The Hindu : Caribbeans smile again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003

Sport

Sport - World Cup

Caribbeans smile again

By G. Viswanath

Cape Town Feb. 10. Carl Hooper and Brian Lara were beaming and chatting away at the media conference immediately after the World Cup opener came to an exciting finish. It was easily the most memorable day in a World Cup tournament for the West Indies in more than 20 years after Clive Lloyd lifted the Prudential Cup for the second time at Lord's in 1979.

West Indies won by the narrowest of margins, of three runs. But victory is always sweet and Hooper and Lara's ear-to-ear grin just about showed their happiness.

The home team captain Shaun Pollock put up a brave face, never giving the impression of a loser. South Africa was not only regarded as one of the favourites for the World Cup, but was also expected to record a thumping win at Newlands. But After Lara & co had dazzled with delightful stroke play, there was eerie silence as the wickets of the home team began to tumble under the lights.

Lance Klusener appeared to be a formidable man once again swatting balls bowled by the West Indies bowlers. But the West Indies managed to hold its nerves and eke out a thrilling win, the fate of the match being decided in the penultimate ball of the 99th over of the match when Ramnaresh Sarwan caught Makhaya Ntini off Vasbert Drakes.

Lara was the cynosure of all eyes and as he said "Coming into this competition, I told myself that I have to push and shove myself to the front of this team because it has a lot of talent. I just wanted to go out there and play. I wanted to play with Carl (Hooper) and show that the West Indies has the best possible chance to win this tournament."

Lara was determined to start the tournament on a firm footing and strike form. "Today's century ranks as number one. We did not get off to a good start but this is a world stage and I must mention that the two youngsters Ricardo Powell and Ramnaresh Sarwan played well. I was looking at the scoreboard and saw Sarwan and Powell propel us to scores where we were not going to probably reach."

Proteas begin in earnest

The South African run chase began earnestly when Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten began to play shots all around the wicket. Even after the fall of Gibbs, the home team was not way off the mark. But pressure told on the home team eventually before Mark Boucher and Klusener attempted to regain control against a side that had gone in with three specialist bowlers. Klusener was lucky when he pulled Gayle into the hands of Pedro Collins at deep backward square leg, but the fielder stepped on the rope for Klusener and South Africa to take six runs. A flurry of shots kept the home team in the hunt, but the safe hands of Hooper made sure that South Africa's last ditch effort to outsmart his side failed.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES

C. Gayle b Pollock 2

(21b)

W. Hinds c Boucher b Pollock 0

(16b)

B. Lara c Pollock b Ntini 116

(134b, 12x4, 2x6)

S. Chanderpaul c Boucher b Klusener 34

(60b, 3x4)

C. Hooper c Kallis b Ntini 40

(40b, 3x4)

R. Powell (not out) 40

(18b, 5x4, 1x6)

R. Sarwan (not out) 32

(15b, 2x4, 2x6)

Extras (1b-6, nb-4, w-4) 14

— —

Total (for five wkts.

in 50 overs) 278

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Hinds), 2-7 (Gayle), 3-109 (Chanderpaul), 4-198 (Hooper), 5-215 (Lara).

SOUTH AFRICA BOWLING

O M R W

Pollock 10 2 52 2

Ntini 10 1 37 2

Donald 9 0 54 0

Kallis 10 2 52 0

Klusener 8 0 53 1

Boje 3 0 24 0

SOUTH AFRICA

H. Gibbs c Jacobs b
Dillon
24

(28b, 4x4)

G. Kirsten c & b Dillon 69

(92b, 6x4, 1x6)

H. Dippenaar st. Jacobs b Hooper 20

(25b, 2x4, 1x6)

J. Kallis c Jacobs b
Collins
13

(18b, 2x4)

J. Rhodes b Hooper 2

(6b)

M. Boucher b Gayle 49

(48b, 4x4, 1x6)

S. Pollock c Hooper b
Gayle
4

(4b)

L. Klusener c Hooper b
Drakes
57

(48b, 1x4, 5x6)

N. Boje (not out) 25

(25b, 2x4)

M. Ntini c Sarwan b
Drakes
0

(2b)

A. Donald (not out) 0

(0b)

Extras (1b-4, nb-3, w-5) 12

— —

Total (for nine wkts.

in 49 overs) 275

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Gibbs), 2-79 (Dippenaar), 3-104 (Kallis), 4-117 (Rhodes), 5-155 (Kirsten), 6-160 (Pollock), 7-204 (Boucher), 8-271 (Klusener), 9-271 (Ntini).