ST KITTS: Ricky Ponting predicts a run feast when Australia face South Africa in the cricket World Cup

Record ID: 334915

  • Title: ST KITTS: Ricky Ponting predicts a run feast when Australia face South Africa in the cricket World Cup
  • Date: 17th March 2007
  • Summary: CAYON, SAINT KITTS (MARCH 16, 2007) (REUTERS) WIDE OF FIELD AT SAINT MARY'S PARK CRICKET GROUND WITH AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM TRAINING AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS KICKING SOCCER BALL AROUND VARIOUS OF AUSTRALIA COACH JOHN BUCHANAN AUSTRALIA'S CRICKET TEAM RUNNING AROUND PITCH TEAM WALKING ON PITCH AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN RICKY PONTING STRETCHING ON CRICKET FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (English)
  • Embargoed: 1st April 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA4NZ7JNYRZ1FBYO1EEF08ELDIQ
  • Story Text: Short boundaries at Warner Park in St Kitts could mean huge scores in the match between Australia and South Africa on March 24, says Australia's captain. Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Friday (March 16) predicted a run feast in excess of 700 when the world champions meet South Africa in their final World Cup Group A match on March 24.
    Ponting told a news conference at Warner Park he had not seen South African Herschelle Gibbs make one-day international history by hitting six sixes in an over against the Netherlands earlier in the day.
    But the Australian skipper, who hit five sixes in his 113 against Scotland at the same venue on Wednesday, said he was not surprised.
    "I think 350 is pretty much a par score out there, it's just so small a ground, especially the straight boundaries are really small and I miss hit a few the other day on top of the grandstand," he told a news conference.
    "It doesn't actually surprise me that much. I mean it's a really rare type of feat to happen in a game of cricket but having played out there the other day, it is very, very small and I think it could have happened, not pretty easily -- you have to have a fair bit of skill to be able to do that -- but with the way some of the guys are hitting the ball these days, it doesn't really surprise me at all," he added.
    Australia scored 334 for six from their 50 overs against Scotland, a tally topped by South Africa on Friday who amassed 353 for three from 40 against the Netherlands in a rain-shortened match.
    The Australians, who are aiming for a World Cup hat-trick in the tournament which ends in Barbados on April 28, play the Netherlands on Sunday.
    Unsurprisingly, Ponting was not asked any questions about the Dutch but plenty about the South Africans, who displaced his side as the world number one in the International Cricket Council rankings last month while the Australians were losing five matches in a row.
    "They are a very good team and have been for a long time," he said.
    "They are the number one ranked one-day side in the world now, they must be doing something right," he added.
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