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West Indies thrash Canada

Sunday, February 23 2003

West Indies v Canada, Centurion, 23 February 2003

West Indies won the toss and elected to field.

For the Canadians, this was their first outing since their world record low performance against the Sri Lankans, although you would not have known it. The Canadian openers, particularly John Davison, started very positively by taking 15 off the fourth over of the innings, bowled by Pedro Collins, then repeated the treatment to Mervyn Dillon, plundering three successive boundaries. Ishwar Maraj was more circumspect, but an edged four off Collins took the total to 37 and beyond the total they had set in the Sri Lanka game without loss before the end of the sixth over.

Dillon was being treated with utter disdain, and the half-century partnership came up courtesy of a remarkable six by Davison over extra cover . Dillon gave way to Vasbert Drakes. Davisons answer was to block one ball then to launch the next into the crowd. A boundary and an scrambled single took Davison to a remarkable 50 in just 30 balls whilst the West Indians seemed to have few ideas as to what course of action to take. Maraj got into the act with a sparkling extra-cover drive off Pedro Collins to elevate the total to 77 without loss at the end of the 10th over. Davison was dropped by Chanderpaul off Drakes who continued to bowl far too short, demonstrated by yet another six by the shot-a-ball opener. Drakes had gone for 29 in two overs. Davison then got lucky when a ball rolled back on to the stumps and failed to dislodge a bail.

Maraj (16) was the first to go with the total on 96, getting an outside edge to Hooper in the slips from a ball from Collins. Carl Hooper looked relieved to have broken through at last and brought himself on to bowl the 13th over with almost immediate results, having Davison dropped - a sitter - by Dillon at mid-off whilst the score continued to mount - past 100 before the end of the 13th over. At the end of the 15th over, the total had reached a remarkable 112-1 with Davison undefeated on 82 from just 53 deliveries. With the introduction of Chris Gayle into the attack, Desmond Chumney got into the act, smashing an enormous six straight back over the bowlers head. Davison went into the 'nervous nineties' courtesy of another huge six off Gayle.

Dillon returned to the attack for over 19 with the score already on 131-1. Davison immediately smashed him back over his head for a fabulous six - and one of the greatest centuries this reporter has ever seen - 67 balls! The fastest one-day hundred in World Cup history. After 20 overs, the Canadian score was 149-1 when Wavell Hinds was introduced. Davison clipped him immediately through midwicket, but Hinds then removed Desmond Chumney (19), caught by Chris Gayle at mid-off with the score on 155.
Davisons brilliant innings came to an end courtesy of an incredible catch by Vasbert Drakes at long on, diving backwards to catch the ball one-handed just inside the boundary off the first ball of Hinds' over.

Davisons remarkable 111 had come off 76 balls, containing eight boundaries and six huge maximums. Later events were to reveal just how remarkable it had been, as he had been carrying an ankle injury from as early as the third over.

Ian Billcliff prevented the unlikely hat-trick and followed up by nudging a single to deep cover, and Nicholas Ifill got his first international run off the same bowler in similar manner. The chunky Billcliff then crashed Hinds through the covers and at the end of the 25th over, Canada had elevated their score to a remarkable 164-3. Dreadful fielding by Hinds was responsible for missing a simple chance to run out Ifill who then launched into a huge hit off the bowling af Wavell Hinds over long on. Understandably, the scoring rate became a little more sedate, and the re-introduction of Vasbert Drakes for the 29th over saw the almost immediate dismissal of Nicholas Ifill (9), caught behind by Ridley Jacobs with the total on 174.

Joe Harris joined Billcliff who then drove Drakes through the covers for another boundary as Canada attempted to regroup following the loss of three quick wickets. Vasbert Drakes had the last word, though, when Billcliff (16) was fifth man out driving loosely at a ball outside off stump, giving another straightforward catch to Ridley Jacobs with the total on 185. The next batsman in was Nicky de Groot, still to open his account in this World Cup following three successive ducks in his previous appearances. A quick single to cover and he was - finally - on his way. It was now a case of consolidation, taking singles and rotating the strike sensibly. Drakes continued to impress following his appalling start and he was rewarded when he had Joe Harris (6) well caught at slip by Carl Hooper with the score on 190 in the 39th over.

The first boundary in over an hour came courtesy of a bottom edge by de Groot off Chris Gayle, but the Canadians since the departure of Davison had found things in general much harder going. Magnificent fielding by Ricardo Powell ran out Ashish Bagai for 2 with a direct hit from cover point. Unfortunately for Powell, the very next ball he attempted the feat again with no-one backing up. This time he missed and the resultant four overthrows brought up the 200. Next delivery, Austin Codrington got a first-ball duck, edging Drakes to Ridley Jacobs, bringing Barry Seebaran to the wicket who lasted the same number of balls, leg before wicket to Drakes.

It had been a remarkable comeback for the West Indian seamer whose first two overs had gone for 29. He now had the excellent figures of 5-44 and was on a hat-trick. Last man Davis Joseph succeeded in preventing the hat trick but appalling running - albeit followed by an appalling throw redeemed by remarkable acrobatics by Jacobs - succeeded in precipitating the run out of de Groot for 11. The innings had finally subsided in farce for 202 in the 43rd over. In all, four wickets had fallen for five runs in five deliveries.

The West Indian reply got under way with Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle facing the Canadians for whom John Davison was absent, having gone for a precautionary X-ray on his ankle which he had injured just four runs into his classy innings. Gayle opened his account with a single off Davis Joseph and Hinds followed that up by clipping a ball through midwicket for the first boundary of the innings. The West Indian reply was rattling along at a frenetic pace as Hinds plundered two fours and a steepling six off the bowling of Joseph, who responded well by finding the faintest edge of Chris Gayles bat. Both bowler and wicket keeper Bagai seemed unsure, the appeal being more polite than confident, but umpire Asoka de Silva had no doubt - Gayle was gone for just 8 from a total of 32-1.

Brian Lara started with a textbook drive to the boundary. Austin Codrington, too, came in for the Wavell Hinds treatment, his third over going for nine runs from the first three deliveries and at the luncheon interval, the West Indies had amassed 45-1 from just six frantic overs.

The resumption after lunch commenced with Lara smashing a ball to the midwicket boundary, followed by a lofted drive by Hinds over long on for six and two glorious fours by the same batsman. Lara slammed Codrington for a four and a six over midwicket as the West Indies continued to progress at more than nine runs per over. The first bowling change saw the introduction of Nicholas Ifill, replacing the profligate Joseph who had been despatched at a personal cost of 47 in just four overs. Hinds top-edged Ifill over square leg for yet another six, and his half-century in just 24 balls came courtesy of an inside edge on to pad. The first three overs after lunch had realised 48 runs.

The tenth over - Seebarans first - started in familiar fashion with Lara executing two glorious drives for four and six to bring up the century. The next three balls disappeared in similar fashion and the over finished with Lara just missing out on a ODI world record - 4-6-4-6-6-0. Laras half-century had taken a remarkable 23 deliveries.

A full toss from John Davison, back on the field following his trip to hospital, was paddled to fine leg for a boundary by Hinds, bringing up the century partnership in just 43 balls. From the very next delivery, Hinds (64) was inevitably dismissed by the irrepressible Davison as he charged down the wicket and offered the simplest of stumpings for Bagai. The second wicket had fallen in the twelfth over with 134 on the board. Lara played a delightful drive over extra cover and quickly followed it up with one over mid-off as the West Indians continued to make short work of the target, bringing up the 150 inside the 15th over.

Sarwan joined the party with three boundaries in quick time and the end of the fielding restrictions saw the West Indies on 163-2 and the majestic Lara continuing to score at will all around the park. Nicholas de Groot was brought on to bowl the 17th over and Lara immediately greeted him with a flat six over midwicket. de Groot had the last laugh in the encounter, though, as Lara (73) dragged one back on to his stumps. The innings had lasted 40 balls of the most wonderful stroke play - a typical mixture of power and elegance.

Sarwan was joined by skipper Carl Hooper and a more circumspect approach saw a steady rotation of the strike for the first time in the entire match, although Sarwan needed little invitation to put the all-too-frequent poor deliveries away for boundaries. Crisp boundaries by Sarwan brought up the 200 inside the 20th over, and it was fitting that the elegant stroke maker should score the winning boundary with a signature cover drive.

West Indies (206-3) beat Canada (202 all out) by 7 wickets

Posted by Eddie