Tragic Windies humiliated by SA
Monday, January 26 2004
If it wasn't so sad it would have been funny - the West Indies today collapsed to a humiliating 209-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in the first ODI of five. In true Shakespearean fashion it was a tragedy. The West Indians looked hopeless at the crease chasing a 265 to win, yet the way with which they manufactured their dismissals was almost comedic.
The target was set after some sharp early bowling from the West Indies was outdone by some thoughtless death bowling and tremendous batting by Jacques Kallis. Proving quite the thorn in the side of the tourists, Kallis smashed 109 from only 94 balls in a unreal display of strokeplay. Vasbert Drakes was the main brunt of the charge, surrendering 22 runs from one over to the South African allrounder. He finished with 10-1-67-1 after a series of too-short deliveries in the slog overs of the match.
Earlier Gibbs (10) misjudged a Collymore delivery and lost his offstump without playing a shot. Robin Peterson was promoted to pinch hit and he got to 21 before being run out by Chris Gayle. Graeme Smith batted slowly at first then went into attack mode and, with some luck, he reached his half-century from 68 balls. Eventually he was bowled by Hurley playing back to an offbreak and Dippenaar got just 1 and the top-edged a pull off Drakes.
Kallis was joined by Rudolph with the score at 101/4 and the run rate hovering around 3.5 per over. The two batsmen took brutal aim and added an unbeaten partnership of 162 runs, a South African record for the wicket against the West Indies in an ODI. The score closed at a very workable 263/4.
The West Indian openers came out and looked very tentative and watchful, then Gayle (4) smashed Pollock straight to Smith at midoff. Lara (2) was out yet again to Nel, padding up and adjudged LBW. On the replay the ball clearly pitched outside the legstump and was likely going over the top of the stumps anyway. The situation quickly worsened as Chanderpaul (14) felt the need to hit out and only found Peterson at midon, who took a very good catch jumping up. Who would have predicted that Chanderpaul would be the top-scorer in the West Indian chase!
Powell (12) came and played a beautiful straight drive for a boundary followed by an effortless clip for six, but was out two balls later, attempting glide to third man and instead finding Boucher's gloves. The bowler was Klusener and it was his first over on his return to international cricket for South Africa, having been discarded thirteen ODI's ago immediately after the 2003 World Cup. Klusener was to play a starring role on this day, having Dwayne Smith (1) caught behind on debut in his next over.
Immediately after Sarwan (5) played back to an Ntini offering and found himself plumb in front as the ball kept a bit lower than he expected. Worse yet, Hurley (2) orchestrated the most embarrassing of dismissals, attempting to clip Klusener from offstump to the legside, then getting a leading edge to Kallis at slip. Drakes (1) was magnificently caught by fielder extraordinaire Herschelle Gibbs and Dillon (1) drove loosely and unsuccessfully at Ntini.
The final wicket fell in most apt of fashion with Collymore (0) hopelessly run out by Gibbs, setting off for a run which wasn't there and being sent back by Jacobs to be cut short by a long way.
The defeat for the West Indies is the largest in the team's ODI history, beating the 138-run loss at the hands of Pakistan in 1999/00. The total of 54 all out beats the Windies' previous low of 87 against Australia in 1992/93/.
Match Summary:
South Africa 263/4 (50 overs)
JH Kallis 109* [94], JA Rudolph 61* [92], GC Smith 53 [74]
RO Hurley 1/39 [10], CD Collymore 1/47 [10], VC Drakes 1/67 [10]
West Indies 54 all out (23.2 overs)
S Chanderpaul 14 [34], RL Powell 12 [9], RD Jacobs 6* [17]
L Klusener 3/9 [5.2], M Ntini 3/15 [6], A Nel 3/18 [6], SM Pollock 1/9 [6]
Result: South Africa won by 209 runs
Series: 1-0 [1 of 5] (SA)
Man of the Match: JH Kallis (SA)
Posted by Liam
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