Windies storm
into final with Gayle’s ton
JAIPUR—Chris Gayle struck a magnificent 15th ODI century as West Indies
sealed a superb six-wicket semi-final win over South Africa in the
Champions Trophy. Gayle smashed 17 fours and three sixes in an unbeaten
133, sharing 154 in 26 overs for the first wicket with Shiv Chanderpaul,
who retired hurt on 57.
Their heroics saw the Windies reach the target of 259 with six overs to
spare. Herschelle Gibbs hit four fours and a six in his 77 for South
Africa, sharing 92 in 18 overs with AB de Villiers. The West Indian
reply was eventful from ball one, a wide from Shaun Pollock.
Gayle drove the first two legitimate deliveries from four and
Chanderpaul, who provoked afurious response from Makhaya Ntini when he
asked the volatile paceman to remove his white wristband, continued the
assault on Pollock by lofting him within inches of a six.
Ntini was replaced after three overs for 23, but the first ball from
Andre Nel was unceremoniously swiped to the mid-wicket boundary by
Chanderpaul. Pollock stayed in the attack but was smeared straight into
the boards at long-off by the dynamic Gayle, who reached fifty from 48
balls.
With the score at 75-0 after 10 overs, Graeme Smith delayed the second
powerplay and brought himself on for some gentle off-spinners, but the
100 arrived in the 17th over. Although way ahead of the required rate,
Gayle ensured the momentum was maintained, launching left-arm spinner
Robin Peterson high into the night sky and into the stands for six more.
Even a bout of cramp for Chanderpaul could not delay the procession to
victory, although the left-hander was finally forced to leave the field
with 105 still needed. New batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan took the target
below three figures with two fours through the leg-side in an over from
Nel, compiling 27 from as many balls before adjudged lbw to Ntini.
Gayle recorded his third century of the tournament, whirling his arm in
celebration after taking the single needed, and Dwayne Bravo signalled
the 200 with a calypso square drive for four. The Windies could even
afford a moment of hari-kari from Bravo, who sauntered down the pitch to
Peterson and was run out by Graeme Smith collecting the ball at slip.
That gave skipper Brian Lara the chance to hit his 1,000th one-day
international four, fittingly a sumptuous square drive, though he
chipped back a return catch. Runako Morton had not scored when he hit an
ill-advised hoik low to mid-wicket with only 15 needed but Gayle
finished the match in style with a straight drive to the boundary.
It was another notable Champions Trophy victory for the Windies against
South Africa, following a five-wicket quarter-final win two years ago,
and it helped to atone for a 5-0 drubbing in the Caribbean earlier this
year. Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Smith was clearly intent on
a solid opening stand, having shared in first wicket partnerships of 1,
13 and 0 previously in the competition, but having clipped Ian Bradshaw
for identical fours through mid-wicket, he was bowled off his pads in
the sixth over.
That brought in Kallis, averaging 50 against the West Indians but he
never properly settled, and after appearing visibly perplexed by the
pitch, he launched a wild swipe at Bravo which skewed to third man.
Spinner Marlon Samuels enjoyed immediate success as Loots Bosman, with
only three previous internationals against Zimbabwe earlier this year to
his name, saw a charmed 39 come to an end courtesy of a leading edge to
cover. Gibbs completed fifty in style with a fluent drive before his
assured stand with De Villiers ended when Lara’s fine throw from cover
hit the target.
Redoubtable Mark Boucher launched the first six of the innings off
Samuels, but fell in the deep next ball for 16. Taylor bowled the
penultimate over and was dispatched over long-off for six by Gibbs
backing away, while the 250 came up as Bravo began the final over with a
wild full toss that sailed down the leg-side for four wides. Gibbs was
dismissed three balls before the close and though 258-8 was considered a
challenging total, there was the feeling it was short of par, a theory
soon confirmed by Gayle and Chanderpaul.
Chris Gayle smashed 133 not out to power holders West Indies into the
Champions Trophy final with a six-wicket victory over South Africa on
Thursday. The 27-year-old Jamaican stroked his third hundred of the
tournament and amassed 154 runs for the first wicket with fellow
left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul (57) to snuff out South Africa’s
challenge.
Gayle’s second successive hundred, his 15th overall, guided West Indies
to 262 for four in 44 overs after South Africa were restricted to 258
for eight. Herschelle Gibbs top-scored with 77 for them after skipper
Graeme Smith elected to bat. The 2004 winners face world champions
Australia in the final on Sunday.
“The way Gayle and Chanderpaul started the innings was excellent and
laid the foundation for our success,” West Indies skipper Brian Lara
said. “We lost the toss, but it was a very good pitch. We knew they were
going to get in excess of 200 so we had to restrict them upfront as much
as possible.” |
