The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Gibbs guides SA home

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Thursday, Sep 13, 2007
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Gibbs guides SA home

Sports Reporter

Johannesburg: On a good batting track, South Africa and the West Indies sought to demonstrate the consequence of being offered license. The opening match panned out as a prototypical Twenty20 encounter. There was little time to dwell on the Gayle storm when there was a match to be won, an insane score to be chased and a bizarre run-rate to be kept up with. The host won the opener in the 18th over losing only two wickets. Herschelle Gibbs was never the worrying sort, and chasing 200-plus in 20 overs would have been as much of a challenge as chasing 400-plus in 50 overs, which his team had done in the past.

Smashing knock

Gibbs smashed 90 in 55 balls and had good support initially from captain Graeme Smith who was badly hit on the wrist. Gibbs was also in some trouble and had to call for a runner because of a hamstring strain. Notwithstanding that, he drove freely and was unhesitant with his shot-selection.

The West Indies fielded poorly, and dropped Gibbs twice. Dwayne Bravo dropped him at deep cover when he was on 20, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul grassed one at deep square leg when Gibbs was on 43. The chase was frantic and both A.B. de Villiers and Justine Kemp cut loose.

Earlier, Chris Gayle became the first centurion in a Twenty20 international, scoring 117 in 57 balls with 10 sixes.

The Wanderers seems to fancy itself as something of a stage for records, both dubious and otherwise. Gayle smashed the most number of sixes in a Twenty20 innings, while Gibbs hit the most number of fours (14). The match had 18 sixes in total, the highest in a Twenty20 international, and also had the highest run aggregate (413) in a Twenty20 international.

Bowlers only made things worse, giving away as many as 45 extras in the match (a record) and the highest in an innings (28 by the West Indies).

SCOREBOARD

West Indies: C. Gayle c Boucher b van der Wath 117, Devon Smith c Boucher b Philander 35, M. Samuels c de Villiers b Pollock 6, S. Chanderpaul c Boucher b van der Wath 11, Dwayne Smith c Gibbs b M. Morkel 1, R. Sarwan c de Villiers b Philander 12, D. Ramdin (not out) 6, D. Bravo (not out) 0; Extras (lb-4, w-12, nb-1): 17; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 205.

Fall of wickets: 1-145, 2-152, 3-178, 4-182, 5-188, 6-204.

South Africa bowling: Pollock 4-0-52-1, Ntini 2-0-19-0, van der Wath 4-0-33-2, M. Morkel 4-0-30-1, Philander 4-0-35-2, J. Morkel 1-0-16-0, Smith 1-0-16-0.

South Africa: G. Smith c Gayle b Rampaul 28, H. Gibbs (not out) 90, A. de Villiers c Ramdin b Edwards 16, J. Kemp (not out) 46; Extras (lb-4, w-23, nb-1): 28; Total (for two wkts. in 17.4 overs): 208.

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-88.

West Indies bowling: Powell 4-0-34-0, Rampaul 4-0-52-1, Dwayne Smith 2-0-37-0, Edwards 3-0-21-1, Bravo 2.4-0-39-0, Samuels 2-0-21-0.

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