exciting last ball game between Ireland and Kenya which Kenya were winning before Ireland struck with five wickets for 18 runs in 6.4 overs.
And then on Saturday were the two big upsets with Bangladesh defeating India and Ireland dumping Pakistan in a performance which, despite a grassy pitch on which Pakistan were sent to bat, a pitch the likes of which I have never before seen at Sabina Park, they, the Irish, should be proud of and should remember for a long, long time.
If at this time of the proceedings, the World Cup wanted anything else to suggest that it will be the best ever, Herschelle Gibbs provided it when he slammed the Netherlands' Daan Van Bunge for six sixes in one over
published: Tuesday | March 20, 2007 <DIV class=KonaBody BdUr0="true">
Tony Becca
On Saturday evening, minutes after the end of the World Cup Group D clash between Pakistan and Ireland at Sabina Park, I saw a smiling Chris Dehring and his beautiful wife Alicia entering one of the new BMWs at the back of the new and wonderful north stand, and knowing that he is not Irish, I wondered why he was smiling - why he was so happy.
By the time I had walked to Kingston Gardens, by the time I had boarded the shuttle to take me to National Heroes Park where my car was parked, I realised why the managing director and chief executive officer of the ICC CWC West Indies 2007 was so happy.
Back in 2003 in Johannesburg, Dehring stood before an audience of international media representatives and promised the world the best World Cup ever in 2007.
South Africa was then in the process of putting on the best World Cup up to then and many scoffed at Dehring's promise.
Well on Saturday, the World Cup, as far as the action on the field was concerned, was five days old an there was still a long way to go, even though there were a few shortcomings, it was, so far, everything that Dehring, Jamaica and the West Indies could have hoped for.
The World Cup was, apparently, on the way to really being the best ever.
Marvellous ceremony
The opening ceremony in Trelawny was simply marvellous. The colour, the music, the dancing and even the speeches were great and the reaction of the people, West Indians and visitors, home based and natives returning home for the occasion, was wonderful.
One man standing at the crowded bar at the Ultimate Jerk Centre in Discovery Bay that night said to me, with a drink in one hand and a bit of pork in the other, "Tony Becca, you don't know how proud I am tonight. When I get back to Toronto, I am going to tell every one of my friends, every one I meet, about tonight."
The opening ceremony was certainly the best ever opening ceremony in the history of the Cup - to many the best, probably but one, they had ever seen.
Well, up to Saturday, only nine of the 51 matches had been played and so far, it was so good.
Colourful and beautiful
On opening day, Sabina Park was packed almost to capacity,the place, colourful and beautiful, was buzzing with excitement and the West Indies, the home team, turned in a magnificent performance with Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Smith starring with the bat, with Dwayne Bravo and Smith, plus Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor and Corey Collymore starring with the ball, and led by Bravo, with every West Indies fielder, but for one mistake by captain Brian Lara, starring in the field.
Playing like true professionals, the West Indies gave everything they had in a sterling performance and in the process got their hunt on the way with a victory over the much-vaunted Pakistan.
On day two at beautiful Sabina Park, there was a tied match - a lovely, exciting last ball game between Ireland and Kenya which Kenya were winning before Ireland struck with five wickets for 18 runs in 6.4 overs.
And then on Saturday were the two big upsets with Bangladesh defeating India and Ireland dumping Pakistan in a performance which, despite a grassy pitch on which Pakistan were sent to bat, a pitch the likes of which I have never before seen at Sabina Park, they, the Irish, should be proud of and should remember for a long, long time.
If at this time of the proceedings, the World Cup wanted anything else to suggest that it will be the best ever, Herschelle Gibbs provided it when he slammed the Netherlands' Daan Van Bunge for six sixes in one over
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