The Olympic-style ceremony at Cape Town's Newlands cricket ground was beamed to 1.4 billion people around the globe, making it the biggest sporting event ever staged in Africa and a boost to South Africa's hopes of hosting the soccer World Cup in 2010.

About 22,000 spectators at Newlands cheered as the ceremony got underway with a party of San hunters -- descendents of South Africa's earliest inhabitants -- pursuing performers dressed as herds of zebra, giraffes and antelopes.

A total of 54 one-day games were to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya over the six-week event. South Africa and holders Australia began the tournament as strong favourites to lift the trophy on March 23.

Politics wasn't too far: much of the event build-up was mired in controversy, with England objecting to playing in Zimbabwe and New Zealand saying it would boycott its game in Kenya.

Text: Faisal Shariff

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