Monday, Feb 17, 2003
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By G. Viswanath
The New Zealand captain, Stephen Fleming, having a word with South African player, Herschelle Gibbs, as rain stopped play at the Wanderers, Johannesburg on Sunday. Both the players scored centuries in the match, which the Kiwis won by nine wickets. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan
There was the spirit of adventure that marks a great innings, a great deal of commitment and a show of guts throughout his two-and-a-half hour crack at one of the fancied teams. Fleming exuded the confidence of a man who can be counted upon to deliver the goods. Fleming played a captain's knock that enabled him score points over his counterpart's tactics in the first session and guide his team to a fine victory in the Group B match of the ICC World Cup. Following its second win in three games by nine wickets — the first one against the West Indies — the Kiwis' place in the Super Six should not be in doubt, since it can be expected to pick up 12 points against Canada, Kenya and Bangladesh. Without Fleming's awesome batting display that ended with his career best effort in 194 one-day Internationals, it could have been a different story, after South Africa had posted 306. The South Africans felt the heat, their fielding fell apart and Fleming (on 53) was let off by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Kallis. After a rousing opening wicket stand of 88 between Fleming and Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle played his part well, but Fleming was always the dazzling star. He played a number of shots square of the wicket on either side of the wicket. The South Africans bowled at his pads and Fleming responded with flashing blade. Donald was punished for 32 from his first four and when he came back for his second spell, Fleming and Astle took heavy toll. Earlier, South Africa batted with the basic purpose of raising a huge total. Things went according to plan with a pair of specialists starting the proceedings for the home team. But once the Kiwis managed to break the opening partnership, South Africa realised it had to change the script. Pollock might have presented an entirely different team sheet to Stephen Fleming at the toss. But he played several masterstrokes after the fall of the left-hander Smith. Pollock shuffled the batting order. He kept his cards close to his chest and took the rival camp by surprise. The Kiwis were not prepared to deal with the situation, although Fleming, a past master himself in the game of introducing elements of surprise, was an active man in the traditional mid-off position and controlling things and encouraging his bowlers. There possibly could not have been a better way for Gibbs to make his 12th one-day International century for South Africa. Flaying the bowlers all around the park might be his favourite pastime. The right-hander has contributed to the team's success several times by seizing opportunities without delay. Smith, for whom it was a lucky entry into the squad, having made it at the expense of Jonty Rhodes, was lucky to survive the first over of the match. Shane Bond, clocking 142 kmph, had overstepped and it did not escape the eyes of umpire Peter Willey. Nathan Astle had taken a sharp edge one-handed. Thereafter Smith showed why he is regarded as a batsman with potential. He struck five 4s — three in a row and four altogether off Bond and one off Andre Adams — before Brendon McCullum chose to be the man for the occasion sprinting almost 30 yards to hold a top edge. Initially Gibbs was uncertain against the clever bowling of Adams, who beat the right-hander with a leg-cutter and thereafter with a delivery that bounced over the off stump. Though a neat deflection off Adams, square drives to the boundary and a pull shot off Jacob Oram (for 6) and cover drive off a dull toss off Bond, saw Gibbs show aggression, it was not after he reached his half century off 51 balls that he was able to influence the course of South Africa's innings till the 46th over. From there on he looked every bit a champion batsman. There were bold shots that Nicky Boje sent over the top and sustained the run rate at six an over or thereabouts. Boje struck a 4 each off Oram, Bond, Adams and Daniel Vettori before Styris hit the top of his middle stump through the `gate'. Kallis was outwitted by the pace of Styris that was under 130 kmph and left-arm round the wicket bowling off Vettori. He found sweeper cover offering him a measly single or the cover agile enough to not let the ball through. The six fielders in the circle became active to make the spells of Styris and Vettori — between 21 and 30 — effective. Kallis perished stepping out and driving Vettori into the hands of Lou Vincent. The drop in run rate picked up again because Gibbs was inclined to improvise shots, especially the paddle sweep which he employed against the medium pacers and Vettori. Gibbs' knock reached its peak when he hammered Vettori, bowling his tenth over, for four 4s. A rousing partnership with Mark Boucher made sure that South Africa would raise an imposing total having elected to bat on a super surface with predictable bounce.
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