As Grant Elliot slogged Dale Steyn for six and the Eden Park army erupted, New Zealand had done more than secure passage to their first World Cup final, and South Africa more than lose a game – they had both reminded us that the World Cup is truly the pinnacle cricket.
It has been easy to get caught up in everything other than ODI cricket in recent years. With enthralling Ashes series, the rise of the BBL – Test and T20 cricket seemed to have everything ODIs were lacking: the glory, the excitement, the crowds.
And who could blame fans for shifting their attention?
But one thing was made explicitly clear as the first World Cup semi-final began to crescendo, what both other formats lack is an individual honour of comparable glory to claiming the World Cup.
There are Test series, sure. But a Test series is a duel, and the glory is isolated. Even the honour of holding a number one ranking can at times be tainted by a steep rise a sharp fall if fixtures come in and out of favour.
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And yes, there is the T20 World Cup, but it’s too frequent, and yet to develop true history or prestige.
The Word Cup is the only cricketing competition that fills out a respectable global tournament while providing a fair representation of cricketing skill and tradition.
Every four years it pits the cricketing world against each other, offering the winner the chance to legitimately claim the title of the world’s best.
We need only reflect on the emotion of the players, or the faces in the crowd post-match in Wellington, to be firmly remind this is a once in a career opportunity for these men, and in the case of last night’s match, a once in a lifetime chance for these two nations to experience cricket’s ultimate honour.
For such a long-standing competition it is amazing how elusive success has been for South Africa and New Zealand. Fistfuls of semi-finals between them, and at last one has earned the chance to compete for the title.
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This alone exhibits the gravity of playing and winning at a World Cup compared to all other awards and accolades on offer in world cricket.
So why did we require such a dramatic reminder?
Unfortunately the simple fact that there was any need means ODI cricket truly has lost the momentum that it used to own.
Even throughout the last five weeks, at times the competition has plodded along (at best) and no fan could be blamed for letting their interest wane.
Since the arrival of T20 cricket, the equilibrium of global cricket has been thrown off, and it is yet to truly stabilise. The calendar has become stuffed to the point at which times in the summer feel saturated, and there is certainly grounds to argue that formats hinder each other as much as it helps them flourish.
So while T20s have grown, and Test tradition continued, ODIs have taken the brunt of the blows in the tussle for front spot, and what fans were picking from the smorgasbord of cricket coverage indicated the appetite for ODIs was abating.
Then last night we were quickly reminded of the glory, pain, and drama this format carries, and now the slow burn that has been this World Cup so far appears destined to reward.
Claiming a Cricket World Cup is the pinnacle of cricket, and in the coming days it will be celebrated as such. But whether ODI cricket can harness this momentum, or fall back in line post-World Cup, will be interesting to watch.
ogre
Guest
Dhoni will score the winning runs against Australia New Zealand will beat india
Te Rangatira
Guest
Nz winning a test series in Oz is the pinnacle for me. I spose it's all about perspective....
spruce moose
Guest
What an astonishingly boring and shallow game cricket must be for you then. Each to their own of course, but I pray that you are never pulled into channel 9 or the CA offices for a marketing study.
Hawkeye
Guest
The real problem with ODIs is that instead of treating them like proper important games with context, we always talk them with reference to entertainment. Its true that the rules should be altered in order to provide a good spectacle but without context or importance no amount of enternainment will retain interest. Sri Lanka played 40 games last calender year, almost all for bilateral ODI series. What importance is there in these series? Who remembers the victors? The WC is great as the games matter so much. The NZ SA game was entertaining yes... but it was significant and memorable because it meant so much. If the ICC wants ODIs to survive (and T20s down the track for that matter) it needs to create a structure to give every game a context and some sense of importance. Otherwise who cares if Aus lose game 5 of a 7 game series against whoever in whichever series? Tweak the rules to make them as entertaining as possible, but without context any sport dies. Cricket seems to be the only sport where search for entertainment trumps context, such a waste
chucked
Guest
Message to Aussies and Poms while any serious cricket Fan will tell you Test cricket IS THE REAL DEAL - any fan outside of those two countries will tell you they couldn't give a Flying f for the ashes Every two years, come on. You do realise there are a half dozen other test playing nations guys? Keep your ashes guys, play them every two years...we will enjoy S.A Vs India with the global television audience greater than the combined population of your giant w..koff
Likkewaan
Roar Rookie
The only reason the WC is the pinnacle is because it's the only global event for the sport of cricket besides the 20/20 champions trophy which is just a giggle and hit affair. If you somehow could have a WC for test cricket it will undoubtedly be the pinnacle.
Lionheart
Guest
well said Rocco. I'm not sure about the #1 ranking bit, but you're probably right.
Lionheart
Guest
Sorry mate, not interested in India v Pakistan or any of the others. At least not enough to watch six hours for twenty or thirty days. Highlights ok, but no more. Whereas I'll watch Ashes, every, minute. Ashes cricket started the game. The rest are newbies. ODI is one of the modified versions, not really cricket. When I was playing we called it pyjama cricket, though I think that's been overtaken by another version of late. You could say ODI WC is pinnacle of the modified game. I'd agree with that. But of cricket - hah, no way mate.
Renegade
Guest
Ohh cmon Johnno... I was referring to it being a 2 horse race lol hence the 50-50.
JohnB
Guest
The ODI world cup is undoubtedly the pinnacle of limited overs cricket. Limited overs cricket may attract more crowds and more money than test cricket, may well be enjoyed by more and even be more enjoyable and exciting for the spectator, but that doesn't make it the pinnacle of cricket. The limitations and restrictions imposed on the cricket played as limited overs cricket and the absence of the time element and the possibility of the draw remove too many of the skills and subtleties of cricket to allow it to be regarded as the highest form of the game, which is what I take "the pinnacle" to mean.
Jerry
Guest
Bah, The Wire is fare superior to The Sopranos.
Jerry
Guest
From a spectator's perspective, sure. I think most people would concede that Test cricket is a better indicator of overall skill, but ODI's have a tension and immediacy, which is magnified in a World Cup obviously.
Rocco75
Guest
I think the writer is misinterpreting "pinnacle" with "passion". New Zealand now has a chance to make history for their nation by winning a cricket world cup. They've never made the final before so that is something historic as well. But the difference here is that Australia has won the world cup 4 times including 3 in a row between 1999 and 2007. When you have never won the title (eg. an Aussie winning the US Masters - Adam Scott, Socceroos winning the Asian Cup 2015) or haven't won for a long time (South Sydney winning the NRL premiership for the first time in 43 years), trying to win the game or the title means a lot more than it does for a team that has won it before and very recently too. So for cricket, the pinnacle would be number 1 ranked test cricket nation, then one-day cricket world cup champions and then T20 world champions. For New Zealand last night was historic for them and Sunday could be something even greater and it would be the pinnacle of cricket alongside being ranked the no.1 test playing nation. Good luck to them.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
It was one of the greatest games in the history of the World Cup so naturally it was the pinnacle of the sport. You could make the same argument after any great ODI game. I prefer test cricket, but a lot of countries don't play meaningful test cricket therefore it's easy to see how the World Cup takes precedence.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
So the argument is basically that the tournament format is the pinnacle.
Johnno
Guest
I disagree Test cricket is the toughest format of the game. Alastair cook was so crap at ODI's. As was Mark Taylor, and Strauss. there different sports, with different skill sets, and both just as tough. Nathan Lyon missed out on the aussie squad to Xavier Doherty who is rubbish in Tests.
Johnno
Guest
For about 15 years Renegade the odds of an Ashes series win or even winning a test were more like only 20%.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Spruce, You've put across a lot better than I did but that's exactly my thoughts as well.
Nick
Roar Guru
I think everyone is looking at this wrong Test cricket and ODI cricket are completely different beasts that co-exist in the world of cricket. Test cricket is what all cricketers (should) aspire to participate in and conquer individually. As a cricketer, there is no higher honour than being selected to represent your country in the toughest format of the game. Test cricket by nature a sport of individual performances over 5 days. Lets be honest, no one gets full respect until they make the test squad. Case in point is Andrew Symonds - both financially and reputation wise, his stocks soared when he finally cracked the test team. But as a member of a cricket team, but the ODI world cup is the only trophy worth winning and is the pinnacle for cricket as a team sport. Complete global domination in a high pressure multi week, multinational competition. It's not individuals who win the world cup, its the collective.
Nick
Roar Guru
It's still an astonishingly Aussie centric call though. That type of call completely justifies the pathetic decision by channel 9 to show only the australia games in this world cup - simply just a reflection of the complete ignorance most fans in this country have for the game. The Ashes is not the pinnacle sport for literally 95% of the cricketing world. It may be for the English and Australia but obviously not anyone else. Get out man and open your eyes.