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Lara inspires West Indies earn upset win against host South AfricaPosted: Sunday February 09, 2003 3:39 PMUpdated: Sunday February 09, 2003 5:59 PM
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -- Brian Lara struck a peerless hundred but almost had his thunder stolen by a resurgent Lance Klusener as West Indies beat South Africa by three runs in an extraordinary opening World Cup Group B match on Sunday. (Scorecard and highlights) Man of the match Lara, dropped first ball on the way to his 16th one-day century, helped West Indies rattle up an imposing 278 for five from their 50 overs after winning the toss. When South Africa slumped to 204 for seven it looked more than adequate, but Klusener then cut loose, smashing five sixes and a four as he raced to 57 from 47 balls to give the tournament hosts hope of the most unlikely victory. "Brian showed what a world class player he is," West Indies captain Carl Hooper said. "I have seen Lance Klusener do that before. I always thought when he was there they still had a chance." With Vasbert Drakes charged with the responsibility of bowling the final over, Klusener pulled the third delivery high to deep mid-wicket where West Indies captain Carl Hooper took the catch to a stunned silence around the ground. It left South Africa requiring eight from three balls but with only Makhaya Ntini and Allan Donald to come, it just proved too much as they finished on 275 for nine. The record-breaking Lara, whose only other World Cup century helped knock South Africa out of the 1996 tournament, showed barely a hint of rustiness in his first competitive innings since suffering a mystery illness last September. Lara's knock was even more impressive because his side made a terrible start after winning the toss, slumping to seven for two. South Africa captain Shaun Pollock struck twice in two overs to remove Wavell Hinds, caught behind for a 16-ball duck, and Chris Gayle, bowled off the inside edge after taking 21 balls to score two. Lara was immediately handed a piece of fortune when Jacques Kallis failed to hold on to a one-handed chance diving full length at second slip. Slow process The let-off allowed Lara to set about reconstructing the innings with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, but it was a slow process as West Indies crawled to 30 for two from 15 overs. Lara gradually found his timing, however, and struck Allan Donald sweetly over mid off for six as he began to attack the bowlers. He added 102 with Chanderpaul (34) for the third wicket and 89 with Hooper (40) for the fourth. Slow left-armer Nicky Boje lasted only three overs, Lara crashing him to fence four times as well as lifting Klusener for six over square leg. Lara finally top-edged a pull off Ntini as the overs ran out, his 116 coming off 134 ball and including 12 fours and two sixes. Ricardo Powell (40 not out off 18 balls) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (32 not out off 15) then finished the innings in a blaze of boundaries, Pollock's penultimate over costing 23 runs as West Indies plundered 110 runs off the last 10 overs. "The key was the way they finished off," Pollock said. "They got a flurry at the death. "Even in the last over we had a chance. The last two wickets were almost boundaries so it could have gone either way." Faced with such an imposing target and with one over docked because of a slow over rate, South Africa needed a good start. Although Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten put on 46 in good time for the first wicket, West Indies made the breakthrough when Gibbs (24) edged Mervyn Dillon to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and Boeta Dippenaar fell for 20. Left arm seamer Pedro Collins struggled for control but came up with the crucial wicket of Kallis, well caught behind by Jacobs for 13. With Boeta Dippenaar (20) and Jonty Rhodes (two) also back in the pavilion the onus was on Kirsten to hold the innings together but on 69 he offered a simple return catch to Dillon off the leading edge. Kirsten's departure looked to signal the end of any realistic South African victory hopes. But Mark Boucher made 49 at a run-a-ball and then came
Klusener to add his extraordinary flourish to a pulsating first
match of the tournament.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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