World T20 explodes into action
Brad Morgan
11 September 2007Cricket's first Twenty20 World Championship exploded into action in Johannesburg on Tuesday night as South Africa and the West Indies produced a clash filled with fireworks to get the tournament off to a sizzling start.
A high-scoring encounter included a number of record-setting performances as the enthusiastic crowd at "The Bull Ring" got their money's worth.
The Caribbean cricketers put up a challenging 205 for 6, but South Africa showed admirable belief and application to respond with 208 for 2 - with 14 balls still in hand - and a victory.
Individual highlight
The individual highlight of the contest was provided by West Indian opener Chris Gayle, who became the first player to score a century in T20 internationals. He thrashed the South African attack to all parts of the ground, scoring at better than two runs a ball, in a brutal knock that rendered 117 runs from just 57 balls.
In a contest that saw the boundary cleared 18 times - 12 times by the West Indies and six times by South Africa - Gayle produced 10 sixes. In addition, he belted seven fours, meaning 88 of his runs came from just 17 scoring shots!
Pursuing a tough target, the Proteas responded brilliantly by eclipsing the Windies' total in the highest successful run chase in T20's short international history.
It was unlikely that any batsman would be able to match man of the match Gayle's effort, but South Africa's batsmen combined effectively and aggressively to get the tournament hosts off to a winning start.
Pivotal knock
Herschelle Gibbs played the pivotal knock, lashing an unbeaten 90 off only 55 deliveries. He needed a runner for most of his innings after straining a hamstring, but he still managed to free up his arms and send 16 deliveries to the boundary, two of those shots going for the maximum.
Justin Kemp put on an unbroken 120 with Gibbs, weighing in with 46 from just 22 balls, while captain Graeme Smith contributed 28 off 21 deliveries and AB de Villiers chipped-in with 16 off nine.
The run rates were high, with the West Indies batting at 10.25 runs per over, while South Africa's effort produced 11.07 to the over.
Bowlers suffered
That meant that the bowlers suffered. Even the usually miserly Shaun Pollock felt the wrath of Gayle, conceding 52 runs off his four overs, while Smith and Albie Morkel bowled only one over each and went for 16 runs apiece.
Dwayne Smith went for 37 runs in his two overs for the West Indies. His figures included five wides and it was that kind of indiscipline that cost Ramnaresh Sarwan's team dearly. They sent down 18 wides and a no-ball, thus giving the Proteas an extra 19 deliveries to reach the victory target.
South Africa was better, but not that much better, bowling eight wides and a no-ball.
Spilled
catches
In matches where an innings is limited to only 20 overs per side, fielding plays a crucial role in the outcome and, once more, the West Indians did themselves no favours with a sloppy showing that included spilling catches off both Gibbs and Kemp.
Gibbs was given a life by Dwayne Bravo on 20 when he grassed a straightforward chance. Later, with his score on 43, Gibbs was granted yet another life when Shivnarine Chanderpaul failed to pouch a catch at deep square leg.
Kemp's let-off came when he had just 13 runs to his name. This time it was Marlon Samuels at fault as he spilled a catch at deep mid-on.
Those dropped chances proved very costly for the islanders as a tough victory target was reduced to a romp for the Proteas. Had the catches been taken the West Indies could have set themselves up for a second upset of the home side in the opening match of a World Cup in South Africa in the past four years.
Tainted
victory
South Africa's victory was tainted by an injury to their skipper Smith. He was struck hard on the hand with the very first ball of the Proteas' innings, bowled by Ravi Rampaul. He batted on courageously, battling his way to 28, before falling to Gayle.
Later, Smith was taken to hospital for a scan. Initial indications are that the injury is not as bad as was at first feared, but the South Africa captain is a doubtful starter for the Proteas' second match against Bangladesh on Saturday.
All in all, the organisers would have been thrilled by the action-packed opener. The bowlers might not have enjoyed it so much, but it made for exciting viewing for the spectators.
It helps that the home team won, thus upping the anticipation and enthusiasm of the local fans.
Chasing down a big score has given the Proteas a lot of confidence, increased the expectations of the side's supporters, and provided the T20 World Championship with an early boost.
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