Langeveldt last over hat-trick sinks WI

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS: Fast bowler Charl Langeveldt pulled off a sensational last over  hat-trick yesterday to bowl South Africa to a thrilling one-run victory over the West Indies in the third  Digicel One-Day cricket match at the Kensington Oval, giving  South Africa an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Langeveldt began the final over with the home team needing four runs to win with three wickets in hand. The 30-year-old conceded two singles off the first two balls and then dismissed Ian Bradshaw, Daren Powell and Corey Collymore off the next three balls to secure an unlikely win for the Proteas.

The West Indies, whose chase was powered by Chris Gayle’s 132, were bowled out for 283 off 48.5 overs. Man-of-the-match Langeveldt took a career-best five for 62 off 9.5 overs. “Langers stepped up. I know he’s got the skill but he really showed he’s got the mind and the heart for those situations,” an elated South African captain Graeme Smith said after the game. “He bowled superbly. The ball was reverse swinging and he got it right.” South Africa, sent in to bat, totalled 284 for six off 50 overs on the back of Boeta Dippenaar’s 123, his second one-day century. But Gayle’s innings, which spanned 152 balls and was spiced with seven fours and two sixes, seemed to set a winning platform.

He added 48 for the first wicket with Xavier Marshall before two wickets fell for one run as South Africa gained an edge. Marshall edged to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher while Ramnaresh Sarwan dragged on from Andre Nel. Gayle then forged two solid stands with Brian Lara and Windies skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul to set the home team back on track. Lara hit a composed 32 off 42 balls as he helped Gayle put on 70 for the third wicket. The 25-year-old Gayle, on the way to his 10th one-day century, added a further 94 with his skipper. Fellow left-hander Chanderpaul contributed 23 off 29 balls but when he was fourth out at 213 in the 40th over, the match was well poised.

Dwayne Smith tilted it toward the West Indies with two fours and a six in 21 off 16 balls. But Nel removed him and Gayle in his last two overs to keep South Africa in the hunt. Smith hit across the line and was bowled while Gayle lofted a drive to extra cover. Dwayne Bravo guided the late order after that and victory was in sight with four runs needed from seven balls. Courtney Browne lofted Ntini to mid-on off the final delivery of the 49th over to set up the thrilling final over. Bradshaw took a single off the first and Bravo, who ended 21 not out, added one off the second. But he was left stranded at the non-striker’s end as  Langeveldt performed his mind-blowing heroics.

Bradshaw and Powell were bowled playing across the line and as the small animated Kensignton crowd grew quietly nervous, Langeveldt bowled a perfect last over ball — straight in line and full — as he had a shuffling Corey Collymore plumb LBW. As West Indian hearts sank, the South Africans raced to a screaming Langeveldt as the stumps were uprooted for souvenirs. Langeveldt was swamped by his fellow players as Bravo, head bent slowly trudged off with Collymore following. Earlier, Dippenaar and Jacques Kallis (87) added a record 194 for the second wicket to anchor the visitors. Dippenaar, who hit back-to-back half centuries in South Africa’s two wins over the weekend in Jamaica, hit 12 fours off 129 balls.

Kallis who was given a huge lifeline by Aussie umpire Darrel Hair, when he (Kallis) was ruled not out after snicking a ball behind to the keeper before he opened his account, smacked two huge sixes and two fours off 109 deliveries. The pair seemed set to steer South Africa to over 300. But the West Indies pegged the scoring back in the final 10 overs, which raised only 62 runs. Bravo was the best of the home team’s bowlers with two for 51 off 10 overs. Left-armer Bradshaw had identical figures. (AP)