Canadian triumph a ray of sunshine

Sitting in an office with a blizzard howling outside, Durban seemed a million miles from snowy Canada rather than a few thousand.

Yet as Bangladesh wickets continued to tumble, the desire was to be somehow instantly transported across the Atlantic to witness perhaps Canada's finest cricketing hour.

Bangladesh are not a powerhouse in world cricket, and Canada have beaten them before, in the ICC Trophy.

But few gave Canada a chance of winning a single match at this World Cup.

The last competitive cricket Canada had played as a team was in August.

Most of the team has not seen grass for some months, instead they've practising indoors in Toronto.

Their long-time coach Jeff Thomas was replaced by Gus Logie just six weeks before the World Cup, and lack of money prevented a pre-World Cup tour.

This was a day-night match, and the first opportunity the team had to play under lights was last week. Excuses were ready for what seemed likely to be a disappointing trip to South Africa after the excitement of qualifying in Toronto in 2001.

The main hopes might have been John Davidson and Ian Billcliff, both of whom are Canadian by birth, but ply their cricketing skills in the Southern Hemisphere, Davidson for South Australia, and Billcliff in club cricket in Auckland, after a varied first-class career.

But on the day this was truly a team effort.

Davison and Billcliff certainly played their part, Billcliff with the top score, a much-needed steady innings in the middle-order after wickets had tumbled, and Davison with two crucial wickets.

However, the hero was Austin Codrington - he had only managed two wickets in the 2001 ICC Trophy, and his best bowling in the Toronto leagues last summer was three for 33. His five wickets were taken with accurate pace bowling, of good line and length with a little movement.

Then there was Ashish Bagai, the young 'keeper who learned his cricket in Toronto - three catches, one of which was as good as any you'll see, behind the stumps in this World Cup, and not a single bye. Fazil Samad took two good catches at slip and his brother two more as substitute, including a stunner to dismiss Khaled Mashud.

Sanjay Thuraisingam had hardly bowled since August, with work commitments preventing him taking part in the Red Stripe Bowl, and back problems keeping him out of the lead-up matches, yet he bowled six aggressive overs, taking a crucial wicket.

The veteran Davis Joseph at 39, made the first breakthrough and took a second wicket to break an important partnership. Desmond Chumney had a dismal run in the warm up matches and some would be surprised to see him in the team today.

He and Ishwar Maraj together got Canada off to a solid start and, if not for an unfortunate run-out, he might well have made a more substantial contribution. The fielding as a whole was magnificent - certainly world-class, with some great catches.

Joe Harris failed with the bat today, but was triumphant as a captain. He never let up in the field, realising that wickets were critical, and deserved full credit for bringing this disparate group of players together as a team. "It's the best day of our lives" he said.

It's also perhaps the greatest day in Canada's long cricket history, and one that has brought a little bit of warm South African sunshine to the cold Canadian winter.