Very sad news about the sudden death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer. So you non-cricketers can relate, him dying during the World Cup would be like Roy Williams, the head coach of UNC, dying unexpectedly during the NCAA Tournament. Woolmer was English, and he played for the England side in his playing days. Then he went on to coach South Africa for many years, and he was coaching Pakistan at the time of his death. My thoughts and prayers are with the Pakistanis as they cope with the death of their coach during the World Cup.
Very glad news about the play of South Africa against lightly regarded Holland. After stumbling out of the wicket when leadoff batsman de Villiers was caught on the second ball, they went on to score 353/3 over 50 overs. A great score that is as much a credit to their batsmen as it is an embarrassment to the Dutch bowlers. Then the South African bowlers, without leading fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, who should rejoin the team in time for their group match against Australia (he was home for the birth of his daughter), stymied the Dutch batsmen, limiting them to only 132 runs.
People who hate cricket are weird. Like any sport, it's got some weird rules, but once you figure them out, it's pretty fun. The limited over matches are much easier to digest for an American audience used to baseball than the traditional 5-day tests.
Time for tea,
JRoot
