Mother Nature may well do South Africa a favour in their bid for a first-ever ICC World Cup title, and considering the Proteas’ history in the tournament, a little rain won’t hurt anyone.
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Rain is expected in Kolkata, where South Africa will face Australia in the tournament’s semi-final on Thursday, which could affect the game.
There is a 50% chance of rain tomorrow and a 90% chance on Friday, which has been designated as the reserve day for the completion of play in the event of rain delays.
If both days are rained out, South Africa will qualify for the final by finishing second in the World Cup’s round-robin stage, one spot ahead of Australia.
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Few fans who witnessed South Africa’s previous World Cup semi-finals are likely to forget the draw that broke the hearts of Proteas fans in the 1999 competition when a dramatic runout resulted in a dramatic tie to Australia.
To add insult to injury, the Aussies superior run rate got them through to the final and onto snatching the silverware.
Albeit more than two decades ago, memories of a scoreboard flashing 22 runs off one ball in the semis back in 1992 are still very fresh in the minds of many, a generation after South Africa’s World Cup debut.
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In fact, rain and heartbreak have become synonymous with the Proteas in the World Cup, as inclement weather also resulted in their exit in 2003 and 2015, and the side won’t mind seeing the shoe on the other foot.
However, the officials and ground staff will undoubtedly do their best to get the game started.
The umpires have the authority to reduce the game to a minimum of 20 overs per side before activating the reserve day option.
It would not be the ideal way for South Africa to reach their first men’s World Cup final thanks to washed-out fixtures, but it is an outcome that the Proteas and the entire country would welcome any outcome that keeps their hopes in the tournament alive.
Also read:
Proteas lose to India by 243 runs but remain in the CWC semi-finals
Picture: @ProteasMenCSA / X