Tony Becca

The ICC Champions Trophy is over and congratulations to Australia on winning what was an exciting contest from start to finish.

In comparison to the previous tournaments which were all disappointing, this one, probably because of the formula which saw the top eight teams in action after an elimination to select the last two, was interesting from beginning to end.

There was not a weak team in the tournament, apart from the unpredictable nature of the game, apart from the upsets which are common in limited-overs cricket, anyone of the eight teams could have won it, and that was demonstrated by the fact that in the group stage, India defeated England, that South Africa lost to New Zealand, that Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka, that Australia lost to the West Indies, that South Africa came back from the brink of defeat to beat Pakistan, that England defeated the West Indies, and that Sri Lanka also defeated New Zealand before going home.

On top of that, and despite what many may say, the pitches were good generally for cricket. All that happened was that they were slow, they therefore tested the quality of the batsmen and many of them were found wanting technically.

SLOW PITCHES

On slow pitches, it is difficult for a batsman to consistently drive on the up because the ball does not come on to the bat. The batsman, therefore, has to possess good footwork or he must exercise some patience. On slow pitches also, back foot play is better than front foot play, and with back foot play comes strokes like the cut and the hook - two strokes which are frowned on by the coaches of today.

The batsmen of 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago would have revelled on the pitches prepared for this ICC Champions Trophy.

In winning the trophy, Australia destroyed defending champions the West Indies in Sunday's final and underlined the fact that they are the number one team in the world and that while you may beat them once, it is difficult to beat them twice.

Their batting is so good, so experienced and goes so deep; their fielding is exceptional and their bowling is a beautiful mixture of experience and skill.

Having said that, however, and although generally Australia are better, the West Indies, probably could have won the match. One never knows, but another 80 runs or so and Australia's knees may have knocked enough to give the West Indies a chance.

After a glorious, breathtaking start by Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle, however, the West Indies surrendered without a fight and underlined what so many have said about them.

When they are good, they are brilliant; when they are bad, they are embarrassing.

On Sunday, they were embarrassing - and none so more than Runako Morton, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Carlton Baugh Jr.

NOVICES

While Gayle, for example, was cut down by a beautiful delivery from left-arm pacer Nathan Bracken - a delivery that, with the lefthander bowling over the wicket, travelled into the left-handed Gayle, hit the pitch about middle stump and cut away to hit the off-stump, all four were cut down like novices.

Morton simply stood in his crease, held out his bat to Glenn McGrath and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

The right-handed Bravo eased his left foot forward, shaped to cut, was caught in two minds, eventually he left the ball alone and was trapped plumb in front by left-arm back-of-the-hand spinner Brad Hogg.

Samuels leaned forward on a slow pitch to a delivery pitched a bit short by Shane Watson and tapped a catch to Ponting at mid-on.

Baugh simply stood in his wicket and swung his bat across the line like a schoolboy and was leg before wicket to Watson.

Although they lost in the final, it was a good tournament for the West Indies who, ranked at number eight going into it, had to qualify from a group that included Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

MASTERFUL

There were times when I felt proud of the West Indies, times such as when they defeated Australia in the group stage and when captain Brian Lara with a masterful innings of 71and fast bowler Jerome Taylor with a hat-trick clipped their wings; when Gayle and Bravo ticked off a century each against England; when Gayle, 133, Chanderpaul, 57, retired hurt, man-handled South Africa; when, led by Bravo's return catch to dismiss the dangerous Michael Clarke in the group match against Australia, they rose to levels of brilliance in the field; and when, at the start of the West Indies innings in the final, Chanderpaul and Gayle, batting like true West Indians, nailed 49 runs off the first five overs as the fans screamed in delight and Ponting, Gilchrist and McGrath looked lost as they pondered their fate.

The West Indies finished second, they were totally outclassed, but they did enough, individually and collectively, to warn the world that they will be or can be dangerous in the Cricket World Cup.

The West Indies, winners of the first two World Cup tournaments in 1975 and 1979, have hinted that they could become the first home team to win the World Cup.