ST KITTS: CRICKET - South Africa and Scotland prepare for their Group A World Cup match

Record ID: 455511

  • Title: ST KITTS: CRICKET - South Africa and Scotland prepare for their Group A World Cup match
  • Date: 20th March 2007
  • Summary: MORE OF NET PRACTICE
  • Embargoed: 4th April 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8MZD6GMCUNWSUKJ689P1GHYFT
  • Story Text: South African captain Graeme Smith said his team would make their Group A match against Scotland on Tuesday (March 20) a tribute to Bob Woolmer.
    Pakistan coach Woolmer, formerly in charge of South Africa, died in Jamaica on Sunday.
    "We were all pretty shocked when we found out," Smith told a news conference on Monday. "All of us have known Bob (Woolmer) pretty well, a lot of our guys have played under Bob so there is obviously a huge sadness amongst a lot of the guys ."
    Woolmer coached South Africa from 1994 to 1999. The team won 83 of the 117 one-day internationals and 10 of the 15 test series they contested under his guidance.
    The unexpected losses that have befallen fancied teams at the World Cup have given Smith pause for thought ahead of the game against Scotland.
    Normally, the South Africans would expect to beat a team like Scotland without breaking sweat.
    But Saturday's shock wins by Bangladesh and Ireland over India and Pakistan respectively have made Smith think again.
    Pakistan's loss, coming after defeat to West Indies in the opening match of the tournament, has condemned them to an early departure from the tournament.
    "I guess the upsets earlier in the week in the other groups have kept every top team on their toes," Smith said.
    "It just shows that if you're not up for it and you don't perform to your levels you can put yourself under pressure."
    Smith said the South Africans were looking to build on their performance against the Netherlands on Friday, when they won by a national record 221 runs.
    "The way we performed against Holland is certainly the way we would like to perform tomorrow," he said. "It's important to lay the same platforms again to allow yourself to really attack in certain areas.
    "Hopefully we can do that again tomorrow and really close the game off and really move on to Australia (on Saturday)."
    Scotland's Ryan Watson, who took over the reins when captain Craig Wright returned home following a death in his family, said his team had regrouped in the wake of the 203-run hiding they were handed by Australia on Wednesday.
    "It's been five days since that match and we've had some time to reflect on it and work on a few things," Watson told reporters, adding that the Irish had inspired his men.
    The seven-week World Cup culminates in the Barbados final on April 28.
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