Another Kallis century sinks West Indies

Thursday, February 5, 2004

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP): Jacques Kallis slammed his sixth recent century against the West Indies as South Africa won a high-scoring fifth and final one-day international at the Wanderers Stadium Wednesday. 

Kallis hit a career-best 139 as South Africa chased down a West Indian total of 304 for two, winning by four wickets with two balls to spare to secure a 3-1 series win.

The amazing Kallis trumped a magnificent 152 not out by West Indian opener Chris Gayle, who thrashed the South African bowling and shared a record opening partnership with Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the West Indies set an imposing target.

Kallis, who was named man of the series, followed up his 718 runs at an average of 178 in the Test series with 361 runs in the one-day games at an average of 180.5.

He hit four centuries in four Test matches and two in the one-day games in addition to 95 not out in the fourth match at Centurion. 

Kallis and Jacques Rudolph (35) set up the South African win with a fourth wicket stand of 90 off 65 balls but there were some anxious moments before the win was clinched to the delight of a noisy capacity crowd of 30,000. 

Rudolph was caught on the boundary and Lance Klusener fell to a sensational diving catch at midwicket by West Indian captain Brian Lara. Then Kallis was caught on the deep cover boundary during an outstanding 49th over by 19-year-old Ravi Rampaul in which only one run was scored.

Kallis' dismissal left South Africa needing nine to win off eight balls but Shaun Pollock hit off-spinner Gayle for four, two and six in the final over to wrap up the series.

It was a cruel ending for Gayle, who made his 152 off 153 balls with three sixes and 12 fours. He and fellow left-hander Chanderpaul (85) put on 193 to set up a big total after the West Indies won the toss and made first use of a good batting pitch.

Gayle had made only 40 runs in the first four one-day internationals but was in superb form.

It was the highest individual score made by any batsman against South Africa in a one-day international, beating the 150 by Chanderpaul for the West Indies in East London in 1998/99.

The opening stand bettered the West Indian record against South Africa set by Desmond Haynes and Lara, who put on an unbeaten 154 when the West Indies won by ten wickets in Port-of-Spain in 1991/92.

Gayle went to his century off 116 balls with ten fours and a six as he and Chanderpaul made batting look easy, although their stand used up all but 69 balls of the West Indian innings.

Skipper Lara moved up the batting order to number three but was out quickly before Ricardo Powell and Gayle stepped up the pace, adding an unbeaten 92 off only 51 balls in the closing overs. Powell's 49 not out was made off 24 deliveries with four fours and two sixes.

Gayle finished one run short of his career highest score, 153 not out against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo earlier this season.

Lara was glad his team did not have to chase a target under floodlights. Ironically, though, conditions for his fielders became tricky towards the end as dew settled on the ground.

Lara said: "It's a learning experience at the end of the tour and it's not a time to get down on the guys.

"We've got a lot of cricket ahead of us. We've got to keep our spirits up. We head home now and play some first-class cricket and prepare for (a series against) England.

"We've got to put this behind us. Gayle, Chanderpaul and Powell were tremendous today and hopefully they'll keep that form for the next few months.

Kallis came in after Herschelle Gibbs was out in the sixth over and made his runs off 142 balls and hit 11 fours and three sixes.

Final scoreboard:

West Indies
C Gayle not out 152
S Chanderpaul c Rudolph b Smith 85
B Lara c Ntini b Klusener 11
R Powell not out 49
Extras (lb1, nb2, w4) 7
Total (2 wkts, 50 overs) 304

Falls: 1-193, 2-212
Bowling: Pollock 10-2-47-0, Ntini 7-1-41-0 (1nb, 2w), Nel 10-0-60-0, Klusener 8-0-42-1 (1nb), Peterson 3-0-22-0, Kallis 4-0-39-0, Smith 8-0-52-1 (2w).
Did not bat: R Sarwan, D Smith, R Jacobs, R Hurley, M Dillon, R Rampaul, C Collymore.

South Africa
G Smith b Gayle 58
H Gibbs c Sarwan b Collymore 15
J Kallis c Chanderpaul b Rampaul 139
H Dippenaar c Rampaul b Hurley 28
J Rudolph c Chanderpaul b Rampaul 35
L Klusener c Lara b Collymore 4
M Boucher not out 7
S Pollock not out 12
Extras (lb7, nb2, w3) 12
Total (6 wkts, 49.4 overs) 310

Falls: 1-31, 2-133, 3-187, 4-277, 5-285, 6-296
Bowling: Dillon 10-0-42-0 (2nb), Hurley 9-0-56-1 (1w), Collymore 10-0-83-2 (1w), Rampaul 10-1-56-2, Gayle 9.4-0-61-1 (1w), Sarwan 1-0-5-0. Did not bat: R Peterson, M Ntini, A Nel.

Result: South Africa won by 4 wickets.
Series: South Africa won 3-1.
Man of match: Jacques Kallis.
Man of series: Kallis.
Umpires: Darrell Hair (AUS), Ian Howell (RSA). TV umpire: Brian Jerling (RSA). Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).

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