The three teams were equally matched and the consensus was that the team performing what was required in this style of game would finally carry away the trophy.
The Lankans were like wounded tigers waiting to devour their opponents and redeem some pride considering that they had lost the Test series. Before the (cowboy game) got on the rails, the Lankans had to send back Tillekeratne and De Zoysa as only a squad of 14 was allowed in this series.
The South Africans were the Lankans' first opponents and it was a packed house that watched the proceedings at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium in Johannesburg.
In that wildly cheering crowd were over 500 Lankans who had travelled all the way from Zambia and Botswana to cheer the Lankan cricketers. The Lankan camp looked very colourful what with everyone of them sporting a mini lion flag on their blue T shirts and blue caps and waving the national flag and cheering vociferously.
These shirts and caps were by courtesy of Kabir Issadeen, a leading businessman in Boatswana who presented this attire to those who purchased tickets to the match. In fact it was Issadeen who organised the whole show.
There was thunderous applause when the game began and it was one-day cricket at its best as the game progressed. After the home team made a score of over 250 the Lankans seemed to be going well when Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva were in the middle. But then both went in quick succession and at the end the Lankans had lost.
But it was a good game and the South Africans who now seem to be well versed in this style of play gave a lesson and the way they went, it was obvious that they would not surrender this trophy.
After this game the near 500 odd Lankans were disappointed that the cricketers did not come out and exchange greetings. Organiser Issadeen told me that The Management had agreed to do so, but could not understand why they did not keep to their promise. But apparently there had been some misunderstanding.
In their next game the Lankan cricketers made a massive 295 against the Pakistanis and were non plussed when they lost after making such a big score.
Sri Lankans fielding that was below par continued to plague them and this was the cause for their defeat. They lost the second game to Pakistan in almost semi darkness and then clawed their way to pocket the next two games against South Africa and Pakistan that brought them back into the picture.
The Lankans were confident that they could beat the Proteas in Blomfontein and earn a berth in the finals. The toss was going to prove vital because the Lankans were known as the 'kings of the chase' and were looking forward to ask the home team in if they won the toss.
But what unfolded when the Lankans batted first was a mockery committed in the name of this game that was bringing in the money for the player, the host club and the Cricket Board.
The wicket to say the least was a disgrace. It was certainly not a wicket where the batsmen could revel. A one-day wicket should give the cowboys even go. In addition to the wicket playing tricks because there was uneven bounce the ball continued to wobble about and the Lankans who are natural strokemakers did not have a chance as their score of 105 indicates.
But the Lankans had no excuse for getting out for that score and in 35 overs. Had they endeavoured to find the gaps in the field and pushed for the singles and twos they may have got to around 175 which would have been sufficient to win them the game.
But this was not their line of thinking and in bundling out five of the home team batsmen before the victory score was reached it showed that a bit of positive thinking could well have won them the game and a shot at the final.
And that was the end of the line for the Lankans on their first historic tour of Mandela Land.