Chris Gayle smashed his 15th ODI century as West Indies booked their place in the ICC Champions Trophy final with a comfortable four-wicket drubbing of South Africa at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium yesterday.
The left-handed opener Gayle finished with an unbeaten 133, his second successive ODI century which guided the West Indies to 262 for four from 44 overs, helping them to overhaul South Africa’s 258 for eight from their allotted 50.Gayle, who stroked 17 fours and three powerful sixes in his 135-ball knock, shared a frenetic opening stand of 154 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, which set up the eventual triumph.
Chanderpaul scored 57 from 70 balls, decorated by four (4s) and one (6), but was eventually forced off with cramp in the 26th over with West Indies still 105 runs adrift of their target.
Ramnaresh Sarwan hammered a cameo run-a-ball 27 in adding a further 42 with Gayle, before the West Indies suffered their first casualty.
West Indies stuttered briefly, losing Dwayne Bravo (15), captain Brian Lara (9) and Runako Morton (0), before cantering home in the end and securing the chance to defend the title they won two years ago in England.
In search of their target on an easy-paced pitch, Gayle started the West Indies run chase positively, slamming successive fours off the second and third deliveries of seamer Shaun Pollock’s opening over which cost nine runs.
Gayle was particularly severe on Pollock, striking him for another four in his third over and a six over mid-off in his fifth, and was responsible for 24 of the 34 runs that came from the bowler’s five overs.
It set the tone for the partnership as the West Indies reached 50 from just 41 balls and the 100-run mark from just 101 deliveries.
Gayle’s half-century needed just 48 balls, and he continued to attack the South African bowling which had little answer to his onslaught.
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini’s first three overs cost 23 runs while Andre Nel, who replaced Pollock in the attack after seven overs, went for 25 from his first three.
Chanderpaul, who was content to play the supporting role to Gayle, was not left out of the act as he took ten runs from Nel’s opening over and then smashed him for six over backward square-leg in the bowler’s next over that cost seven.
The left-hander raised his 50 off 57 balls but soon after suffered leg cramps and after using Dwayne Smith as a runner for several balls, finally limped off the ground.
Sarwan kept up the tempo with Gayle, but after he had stroked six fours, was adjudged lbw off Ntini, pushing forward.
Bravo, coming off a century in West Indies’ last game against England, hit three boundaries and seemed set to finish the match for the Windies before becoming the second wicket to fall.
Beaten in flight after advancing down to left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, Bravo failed to regain his ground in time and was run out by some smart work by Graeme Smith at first slip.
Lara lasted ten balls and Morton, five as the West Indies stuttered briefly but Gayle ensured West Indies reached their target, finishing with a four off Peterson.
Earlier, pacer Jerome Taylor, medium pacer Dwayne Bravo and off-spinner Marlon Samuel all picked up two wickets as Windies restricted the South Africans after they won the toss and chose to bat first.
Taylor sent back Smith, bowled around his legs for 19 in the sixth over but South Africa recovered well through Herchelle Gibbs’ 77 from 90 balls and AB de Villiers’ 57-ball 46.
South Africa had slipped to 96 for three in the 23rd over despite Loots Bosman’s 39, but Gibbs and de Villiers added 92 for the fourth wicket to restore South Africa’s momentum.
West Indies bowlers kept it tight at the end, however, ensuring South Africa’s batsmen did not run away in the late stages.
