Gibbs (101) makes Windies pay price

LONDON: Only six overs were possible in West Indies’ response yesterday before rain then bad light stopped play in their final ICC Champions Trophy Group “B” cricket match against South Africa. In pursuit of 247 from 50 overs, West Indies had reached 20 without loss from six overs when the weather turned for the worse and curtailed their chase. Chris Gayle will continue from 12 not out and Wavell Hinds from six not out when the two teams look to complete the match on today’s reserve day —  weather and conditions permitting. The winners will book a place in Wednesday’s second semifinal against the winner of today’s border clash between arch-enemies India and Pakistan.

West Indies however, could not keep the cloud over Herschelle Gibbs and the South Africa opening batsman duly completed his 13th limited-overs international hundred and fourth against West Indies to break his drought of runs in this form of the game over the last 18 months. After West Indies put South Africa in to bat, Gibbs hit nine fours and one six in a circumspect 101 from 135 balls to lead South Africa to 246 for six from their allotment of 50 overs. West Indies had only themselves to blame for letting Gibbs reach the landmark, as well as share a record opening stand with South African captain Graeme Smith and a half-century third-wicket stand with another left-hander Jacques Rudolph. On 33, they had an opportunity to remove him, but wicketkeeper Courtney Browne missed a difficult leg-side take off left-arm spin bowler Ryan Hinds in the 17th over.

Gayle was the aggrieved bowler when Gibbs lofted a six over long-off to reach the milestone, but would have been smiling when the batsman was caught at deep cover a few balls later to become one of his three wickets for 50 runs from 10 overs that made him the most successful West Indies bowler. West Indies bowled tightly early, but Gibbs and Smith weathered the storm and proceeded to share 102 for the first wicket that was 14 runs better than the effort of Gibbs and the now retired Gary Kirsten in Grenada three years ago. Gayle, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin, made the breakthrough in the 22nd over when Smith was bowled for 45 essaying a cut to a fast, flat, straight ball. He struck five fours from 64 balls. Gayle and Ryan Hinds, who was the most economical West Indies bowler with figures of 10-0-35-0, put the South African batsmen under pressure with their slow stuff and it took its toll when Jacques Kallis, trying to free himself from the shackles, was bowled by Dwayne Bravo for 16 in the 36th over to leave the total 148 for two.

West Indies appeared to let things get out of hand when Gibbs and Rudolph added exactly 50 at a run-a-ball to set South Africa up for the “happy hour.” Gayle short-circuited their plans with Gibbs’ wicket in the 44th over that triggered a series of events that saw the South Africans lose four wickets for 24 runs in the space of 21 balls before a few lusty blows from Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener beefed up the total. Martin van Jaarsveld was at deep mid off off Bradshaw for a one-ball duck in the 45th over, Rudolph, whose 46 from 39 balls contained four fours and one six, was bowled by Gayle in the 46th overs, and Mark Boucher was caught at deep mid wicket off Ian Bradshaw for seven in the 47th over. Bradshaw ended with two wickets for 10 runs from 10 overs and Bravo was the other wicket-taker in nine overs that cost 54 runs.