On this occasion, it was the four-nation Kenyan Centenary tournament where Sri Lanka were edged out on the nett run rate by a mere one run by Pakistan.
Three weeks after winning the World Cup, Sri Lanka failed to win the Singer Cup in Singapore when Pakistan beat them by 43 runs in the final.
Pakistan's stupendous performance on October 4 in Nairobi, virtually sealed the game for Sri Lanka, when they ran up their bestever one-day total of 371 for 9 in 50 overs.
However, Sri Lanka's target was not the Pakistan total, but a score of 290 which would have fractionally put them ahead on the nett run rate and a place in the final against South Africa. They failed to achieve it by mere one run which was a big disappoint- ment to every Sri Lankan. But the fact that they came so near to doing so from the position they were placed in (27 for 4), proved that Sri Lanka had not lost any of their fighting qualities which has been part of their success in one-day competitions in the past 18 months or so.
Aravinda de Silva was largely responsible for bringing Sri Lanka close to the doorstep of victory with his seventh one-day century until the third umpire ruled him out stumped.
COMPETENT UMPIRES
The host country should make it a point to see that competent umpires are appointed to perform the job of third umpire (in this instance we are made to understand it was a Kenyan). He should be equally competent as those standing out in the middle. On the third umpire rests the responsibility of ruling a batsman out in the case of a run out, stumping or a hit-wicket - three dismissals he is entitled to give if referred to by the umpires in the middle. Any mistake on the part of the third umpire could turn the face of the game as happened in the case of Aravinda de Silva, who to all TV viewers seemed to have his bat on the crease when he was stumped by Moin Khan. But the TV angle and picture was not sharp enough to warrant the decision going against the batsman. In such circumstances, the benefit of the doubt should have gone to the batsman.
A Sri Lanka-South Africa meeting would have provided the perfect setting for a final, but Pakistan spoilt the show by not only ousting Sri Lanka, who would have given South Africa much stiffer competition (having beaten them in the qualifying round), but by also making the final a foregone conclusion when they totalled only 203 - a figure which South Africa passed quite comfortably losing only three wickets and with more than 10 overs to spare.
PLOY BACK FIRES
For once, Sri Lanka's ploy of chasing runs back-fired on them. Having won the toss, they invited Pakistan to bat first, and skipper Arjuna Ranatunga was soon left to rue over his decision as Pakistan began to pile on the runs which pushed their nett run rate higher than Sri Lanka's.
The irony of it was that before the commencement of the match, Sri Lanka had the better nett run rate (+ 1.465) to Pakistan's (0.173). The question asked by so many followers of the game was, why did Sri Lanka insert Pakistan in, instead of batting first and creating a difficult target for them. By not doing so, Sri Lanka only allowed Pakistan to dictate terms to them. The Sri Lankan management must take full responsibilty for making such a blunder.
Had Sri Lanka scored the one run and entered the final, nothing would have been spoken of their decision to send Pakistan to bat first. Team manager Duleep Menndis when questioned on why Sri Lanka took such a decision, replied: ``The way Afridi batted, it wouldn't have mattered whether we batted first or second. Pakistan would have still reached their target''.
The manner in which teenager Shahid Afridi played, it could have happened to any team in the world. That Sri Lanka had to suffer at the hands of his broad bat was something like the hunter becoming the hunted. How often had Sri Lanka meted out this sort of treatment to the opposition via their dynamic pair of openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana. For the first time they really felt, what it was to look down from the other end of the barrel.
AFRIDI - THE RECORD MAN
The most remarkable thing about Afridi is that he was brought into the team as a replacement for leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, but eventually ended up a batting hero by scoring the fastest hundred in one-day international cricket - off 37 balls and equalling the record for the highest number of sixes in one innings with 11. Both records belonged to Jayasuriya, who ironically was hit out of the attack by Afridi when he took 43 runs off the left-arm spinner's first two overs, which included five sixes. Jayasuriya finished with the second most expensive bowling figures by a Sri Lankan in one-day cricket with 94 runs off 10 overs, which was three runs short of equalling Ashantha de Mel's 97 off 10 overs against West Indies at Karachi in 1987.
The match also produced the highest match aggregate - 660 runs, beating by eight, the previous highet between Sri Lanka and Kenya in the World Cup match at Kandy early this year.
Till the game against Sri Lanka, Pakistan had not looked impressive at all especially with their ragged fielding. They were beaten by South Africa and then scrambled home against host Kenya by four wickets chasing 150 to win.
PAKISTAN'S TROUBLES
Pakistan also had their share of troubles. They lost their captain Wasim Akram after just one match when he had to return home to be beside his ailing father. They were also depleted by the absence of Mushtaq Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Aamir Sohial - all injured. Under such circumstances it was quite creditable of them to defy all odds and reach the final with only two key bowlers in operation, Waqar Younis who bowled his heart out against Sri Lanka, and Saqlain Mushtaq.
South Africa on the other hand, played with clinical efficiancy. They suffered only one defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka whom they had not met during or after the World Cup.
That South Africa topped 300 runs in two of their three qualifying round matches, proved that their game plan was totally differene to that of Sri Lanka's, but very effective.
South Africa began the tournament in rather convincing fashion beating Pakistan by 62 runs and sounded a warning they meant business. Darryl Cullinan and Jonty Rhodes with a hundred apiece shared a new one-day international fourth wicket record with a partnership of 232 to beat the 173 between Dean Jones and Steve Waugh for Australia against Pakistan at Perth in 1986-87.
After losing to Sri Lanka on a difficult pitch, the eventual champions demolished host country Kenya with a crushing 202 runs win, which was the third largest victory margin in one-day cricket.
The biggest plus factor for South Africa is that they have a lethal fast bowling line-up spearheaded by the irresistible Allan Donald, capable of running through any batting line-up under any conditions.
Whereas Sri Lanka's success depends largely on their explosive batting, South Africa are supplemented equally in both batting and bowling. There is nothing to chose between them in fielding.
DONALD'S AWARD - NO SURPRISE
That Donald picked up the 'Man of the Series' award was no surprise. The man referred to as 'white lightning' had one of his finest one-day tournaments, capturing 14 wickets at an amazing low average of 8.50 and also having the best economy rate among bowlers - 3.40 runs per over.
Donald's haul of wickets included a career best 6 for 23 against Kenya - figures that also took him past a century of wickets in one-day cricket, making him the first South African to do so. It took him 65 matches to achieve that milestone and his present tally stands at 103 wickets (avg. 22.46).
Off-spinners Muthiah Muralitharan and Saqlain Mushtaq gained enough assistance from the Kenyan pitches to share 20 wickets between them. The pair could qualify to be rated amongst the best off-spinners in world cricket especially in the one-day version.
Saqlain has not made enough Test appearances (4 Tests and 13 wickets) to be classed alongside Muralitharan in the longer game whereas the Sri Lankan spinner stands virtually unchallenged with 95 wickets from 25 Tests.
SPORTY WICKETS
That spinners, fast bowlers and batsmen had an equal share of success in the tournament gives one the indication the wickets prepared for the tournament were sporty ones providing equal opportunities to both bowlers and batsmen.
By topping the batting averages, opening batsman Gary Kirsten has turned to be South Africa's most consistent batsman in one-day cricket, if not in the world. For the third consecutive occasion Kirsten has headed the batting with an average of over 75. The 28-year-old left-hander from Cape Town made 391 runs (avg. 78.20) in the World Cup and followed it up with 336 runs (avg. 89.00) in the 3-nation Pepsi Sharjah Cup which South Africa won, and now, 227 runs (avg. 75.66) in the Kenyan Centenary four-nation tournament, which was also won by South Africa.
Although not so flamboyant as Jayasuriya, Kirsten has nevertheless, provided (with opening partner Andrew Hudson) South Africa with the kind of start they are frequently able to top the 300run mark. Chasing anything over 280 runs is a near impossible task for any team and against South Africa, it is just not on because their fielding and outcricket are perhaps the best in the world.
After their stunning victory over West Indies in the World Cup, Kenya's performance in their own tournament was somewhat a big disappointment to them. Their only cause for satisfaction was the staging of the tournament which provided the country with a tremendous boost towards the promotion of the game.
Kenya cricket tables
CENTURIES (7)
124 - D.J. Cullinan, SA v P 122 - P.A. de Silva, SL v P 121 - J.N. Rhodes, SA v P 118* - G. Kirsten, SA v P (f) 115 - Saeed Anwar, P v SL 102 - Shahid Afridi, P v SL 100* - R.S.Kaluwitharana, SL v K
HALF-CENTURIES (12)
88 - Ijaz Ahmed, P v SA 78* - H. Modi, K v SL 66 - G. Kirsten, SA v P (f) 63* - W.J. Cronje, SA v K 55 - P.A. de Silva, SL v K 54 - J.N. Rhodes, SA v K 54 - Salim Elahi, P v SA 52 - A. Ranatunga, SL v P 51 - D. Chudasama, K v P 51 - H.D.P.K. Dharmasena, SL v P 51 - D.J. Cullinan, SA v SL 50* - Moin Khan, P v K
CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS (4)
2nd wkt - 126 - Saeed Anwar/Shahid Afridi, P v SL 3rd wkt - 121 - R.S. Kaluwitharana/P.A. de Silva, SL v K 4th wkt - 232 - D.J. Cullinan/J.N. Rhodes,SA v P (world record) 5th wkt - 124 - P.A. de Silva/A. Ranatunga, SL v P
FIVE OR MORE WICKETS IN AN INNINGS (2)
6/23 - A.A. Donald, SA v K 5/52 - Waqar Younis, P v SL
Best for other countries:
4/18 - M. Muralitharan, SL v K 3/25 - T. Odoyo, K v P
MOST DISMISSALS BY A WICKET-KEEPER
5 (3 ct, 2 st) - Moin Khan (P) 4 (all ct) - D.J. Richardson (SA).
MOST CATCHES BY A FIELDER
3 each - A.P. Gurusinha (SL), M. Muralithran (SL), D.J. Crookes (SA), Salim Malik (P).