2007 Cricket World Cup Group A

Table

Team	Pts	Pld	W	T	L	NR	NRR
Australia	6	3	3	0	0	0	+3.43
South Africa	4	3	2	0	1	2	+2.40
Netherlands	2	3	1	0	2	0	−2.53
Scotland	0	3	0	0	3	0	−3.79

Team overview

AUSTRALIA Squad Captain: Ricky Ponting World Cup win-loss record: 40–17 (1 tie) World Cup best performance: Champions (1987, 1999, 2003) ODIs since 2003 CWC win-loss record: 80–28 (1 tie, 5 no results) Against South Africa At World Cup: 1–1 (1 tie) ODIs since 2003 CWC: 5–4 (1 tie, 1 no result) Against Scotland At World Cup: 1–0 ODIs since 2003 CWC: none Against Netherlands At World Cup: 1–0 ODIs since 2003 CWC: none	SOUTH AFRICA Squad Captain: Graeme Smith World Cup win-loss record: 19–9 (2 ties) World Cup best performance: Semi-finals (1992, 1999) ODIs since 2003 CWC win-loss record: 51–31 (1 tie, 5 no results) Against Australia At World Cup: 1–1 (1 tie) ODIs since 2003 CWC: 4–5 (1 tie, 1 no result) Against Scotland At World Cup: never met ODIs since 2003 CWC: none Against Netherlands At World Cup: 1–0 ODIs since 2003 CWC: none
SCOTLAND Squad Captain: Craig Wright World Cup win-loss record: 0–5 World Cup best performance: Round 1 (1999) ODIs since 2003 CWC win-loss record: 7–8 Against Australia At World Cup: 0–1 ODIs since 2003 CWC: none Against South Africa At World Cup: never met ODIs since 2003 CWC: none Against Netherlands At World Cup: never met ODIs since 2003 CWC: 2–0	NETHERLANDS Squad Captain: Luuk van Troost World Cup win-loss record: 1–10 World Cup best performance: Round 1 (1996, 2003) ODIs since 2003 CWC win-loss record: 6–6 (1 no result) Against Australia At World Cup: 0–1 ODIs since 2003 CWC: none Against South Africa At World Cup: 0–1 ODIs since 2003 CWC: none Against Scotland At World Cup: never met ODIs since 2003 CWC: 0–2

2nd Match: Australia v Scotland, 14 March

Wednesday 14 March

	v

Australia won by 203 runs[1] Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Umpires: S. A. Bucknor (WI) and E. A. R. de Silva (SL) Player of the match: R. T. Ponting (Aus)

Australia were put in to bat and made the seventh-highest total in World Cup history,^[2] It was nevertheless the third-lowest total in Scotland's ODI history and the third time a team had won by more than 200 runs in World Cup cricket. Ricky Ponting became the leading Australian run-scorer in World Cups, second overall only to Sachin Tendulkar.^[3] In reply, Colin Smith made his first ODI half-century on World Cup debut, and only ten men batted for Scotland; John Blain, one of two players in the eleven with previous World Cup experience, suffered an injury and was absent.

7th Match: Netherlands v South Africa, 16 March

Friday 16 March

	v

South Africa won by 221 runs[4] Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Umpires: M. R. Benson (Eng) and A. L. Hill (NZ) Player of the match: H. H. Gibbs (SA)

In a match shortened to 40 overs due to wet pitch conditions, South Africa still managed the third 200-run victory at this World Cup, scoring runs at a rate faster than that recorded by Sri Lanka when they set the world record number of runs in a One-day International in July 2006 against this Dutch team. Though Dutch wicket-keeper Jeroen Smits caught Abraham de Villiers for nought in the first over, and South Africa had made four runs in the first five overs, things went South Africa's way from then on. Herschelle Gibbs hit Daan van Bunge for six sixes in the 30th over, a first in ODI cricket, Mark Boucher scored a fifty off 21 deliveries, a World Cup record and two balls off his own South African record,^[5] and added another 25 from ten balls before time was up. South Africa also became the first team to make three century partnerships in a One-day International, and hit a World Cup record of eighteen sixes.^[6]

For the Netherlands, Tim de Leede, Daan van Bunge and Luuk van Troost conceded 163 runs in their 12 overs between them, and when batting, the Dutch team's only professional Ryan ten Doeschate was their only man to pass 25, making 57 before he was run out as one of three Dutch batsmen to suffer this fate. Shaun Pollock's six overs cost four runs, the most economical spell of the World Cup thus far.

10th Match: Australia v Netherlands, 18 March

Sunday 18 March

	v

Australia won by 229 runs[7] Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Umpires: S. A. Bucknor (WI) and A.L. Hill (NZ) Player of the match: B. J. Hodge (Australia)

The fourth 200-run win in ten games of the Cup thus far, with Australia becoming the first team to win consecutive One-day Internationals by 200 runs or more. Glenn McGrath became the second bowler in World Cup history to take 50 wickets at the tournament.^[8]

Australia chose to bat first, losing three wickets by the 20-over mark, with Tim de Leede having both openers caught, but Michael Clarke and Brad Hodge set a World Cup record fourth-wicket partnership with 204,^[8] and Australia eventually ended on 358 for five. Hodge's last 28 balls yielded 73 runs. Netherlands' openers Bas Zuiderent and Darron Reekers made 36 at nearly a run-a-ball in the first six overs, but Nathan Bracken had Reekers caught for 25, and four more wickets followed for ten runs. After van Bunge and de Leede had put on 40 for the sixth wicket, Glenn McGrath and Brad Hogg ended the innings.

15th Match: Scotland v South Africa, 20 March

Tuesday 20 March

	v

South Africa won by seven wickets[9] Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Umpires: M. R. Benson (Eng) and E. A. R. de Silva (SL) Player of the match: G. C. Smith (SA)

68% of South Africa's total was made up of boundaries, as Graeme Smith and A. B. de Villiers thumped runs and South Africa qualified for the Super Eights, and the result also confirmed Australia's place. South Africa bowled first, and after Fraser Watts and Majid Haq made it through the first ten overs, South Africa took a wicket every five overs to reduce Scotland to 84 for five after 30 overs. Andrew Hall and Charl Langeveldt took the wickets, but also got hit for runs by Dougie Brown, John Blain and Paul Hoffmann as Scotland posted their highest-ever World Cup total of 186.^[10]

Nevertheless, South Africa made their way to the total in half the required time, as Graeme Smith and A. B. de Villiers hit at a rate of more than eight an over. Scotland turned to their spin bowlers in the thirteenth over, with Majid Haq and Glenn Rogers taking three wickets, though they still cost nearly eight an over between them. Justin Kemp hit the winning runs with a six off Rogers.

19th Match: Netherlands v Scotland, 22 March

Thursday 22 March

	v

Netherlands won by eight wickets [11] Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Umpires: E. A. R. de Silva (SL) and A. L. Hill (NZ) Player of the match: W. F. Stelling (Ned)

22nd Match: Australia v South Africa, 24 March

Saturday 24 March

	v

Australia won by 83 runs[12] Warner Park Stadium, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis Umpires: M. R. Benson (Eng) and S. A. Bucknor (WI) Player of the match: M. L. Hayden (Aus)

Matthew Hayden broke the record for fastest World Cup century, taking 66 balls to notch up the hundred, and when he got out two balls later the run rate was still more than seven an over. A 161-run partnership between Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke followed, with Ponting ending on 91 and Clarke on 92, and though Andrew Hall took wickets near the end, Australia finished on 377 for six.

South Africa batted through the first twenty overs without loss, as Abraham de Villiers and Graeme Smith took the opening bowlers on. De Villiers got out eight short of what would have been his first One-day International century, and a few overs later Smith retired hurt; he returned after Brad Hogg and Glenn McGrath had taken two wickets each and South Africa needed 118 in 55 balls. However, he got out four balls later, and the remainder of the batting order got out in single figures.

References

1. 2nd Match, Group A: Australia v Scotland at Basseterre, Mar 14, 2007, scorecard from Cricinfo, retrieved 14 March 2007
2. World Cups - Highest Team Totals, retrieved 14 March 2007
3. Ponting stars as records tumble, S Rajesh and HR Gopalakrishna, Cricinfo, retrieved 14 March 2007
4. 7th Match, Group A: South Africa v Netherlands at Basseterre, Mar 16, 2007, scorecard from Cricinfo, retrieved 16 March 2007
5. ODI: Fastest Centuries and Half Centuries, from Cricinfo, retrieved 16 March 2007.
6. Records tumble in South African win, Anand Vasu, Cricinfo, 17 March 2007.
7. 10th Match, Group A: Australia v Netherlands at Basseterre, Mar 18, 2007, scorecard from Cricinfo, retrieved 18 March 2007
8. McGrath joins the 50-wicket club in World Cups, S Rajesh and HR Gopalakrishna, Cricinfo, 18 March 2007. Retrieved on June 9, 2007.
9. 14th Match, Group A: Scotland v South Africa at Basseterre, Mar 20, 2007, scorecard from Cricinfo, retrieved 20 March 2007
10. Sizzling Smith leads the rout, by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan, Cricinfo, retrieved 21 March 2007
11. 19th Match, Group A: Netherlands v Scotland at Basseterre, Mar 22, 2007, scorecard from Cricinfo, retrieved 22 March 2007
12. 22nd Match, Group A: Australia v South Africa at Basseterre, Mar 24, 2007, scorecard from Cricinfo, retrieved 20 March 2007