Tony Becca

After 42 days and 48 matches, after some surprises and some great, wonderful and memorable performances, Cricket World Cup 2007 is now down to its last four with Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa the ones standing and flexing their muscles as they prepare for the final two hurdles.

The question, however, and as it was at the beginning on March 13, is this: who will be crowned champions, who will walk away with the coveted trophy and the over US$2 million first prize?

This time, with India and Pakistan, victims of two deadly ambushes, back home, with England and home team West Indies peppered and destroyed along the way, it is down to four, and Australia, the two-time defending champions and many people's favourites from the beginning, my favourite from the beginning, are now rousing favourites.

Unblemished record

While New Zealand were winning five and losing two matches, while Sri Lanka were also winning five and losing two, and while South Africa were winning four and losing three, Australia, three-time winners and hunting a fourth title, were marching confidently and almost arrogantly to a perfect seven from seven.

And it was more than that. In brushing all and sundry aside, and so easily at that, their march into the semi-finals was like a conquering army.

Sri Lanka lost to South Africa - by one wicket in an exciting finale, and they lost to Australia; New Zealand lost to Sri Lanka and they lost, in their final match, to Australia; and South Africa, surprisingly, fell before Bangladesh, before New Zealand, and before that, in the first round, to Australia.

In comparison to that, Australia spanked South Africa by 83 runs after scoring 377 for six batting first, smashed the West Indies by 103 runs after scoring 322 for six batting first, defeated Bangladesh by 10 wickets on the Duckworth/Lewis after choking them for 104 in 22 overs, blasted England by seven wickets after dismissing them for 247, defeated Ireland by nine wickets after nailing them for 91, clobbered Sri Lanka by seven wickets after dismissing them for 226 and hopping to 232 for three, and then, on Friday in their last match, knocked New Zealand dizzy when, batting first, they dashed to 348 for six and then skittled out the Kiwis for 133 in 25.5 overs to win by 215 runs with 24.1 overs to spare.

Although the game of cricket is littered with front-runners, including some who appeared unconquerable, who have fallen at the penultimate hurdle and even at the final one, Australia's record is frightening - and so is their batting line-up which includes Matthew Hayden and his three centuries to date, Adam Gilchrist, captain Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey and all-rounder Shane Watson, and their attack which includes the likes of Shaun Tait, Nathan Bracken, Glenn McGrath, Watson, Symonds, and left-arm leg-spinner Brad Hogg.

New Zealand, with captain Stephen Fleming, Ross Taylor and Scott Styris, as well as Craig McMillan and Brendan McCullum, with Shane Bond and James Franklin, with left-arm leg-spinner Daniel Vettori, plus Styris, are no walkover, and nor are South Africa with the likes of captain Graeme Smith, A.B. de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt, and Kallis again.

As good, as great and as invincible as Australia appears, any one of those two, on their day, can, if things really go their way, pick off Australia.

The real danger to Australia, however, appears to be Sri Lanka. In Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, captain Mahela Jayawardene, they possess some quality batsmen. In Chamara Silva and Tilakaratne Dilshan, they boast some dangerous batsmen, and most important, in pacers Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga - the four-in- four pacer - and Farveez Maharoof, in Russel Arnold, Dilshan and Dilhara Fernando, plus spinners, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and left-armer Jayasuriya, they boast a quality attack.

It will be Sri Lanka versus New Zealand at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, today, it will be Australia versus South Africa at Beausejour in Castries, St. Lucia, tomorrow.

So far, the action on the field has been good, if not great, and from one who wants this Cicket World Cup to be the best ever, at least on the field, the wish is that thebest will win so that the best will meet in the final in Bridgetown, Barbados - the heart of cricket in the Caribbean.