Windies ‘school-boyish’ display hands S/Africa 13-run victory

May 20, 2010 Sports

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20/20 overdose continues today

By Sean Devers in Antigua

Twenty-seven year-old Ryan McLaren snatched 5-19 from 3.5 overs to spur South Africa to a 13-run victory against a West Indies team which would have made most schoolboy teams cringe in shame in the opening match of the two-match 20/20 series at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here yesterday.
An impressive performance in the field saw South Africa restricted to their lowest total against the West Indies at this level (136-7 off 20 overs) despite 53 from Jacques Kallis and 37 from Graeme Smith.
The West Indies then plunged to an embarrassing 123 all out in 19.5 overs as a comedy of errors by the home players left the few fans to stomach another pathetic showing in a low-atmosphere and anti-climatic 20/20 fixture just three days after the completion of the 20/20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Yesterday’s result not only highlighted the inconsistency of the regional team but the lack of vision by the Clyde Butts-led West Indies selection panel whose squad for the Antigua matches included the entire West Indies squad which failed to pass the Super Eights stage of the 20/20 World Cup, with the exception of Wavell Hinds.
Needing 137 to win was not expected to challenge the region’s batsmen even though Gayle had on Tuesday expressed disappointment with his batsmen’s role in the 20/20 World Cup.
“The challenge is once a particular batter can put his hand up and be counted it should be good for them and the team,” Gayle had said. “Our batting display wasn’t up to scratch. Hopefully the guys can be ready physically and mentally. We’ve got to try and start fresh and take it from there,” Gayle noted.
He warned that should the selected batsmen continue to under-perform the selectors could look to bring in players who are currently on the West Indies ‘A’ Team tour and singled out Trinidadian top order batsman Darren Bravo.
Those batsmen not in this squad must now be anxiously awaiting calls from the selectors after yesterday’s sub-standard display while a few here see their Career in West Indies colours put on hold.
The West Indies won the toss and asked South Africa to bat in sunny conditions and the third ball of the match from Kemar Roach was banged in short and flew high over the head of the Keeper for 5 no-balls to quickly expose the two-paced nature of the pitch.
This was the first International match here since February last year when the Test between West Indies and England was abandoned. The outfield, which impressed both captains earlier this week, looked lush green although a bit on the slow side.
A very small working day crowd, comprising mostly school students and a few English tourists, watched as Smith and Loots Bosman took the visitors to 16 before a controversial decision ended the partnership in the 4th over. Umpire Clyde Duncan signalled a wide from Jerome Taylor as the West Indians appealed for a caught behind verdict and Bosman (7) amazingly headed for the Pavilion suggesting he had gloved a pull to Andre Fletcher.
With senior batsman Shiv Chanderpaul, who struggled to score quickly in the 20/20 World Cup, being left out of the starting eleven along with Denesh Ramdin and Ravi Rampaul, West Indies introduced left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn in the 5th over and he conceded just three runs.
However, Smith clipped Taylor square and straight drove him for consecutive boundaries before Kallis pulled the Jamaican pacer to the mid wicket boundary as the 6th over cost 13 runs. Kallis slog-swept Benn for six in the 9th over as South Africa reached 50 and repeated the dose in the 11th over against Dwayne Bravo who continues to under-perform in recent times.
Smith then clobbered Chris Gayle’s off-spin for a massive six to take the score to 85 in the 12th over as conditions became overcast. The home side benefitted from more generosity from the South Africans when Fletcher took off the bails as Smith over-balanced after missing a reverse sweep off the first ball of the 13th over from left-arm spinner Nikita Miller.
However, TV replays showed that the left-hander’s foot was lifted only after the bails were removed. Although Duncan did not raise his finger, Smith had ‘walked’ and was beyond the boundary when the reply, shown on the ‘big screen’ at the ground confirmed he was not out. It was a bizarre ending to the innings of Smith who hit 3 fours and a six from 31 balls in his 37 to leave South Africa on 88-2.
Kallis lofted Kieron Pollard high to Ramnaresh Sarwan at deep square-leg to leave the score on 111-3 in the 16th over. Kallis’s 53 lasted 45 balls and was decorated with 3 sixes and a four. When JP Duminy was bowled behind his back for a duck and Johan Botha was caught behind without scoring in the same over from Taylor, the Africans had slipped to 115-5 in the 17th over.
AB deVilliers (11) was taken in the deep off Pollard at 122-6 in the 18th over before Fletcher ran out Alviro Petersen (6) as the visitors slumped to 127-7 in the penultimate over. Pollard’s final over cost just 6 runs and the bowlers and fielders had played their part. Pollard took 2-22 and Roach 2-25.
Gayle took 12 including 2 pugnacious boundaries off left-arm spinner Roelof Van der Merwe in the opening over and achieving victory seemed a simply task. However, the selectors’ decision to ignore Carlton Baugh and use Fletcher ahead of Ramdin due to his batting ability again backfired.
Fletcher added to his string of failures with a third-ball duck when he was caught behind off McLaren at 14-1 in the 3rd over and his place in the side for the remainder of the series must be in jeopardy. Dwayne Bravo joined Gayle and took consecutive boundaries off Charl Langeveldt as he and his Captain took the score to 28 before Gayle (14) swatted Dale Steyn to Smith at long-on in the 6th over.
Sarwan, who like his countryman Chanderpaul, seems not ideally suited for the game’s shortest format, pulled Kallis for four to ease the pressure. Bravo (20) lofted Botha to long-on while Narsingh Deonarine (0) was stumped off a wide in the same over as the 50 was posted in 10 overs and West Indies slumped to 50-4.
The ploy by the selectors not to pick horses for courses continues to undermine West Indies cricket and embarrass the region. Sarwan, a class act in the longer version, soon prodded a tame catch to short cover off Van der Merwe as he laboured for 20 balls for his 13 and his team sunk to 52-5 in the 11th over.
Pollard smashed Langeveldt for two bullet-like four in the 15th over and then pounded McLaren over long-on for a six in the next over to keep the home team in the hunt. But like he has done throughout his 20/20 International career for the West Indies, he displayed poor shot selection and was bowled as he missed a big swing.
McLaren had won the war and Pollard, who for all the hype has never reached 40 in a 20/20 International and averages under 12, was gone for 27 from 17 balls with 2 fours and a six, leaving 47 required from 25 balls. Miller (5) was caught behind off Langeveldt at 100-7 in the 18th over and chasing a small target, the West Indies were once again stumbling. Only this time not many fans in the stands seemed to care.
Taylor hit Langeveldt for a mighty six to reduce the target to 30 from 12 balls before Sammy, dropped on 13, missed five balls in a row from Steyn in the penultimate over to the disgust of the small crowd.
The West Indies effort turned into a comedy show when Sammy missed a free-hit which was a wide and Taylor (7) was run out by the length of the pitch as both batsmen ended at the striker’s end in school boy fashion.
The West Indies needed 20 from the final over from McLaren and Sammy (19 from 29 balls) was run out by the Keeper off a wide as he strayed out of his crease to leave the score on 120-9.
Benn (4) was caught at long-off as McLaren ensured the West Indies did not even bat out their overs with his first five-wicket haul at this level.
The 20/20 overdose continues today from 14:00hrs before the five-match ODI series commences on Saturday here in Antigua.
Scores: South Africa 136 for 7 (Kallis 53, Pollard 2-22) beat West Indies 123 (Pollard 27, McLaren 5-19) by 13 runs.

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