The teams that did not make it – Part 4 – ICC World Cup 2011
Balaji Rao was making a name for himself as he shot himself to stardom in his native land with an impressive four wicket haul despite the fact that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 had 298 runs on the board.
Canada though could not bear to watch their side, as the batsmen put on another dismal batting display with their players not able to put up more than 123 runs on the scoreboard.
Still looking for their first points in the tournament after a humiliating 175 runs defeat at the hands of the Zimbabweans, the Canadians now had to focus on the next task at hand.
Pakistan was waiting for them at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in what was expected to be another embarrassing defeat for the Canadians. It was a bad omen then when http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 won the toss and chose to bat.
If anyone had told the Canadians that they would ball the Pakistani side out for 184 runs before the match, they would have thought it was a dream. So when Harvir Baidwan’s three wickets were supported by Balaji Rao, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rizwan-Cheema-c2328 and Jimmy Hansra’s two
wickets each with the Canadians were on cloud 9 as Pakistan did in fact get bowled all out for that score.
Canada were on the verge of a historic win and perhaps one of the biggest upsets in the World Cup, as they took to the pitch to chase down what was not the hardest of scores.
The Canadian’s lost two early wickets, but Hansra seemed to have steadied the ship with his 43 run knock as his side were at a relatively comfortable 104 runs for the loss of four wickets. Yet it seems as if they threw the match away.
The entire batting side fell adding just another 34 runs, as they were taught a lesson by Pakistani Captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482. Victory had been snatched from under the Canadians, as they were bowled all out for a 138 runs in what could have been their first
win in the World Cup. Instead it was a 46 run defeat that their side will forever rue as a missed opportunity that could have been so much more.
With three defeats in their first three games and no points on the board in the group stage Canada knew that if they wanted to have any chance of making it to the quarter-final they had to win all their remaining games.
Having come close to beating Pakistan the side would have fancied their chances against a Kenyan side that were struggling just as much as them. The two sides met at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Delhi-c780 for what was a must win game for both sides.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748 did not seem to have much luck as far as winning the toss was concerned, as the Kenyan side opted to bat in the first innings. It seemed to spur the Canadian bowlers on, as they gave another solid performance bowling the Kenyans out for 198 runs.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Henry-Osinde-c62693 was the star bowler for his side with his four wickets in 10-overs which included two maidens as well. The only question now was whether or not the Canadian side could take advantage of it and goes on to win the match and get the two points
they so desperately needed.
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