The Hindu : Sport : Windies effectively out of World Cup

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 12, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Windies effectively out of World Cup

St. George's: The 'hosts' jinx caught up with the West Indies as South Africa inflicted on them a 67-run defeat in the World Cup Super Eights clash and effectively put them out of the reckoning here on Tuesday.

After AB de Villier's maiden one-day hundred propelled South Africa to a massive 356 for four, the West Indies buckled under the weight of the huge target and ended up with 289 for 9 at the National Stadium.

De Villiers braved severe cramps in the latter half of his innings, while cracking a 128-ball 146, and his effort was complemented by Jacques Kallis who made an equally quick-paced 81 from 86 balls.

Herschelle Gibbs with an unbeaten 61 and Mark Boucher's World Cup fastest half-century of 52 from 23 balls sustained the deluge towards the end.

The West Indies never looked like making a match of it from the moment they lost Shivnarine Chanderpaul for four in the third over.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, with 92 off 75 balls, waged a lone battle while Chris Gayle (32), Devon Smith (33) and captain Brian Lara (21) all failed to build on after settling down.

Darren Powell saved the hosts the blushes as his defiant 48 from 36 balls considerably reduced the margin of loss.

The win brought the Proteas back into contention for the top four slots after the embarrassing loss to Bangladesh three days ago, and left the hosts with only theoretical chances of going through to the semifinals.

Only Sri Lanka as co-hosts of the 1996 edition in the sub-continent have won the title in the tournament's 32-year history.

The result left the Caribbean team with no points from four matches in the Super Eights, only the two they carried from the group stage win against Ireland.

They are now only above Ireland in the standings and with only two matches to go, against Bangladesh and England, Lara's men would depend on the unlikely prospects of South Africa and

Sri Lanka losing their remaining matches to go through.

AB de Villiers battled early rust and muggy heat to notch up his maiden one-day international hundred.

The 23-year old right hander survived two easy run out chances early in the innings and then braved severe cramps in the latter part while smashing 12 fours and five sixes.

Kallis, questioned for his slow pacing in the previous matches, redeemed himself with an 86-ball 81 with six fours and a six.

But it was Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher who made it a true run-fest, plundering 86 runs between them in only six overs at the death.

Gibbs remained unbeaten on 61 that came from only 50 balls and contained four fours and three sixes.

Boucher was even more belligerent, his 52 consuming just 23 deliveries and studded with five sixes and two fours.

Lara was left to rue his decision to delay the third power play which he took eventually after 44 overs.

Those five overs produced 77 runs with Boucher and Gibbs hammering four sixes between them off Powell in the last over of the power play. The last 10 overs saw South Africa hammer 134 runs.

Skipper Graeme Smith was the only to miss the party, dismissed for seven in the seventh over.

After Chanderpaul's early dismissal, Gayle and Smith put on 60 for the first wicket before Andre Nel broke the partnership by having the latter caught behind.

Three balls later, Gayle was run out by Ashwell Prince at midwicket, leaving West Indies at 69 for 3.

Kallis (2-36) then proved his allround ability by having Brian Lara played and later Kieron Pollard played all over a well-directed delivery that knocked the middle stump.

In between, Dwayne Bravo was consumed for six, Gibbs coming up with a brilliant one handed catch leaping to his left.

Sarwan took the fight to the South African camp as he struck 10 fours and a six in all before driving Makhaya Ntini straight to Shaun Pollock at mid off.

- PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport