Semi-Final

After what has seemed like an eternity of cricket, the CWC has finally reached the semi-finals stage. I can see why many questioned the length of the tournament now as the Super 8 segment stretched on way beyond the tolerance and concentration of the average cricket fan.

The semi-finalists were indeed decided days ago but we were forced to endure a few meaningless games by teams playing for pride but who were really yearning to return home after the odyssey that was CWC 2007.

We predicted correctly way back at the beginning of the Super 8 who the semi finalists would be. Hooray for us! Still one would have thought that the likes of the West Indies would have given one of the other teams a run for their money. However the West Indies team never came close to contending and endured a string of drubbings by the eventual semi-finalists.

So onto the semi-finals.

Match 1: Sri Lanka vs New Zealand. Could be a close match. I think New Zealand has over-achieved this tournament to be honest and I think reality will hit home here as New Zealand should be outclassed by Sri Lanka. In the super 8s Sri Lanka easily won the match up and I expect them to do so again assuming Vass, Malinga and Muralitharan are healthy.

Match 2: Australia vs South Africa. I'm predicting an upset here. Australia has just been too good this tournament brushing aside all opposition. I say the buck stops here. They are due to have a bad day and I think it'll happen on Wednesday.

That means a prediction of Sri Lanka vs South Africa in the finals. Who will win? We'll check back in after the semis.