Not the Greatest Just to go on the record, I - very categorically - do not, for even one moment, think that the recent Aus-SA game, where some 800 odd runs were scored, was the "greatest" the sport has to offer.

According to me, it was a pillage, a loot and a game which deserves to be consigned to the heap of history because it was hardly a game. 'Games' are supposed to have contests, in the case of cricket, between bowlers and batsmen. The pitch at the 'match' is supposed to assist both, the batsman and the bowler. According to me, the 'match' at the Wanderers in Johannesburg did not have the contest that makes a sport a treat to watch. It was a one sided pitch, and it was the kind of a match which would have happened sooner or later. Some day, some batting side was gonna think that maybe on a good batting pitch, where it does not make a difference whether a bowler or a bowling machine is bowling, maybe it actually does not make a difference whether a bowler or a bowling machine is bowling. Australia and SA saw a batting pitch and went for leather. I agree that they did push the limits, but maybe the older limits for the batsman oriented game on batsmen oriented pitches were set too short, similar to the boundary ropes at most grounds today.

I prefer a good old contest, where a batsman sometimes cannot read the bowler, where the ball is swinging or spinning or rearing from the cracks. That will differentiate the men from the boys and more importantly, will introduce the all-important contest into the game.

Some matches I loved:

http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/WORLD_CUPS/WC99/SCORECARDS/FINALS/AUS_RSA_WC99_ODI-SEMI2_17JUN1999.html

http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1992-93/WI_IN_AUS/WI_AUS_T5_30JAN-01FEB1993.html

http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/1998-99/AUS_IN_WI/SCORECARDS/AUS_WI_T3_26-30MAR1999.html  ¶ 7:50 PM