South Africa shrug off
drug scandal to win sixth one-dayer by 53 runs
Marcus Prior - 12
May 2001
South Africa's cricketers put the controversy of the past
24 hours behind them with a
courageous 53-run win in the sixth one-day international
at the Queen's Park Oval, dismissing
the home side for 137 after they themselves were bundled
out for 190.
Fielding an 11 which included all five of the players
implicated in the drug scandal which hit the team on
Friday, South Africa dug as deep as they have had to all
tour and simply ground the West Indies out of a game they
must have thought was theirs.
It was a memorable day for debutant Andre Nel, the
youngster picking up 3-20 and looking for all the world
like he was born to the international stage. The only
disappointment for Nel was that he was not on the field
at the end of the game after pulling up lame in his ninth
over.
The fall of the first wicket was a special moment for
Nel, Ganga's edge to Justin Kemp at first
slip providing the huge fast bowler with his first
international scalp. Ganga made 11 as he and
Shivnarine Chanderpaul struggled to score off Nel and
Shaun Pollock's controlled line on or
around off-stump.
Chanderpaul then played a supporting role as Brian Lara
(43) began to take control. Lara
looked in superb touch, driving Roger Telemachus through
cover for four and the next over
pulling Jacques Kallis to the midwicket fence for four
more.
He struck two further boundaries in the first over from
Kemp, but as he and Chanderpaul
faltered over a single, Jonty Rhodes provided a
masterclass in ground fielding, swooping from
backward point and throwing down the stumps at the
non-striker's end with Lara well short of his ground. It
was probably the moment South Africa started to believe.
Chanderpaul's vigil was then ended by a brilliant piece
of bowling from left-arm wrist spinner
Paul Adams, the batsman misreading a googly as he came
down the wicket to present Mark
Boucher with a rare stumping. Chanderpaul gone for 27
from 84 balls.
Nel then produced a double blow. The first was a
brilliant climbing leg-cutter which Carl Hooper (8)
nicked to Boucher, the second a horrible long-hop at
which Ricardo Powell (0) swung wildly to give Boucher
another catch. The West Indies 108-5 and requiring over
six an over.
When Marlon Samuels swung wildly at Roger Telemachus and
was bowled for 29, South Africa
knew they had the game won. Ridley Jacobs (7) had already
swung Kallis high to Adams at
deep square leg, and after Dinanath Ramnarine (1) edged
Kemp to Boucher, Telemachus struck again, bowling Kerry
Jeremy for a duck.
Pollock tore the ball from Telemachus as he went in
search of the final wicket, which he duly
claimed, Corey Collymore adjudged leg-before for one.
Earlier South Africa struggled their way to 190 all out
as the West Indies bowlers backed their captain's
decision to field first with a superb collective effort
on a pitch that offered generous assistance throughout,
paceman Cameron Cuffy playing a star role.
Opening the bowling, Cuffy worked through his ten overs
in one spell, claiming the wickets of
both openers and finishing with 2-26 as South Africa
struggled to get out of the blocks in their customary
explosive manner.
Neil McKenzie, back in the South African side for the
first time since the first game of the
series in Jamaica, top-scored with 73 from 117 balls and
held the innings together after Cuffy
bowled Herschelle Gibbs for one and trapped Boeta
Dippenaar leg-before for seven. He was
fifth out as he tried to accelerate, brilliantly caught
by 'keeper Jacobs (who earlier dropped him
on 23) off Colleymore. It was his second one-day
half-century and he hit eight fours.
After the first two wickets fell with just 31 on the
board, McKenzie shared a crucial stand of
92 for the third wicket with Kemp. The young all-rounder
hit three fours and a six before he
was harshly adjudged leg-before to Hooper for 46,
television replays clearly indicating the
batsman was struck outside the line of off-stump.
Jacques Kallis (3) was bowled by a Hooper delivery which
turned sharply and kept low as it
squeezed between bat and pad, McKenzie followed soon
afterwards and then Pollock was
smartly gathered by Samuels off his own bowling for five
to leave South Africa 157-6.
Although Jonty Rhodes and Mark Boucher steadied things
briefly with a stand of 23 for the
seventh wicket, Boucher (3) was bowled by Jeremy, the
ball takng the inside-edge before
clipping leg stump. Telemachus (2) played on to Jeremy in
similar fashion and Adams (6) was
bowled having a wild old slog at Samuels.
Rhodes (25) was last out in the final over, carving
Colleymore straight to Lara at backward
point. ©
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