Sunday, 11 January 2015

MIRACULOUS CRICKET GROUND - THE WANDERERS


THE WANDERERS,
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

The Wanderers, the name itself speaks it's a place for great wonders!! Known as "Bullring" the first International Cricket played here was way back in 1956 in the same year it completed it reconstruction! 24th December ,1956 is day when South Africa played against Australia for the first time in the Miraculous ground. The first ODI played here was in 1992 where the South Africans played against India. The first T-20 played here was in 21st October,2005.

Surprisingly, the ground has hosted two ICC tournament finals in which both the times India has featured in it. First, in the 2003 World Cup against Australia which they lost and second the first T-20 World Cup Final which India won to Pakistan in one of the best world cup finals to watch.

"Miraculous", literally means "the power to work miracles".
Why is the Wanderers described as "Miraculous"?
ODI No. 2349
12 March 2006 [Surprisingly the Birthday of my girl friend ;) haha joking]
At - The Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa
South Africa VS Australia

Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

Gilly & Simon Katich opened the innings! Ntini to Gilly... Gilly opened his & team's account with a beautiful boundary in the fifth ball of the 1st over. At the end of the 20th over the score was 123/1. Gilly got out scoring a quick 55 of 44 balls. At this stage there were no signs of scoring an impossiblly massive total of  434 which the Kangaroos managed to score at the end of 50 overs. It was when Skipper Ricky Ponting & Mr. Cricket Mike Hussey started to hit the ball all round the park it was believed that a huge total is coming! Ponting scored a blistering 164 of 105 balls & Hussey scored 81 of 51 balls.

Chasing a total that was as high as Mt. Everest, the Proteas started their innings with G. Smith & Boeta Dippenaar. Nathan Bracken took a early break through with the wicket of Dippenaar. With his wickets everyone in the stadium lost hopes without knowing the fact that Smith-Gibbs will gift South African cricket a surprise that was never expected! Captain Smith scoring 90 off 55 & the incredible innings of  175 off 111 by Herschelle Herman Gibbs and with help of the lower order batsmen the Proteas made an IMPOSSIBLE just another word re framing it I-M-POSSIBLE!!

11th January 2015
At - The Wanderers, Johannesburg, South Africa
South Africa VS West Indies

West Indies won the toss and elected to field.

Riley Rossouw & Van Wyk opened the batting but couldn't do much! Coming at No.3 Faf Duplesis scored a fast 119 off  56 balls that changed the course of their innings along with the help of David Miller. 231/7 at the end of 1st innings looked a very easy total for South Africas to defend! But.. The Devils of the T-20 cricket were yet to bat! The partnership of 152 off 71 balls by Marlon Samuels & Christopher Henry Gayle was enough for the Carribeans cross the line with 4 balls to spare!! 236/6 in 19.4 overs, was it a real game or I was witnessing cricket- 07 or a gully cricket match? Called the Service Center of my cable operator and complained in channel number 415 instead of Ten Cricket I was seeing computer game channel. He said "peekay ho ka" (are you drunk)? I then realised I was watching a real game!!

Chasing 231 in 19.4 overs & chasing 434 in 49.5 overs is a MIRACLE itself! And co-incidentally both of the occassions were in the "The Wanderers", Johannesburg is even more rare. It feels The Wanderers has some kind of  "Miraculous" power!!!

1 comment:

  1. nice one ☺😀⚾⚾⚾👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

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