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South Africa Cricket Betting Preview
Every South African cricket fan dreads this time, when the World Cup rolls along, and the question of what else can go so tragically and dramatically wrong this time invariably pops into one's head.
In 1992 South Africa played in their first ever cricket world cup.
They made it to the semi-final and needed 22 runs to win from the last 13 balls. They still had 4 wickets in hand and two good batsmen at the crease. Then the rain came and because the Duckworth/Lewis system was not yet invented the target was ultimately changed to 21 runs from 1 ball. Heartbreak.
In 1999 South Africa faced Australia in a semi-final. The game is considered one of the most dramatic in the history of the sport. South Africa choked when they had the game won and ultimately it finished in a tie with a terrible run-out to end it all. Based on Australia's superior run rate in the earlier stage of the tournament they advanced and the Proteas were out, and earned their reputation for having no big match temperament. Heartbreak.
In 2003 South Africa hosted and were widely expected to win as they had another great ODI lineup. Once again rain played a part in their elimination. The team was given an incorrect run total that they thought they would need to progress against Sri Lanka. The total was off by 1 run. South Africa had reached what they thought was the winning target and had one extra ball to face but decided against a run even though one was available, as they thought they had enough runs. They were short. The match ended in a tie, and once again that wasn't good enough and they were out. Heartbreak.
In 2007 South Africa had the top-rated team in the world but were crushed in the semi-finals by Australia. In 2011 they don't have the depth or class to win on the sub-continent. The team no longer has world-class all-rounders, their god trio of fast bowlers will receive negligible help on these pitches, and they have solid bating but no big hitters to turn a game around. They also have no spinners of quality, and usually bat poorly on slow pitches. For once they have no expectations, but that's only because they have no realistic chance of winning this tournament.
Prediction And South Africa Odds
They can't make it to the Semis.
| Current ODI World Ranking |
4 |
| South Africa Odds To Win |
5/1 |
| Cricket World Cup History |
Tragic Losses in 1992, 1999, and 2003 |
| Key Players |
Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn |
