South Africa power to 106-run win over India

CAPE TOWN ( South Africa)—Justin Kemp’s defiant maiden century and Shaun Pollock’s four wickets spurred South Africa to a 106-run victory in the third one-day international against India on Sunday.
South Africa have now taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The first game a week ago was washed out. Kemp’s 100 not out was the top score as South Africa rallied from 76 for six to a total of 274 for seven. Pollock took four for 26 to help dismiss India for 168 in 41.3 overs.
Captain Rahul Dravid’s 63, which he scored off 103 balls with four fours and a six, was the best of India’s batting. Kemp, who came to the crease at 71 for five and survived chances on nine and 34, faced 89 balls and hit six fours and seven sixes in an innings of effortlessly wielded power.
The 138 runs that Kemp and Andrew Hall, who scored 56, shared in an unbroken stand was a world record for the eighth wicket.
An astounding display of power hitting from Justin Kemp lit up Cape Town and utterly transformed what seemed like a disastrous day for South Africa into a glorious one as they thumped India by 106 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Kemp blazed his way to an 89-ball unbeaten 100 - his first in ODIs - to lift South Africa from the depths of 76 for 6 to a daunting 274 for 7. Utterly demoralised by that battering - 113 came off the last ten, while the eighth-wicket stand between kemp and Andrew Hall yielded a record 138 - the Indians came up with a limp batting display, with only Mahendra Singh Dhoni (55) and Rahul Dravid (63) showing any fight.
At the 20-over stage, it seemed the only team which could wrap up a comprehensive win in this match was India, as they fought back superbly after the drubbing at Durban. Zaheer Khan struck twice in his first over - with Smith perhaps disturbed by the pre-match altercation with Haroon Lorgat, the convener of selectors — while the rest of the top-order batsmen self-destructed quite spectacularly on a pitch which, though offering pace and bounce to the bowlers, was excellent for batting.
Jacques Kallis, Loots Bosman and Herschelle Gibbs all fell to extravagant shots outside off, while Mark Boucher was run out. Zaheer bowled an outstanding first spell - his figures read 7-4-9-3 - while Anil Kumble, back in the one-day side after 13 months, sustained the pressure with his typically immaculate control, conceding just 12 from his first eight overs. With most of the recognised batsmen back in the hutch, there was little more India could have hoped for after losing the toss.
The South Africans, though, are well known for the depth in their batting, and Kemp, along with Shaun Pollock, slowly began the rescue mission. The pair added 60, which stabilised the innings and allowed Kemp to settle in before launching into that incredible onslaught. The Indians showed plenty of generosity in the field as well, offering Kemp two chances before he got to 10 - on 3, Dravid dropped a tough slip catch off Harbhajan Singh, while six runs later Sachin Tendulkar quite shockingly missed a regulation caught-and-bowled.
Kemp had 13 on the board after 40 deliveries, but that was only the proverbial lull before an onslaught of quite scary proportions. Hitting cleanly through the line of the ball with meaty power and immaculate timing, Kemp had the Indians scurrying for cover as the complexion of the game changed in a trice. Whether it was pace or spin, Kemp backed himself, simply making room and hitting through the line of the ball, which kept disappearing high over long-on and long-off.
Harbhajan felt the heat first, being tonked for a six and four off successive balls, before Kemp turned his attention to the faster bowlers. Irfan Pathan disappeared for two sixes and a four in an over — all blasted straight down the ground - while Zaheer took a fearful battering too, being clobbered for consecutive straight sixes. Kemp took most of the honours, but he received excellent support from Andrew Hall, who kept the momentum going with a quickfire 47-ball 56. The punch-drunk Indian bowlers threw in the towel — Pathan continually bowled length balls, while Zaheer’s attempt at yorkers regularly threw up full tosses. Both were meat and drink for Kemp and Hall, who added an amazing 76 in the five overs between 43 and 47.—Agencies