Choice of game I have lived in Australia for 23 years, and this is the first time in my time here that the World Cup has been played in this country. I could not pass up an opportunity to attend a World Cup quarter-final in my home city of Sydney, regardless of the teams playing. That Sri Lanka made it to the knockouts was a bonus.Team supported I always support Sri Lanka, even on days like this when they are soundly beaten. I was also looking forward to seeing Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla in action for the first time.Key performer Imran Tahirs excellent spell of leg-spin bowling was the defining performance of the match. His googly was not read well, even by good players of spin. De Villiers used attacking field placements and Tahir bowled accordingly, with very few loose balls. The wickets of Lahiru Thirimanne and Mahela Jayawardene turned the match significantly in South Africas favour, and they did not relinquish control after that. Tahir was well supported by JP Duminy, whose spread-out hat-trick went largely unnoticed by the crowd, and even the announcer only mentioned it at the end of the over!One thing I would have changed The crowd was hoping for another significant partnership between Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene for one last time, but, unfortunately, it wasnt to be.Face-off I relished Before the match, I was looking forward to the showdown between South Africas pace spearhead Steyn and the maverick TM Dilshan. The winner of that battle could dictate the rest of the game, and it was decided in spectacular fashion by Faf Du Plessis superb diving catch at second slip.Wow moment Watching du Plessis catch live at the ground, unlike on television, can make you truly appreciate the astonishing hand-eye coordination required to take a reflex slip catch marginally above the ground whilst diving forward, off a fast bowler bowling at 140+ kph.Close encounter To be honest, given the low-scoring nature of the game, outfielders were few and far between. It was clear, however, that Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga and de Villiers were the most popular players in the match.Shot of the day Thirimanne played some eye-catching shots in his 41, but the pick was a glorious lofted off-drive off Steyn. It was an effortless stroke, and one of the very few highlights for Sri Lanka on the day.Crowd meter The ground was about 75% full, an excellent turnout given Australia were not playing, and both sets of patriotic fans created a fantastic atmosphere. Every boundary or wicket was raucously cheered. The split between the supporters was about 65-35 in favour of Sri Lanka. There were thousands of flags and jerseys (from both teams) and plenty of noise. The Sri Lankan fans, as always, continued to cheer enthusiastically until the end, even as the result became more and more apparent.Fancy-dress index A group of fans were dressed up as Tigger from Winnie-the-Pooh, and there were a few Irish fans wearing St Patricks Day gear after celebrating yesterday.Entertainment The entertainment began outside the stadium with Baila music being played by a Sri Lankan band on a stage. Inside the ground, the papare bands played throughout the day. The acoustics in the upper tiers of the Trumper stand meant the music reverberated thunderously off the roof to a near concert-level volume. The drummers in those bands drowned out the official drummers at the ground. The fans next to the bands danced until the very end, and even as Sri Lankas ship sank, the bands played on. Some notable song choices by the DJ included Africa by Toto when South Africa took a wicket, and Summer Rain and Why does it always rain on me? during the rain break.Accessories I had plenty of food (which ultimately wasnt needed given the early finish), a Sri Lankan jersey (one of thousands in the stadium), and blue and yellow sneakers.Overall Despite a brief rain shower, it was largely a wonderful day for cricket, played in an iconic stadium in front of 27,000 passionate fans. Unfortunately, a thoroughly one-sided match left most in the crowd disappointed.Marks out of 10 If I was a South Africa supporter, Id say 10/10, but for me it was just pass mark. Despite the result, a day out at the cricket with friends and family is still an enjoyable experience, particularly at the picturesque SCG.Last chance to see It was a solemn farewell to two legends of world cricket - Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. On behalf of all Sri Lankan fans, I thank you for your tireless dedication, the countless great performances and many unforgettable victories. We will miss you, and we wish the two of you the best for the future. Marquise Brown Jersey . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. Anquan Boldin Jersey . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. http://www.customravensjersey.com/custom-ed-reed-jersey-large-363d.html .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Jeff Blake Jersey . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. Gus Edwards Jersey . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. CARMEL, Ind. -- Ricky Elliott always hoped he could be in the Ryder Cup, the dream of any aspiring golfer from Portrush in Northern Ireland.He finally got there as a caddie, which is not unusual.Except that hell be working for the other team.Ill be getting plenty of good needle, but its all in good fun, said Elliott, the caddie for American player Brooks Koepka for the last three years. Whenever Im out here, I stay with Kenny (Comboy), Billy (Foster) and all the other European caddies because we have the same things in common. I still am European. When it comes down to the matches, might they be a little wary in the team meeting? You just dont know. But its all about getting the cup back to this side of the pond.And Im working for the American team.The Ryder Cup is all about the flag, Europe against the United States, three days of frenetic golf and fanatical cheering.The PGA of America only began keeping records of Ryder Cup caddies in 1995, and no European caddie worked for the American team in the last two decades. The last European caddie to work for a U.S. player might have been Brian Bellenger of England, who caddied for Bill Rogers in 1981 at The Belfry. Bellenger, who died last year, holds the unique distinction of working on the winning side of both teams. He also worked for Ken Brown when Europe won in 1985.There are more stories of Europeans who didnt work.Terry Holt of England worked for Paul Azinger in 1993, but chose not to go with him to the Ryder Cup at The Belfry. Dave Musgrove of England declined to work for Lee Janzen in 1997 at Valderrama, fearing a conflict in interest. He didnt want to be in a bad situation. People might wonder about his loyalties, Janzen said then.The most recent example was Andy Sutton, the English caddie whom Ben Curtis hired when he won the British Open at Royal St. Georges. Curtis qualified for the Ryder Cup in 2008 at Valhalla, and Sutton didnt want to work for him that week.We had talked about it in the past and he said, `If you ever make the Ryder Cup, I cant work for you, Curtis said. When it came about, I remember saying to him, `Are you serious? He said: `I cant. Ill catch too much grief from the other European caddies. He decided it might be better for me to have someone else.Curtis hired Tony Navarro for the week. He said years later, Sutton regretted not working for him at the Ryder Cup.Whats in store for Elliott?I have no worries about him, said John Wood, who caddies for Matt Kuchar and will be working at his sixth Ryder Cup. There might be some out there I would be concerned about, but not Ricky. I think hell jump right into the feel of the team and be part of it. I think it would be difficult if you had somebody who had been on a European Ryder Cup teaam and then came into the U.ddddddddddddS. room. But for Ricky, it will be a fresh experience for him.There have been examples of American caddies working for European players in the Ryder Cup -- Jerry Higginbotham for Sergio Garcia in 1999, and Lance Ten Broeck for Jesper Parnevik in 1999 and 2002.It was kind of weird in the beginning, Ten Broeck said. I remember I was kind of concerned about doing it, but the more I spoke to Hal Sutton, he said: `Why wouldnt you do it? Thats who you work for. And I spoke to Jesper about it a long time. This is a golf match, not a war. And its one of the great experiences.Elliott played college golf at Toledo, competing against Curtis at Kent State, and stayed in America. He lives in Florida near Graeme McDowell, one of his best friends from Portrush, and decided last year to become a U.S. citizen.I had to say a sentence in English and I had to spell a word, and I just squeaked by that, Elliott said in his sing-song Irish lilt. There was about 80 of us in the room and 2,000 people had come to watch. I was there on my own, sitting beside a wee Chinese man waving the flag. It was cool. Ive spent half my life over here. Youre still always where youre from, but Im pleased as punch to be an American citizen.Elliott was trying to find a golf pro job during the economic downturn in 2008 when he caddied for Maarten Lafeber on the European Tour, and then Curtis. He was between jobs when Koepka, who began his career on the European Tour, received an exemption to the 2013 PGA Championship and his regular caddie had visa problems.First time I ever met him was on the range at the PGA, Elliott said. Hes striping these shots and Im like, `Happy days. I was still in Europe, but you know what its like when you see a good player. He made the cut that week, played with Tiger (Woods) on Sunday and said to me in the locker room, `Do you fancy doing a few in Europe?Theyve been together ever since. Koepka won in Turkey in 2014 and won the Phoenix Open the following year. He is No. 22 in the world, playing in his first Ryder Cup. He never thought twice about having anyone but Elliott on his bag.Elliott never considered sitting out.The caddie lives at Lake Nona in Orlando, home to some of Europes finest in the Ryder Cup over the years -- McDowell, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson.It will be fun for Ricky, said Curtis, who used to live at Lake Nona and won his most recent event with Elliott on the bag. Once you get into it, its the same as when youre playing against one of your good friends in the final round. You want to beat them. And this will be the same thing. ' ' '