Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
Jun 04, 2016 Sports
By Sean Devers
In a low scoring encounter on a Providence track which made free scoring a tedious task, West Indies, led by a career best 6-27 by Sunil Narine and an unbeaten 67 from Kieron Pollard, beat South Africa by four wickets last evening in the opening Day/Night game of the Tri-nation ODI series which also involves Australia.
International Cricket made an auspicious return to Guyana for the first time in over three years for the less than half full ground, the crowd increasing slightly in the second innings. The fans watched as South Africa, which won the toss, were bowled for 188 in 46.5 overs in bright sunshine despite a dogged 61 from 26-year-old left-hander Rilee Rossouw.
Man-of-the-match Narine, playing his first ODI since last year against Sri Lanka, bagged only his second five-wicket haul in 56 ODIs. His mesmerizing performance was the second best at Providence behind Shahid Afridi’s 7-12 and sixth best all time by a West Indian.
Narine, who bowled 9.5 overs, Carlos Braithwaite (2-35), Skipper Jason Holder (1-37) and Jerome Taylor (1-36) all operated with immaculate control as seven South African wickets tumbled from 28 runs.
The home team reached 191-6 to register consecutive wins at Providence following their 37-run victory against Pakistan in 2013. Pollard clobbered six sixes and two fours from 67 balls in a magnificently compiled and highly responsible unbeaten 67 from 67 balls. He and Daren Bravo, who made 30 from 69 balls, added 74 for the fifth wicket to help their team to an upset win with 11 balls to spare.
Ironically, it was the two players who returned to team after not playing in both the 50-over and T20 World Cups, who spearheaded the West Indies to their first win ODI win since they beat the UAE in the 2015 World Cup.
In hazy sunshine South Africa, in their fourth ODI at Providence opted to bat on a sluggish track and Quinton DeCock and Hashim Amla strolled to the middle for the 50th time. DeCock was dropped off the third ball of the day by Taylor off his own bowling and ball went for four.
Amla stroked Holder sweetly for four while Taylor bowled short and quickly found out that it’s criminal to bowl that length at Providence as de Cock swiveled and disdainfully pulled him to the mid-wicket boundary.
Amla drove Holder to the cover boundary while the left-handed deCock stroked him for a cover boundary when the West Indies Captain over-pitched. The 50 was posted when Narine, introduced in the ninth over at 47-0, was cut for four by Amla on the lush outfield caused by the recent rain as the sun returned in all its glory.
The sun smiled on the home team as Braithwaite and Narine struck in successive overs. DeCock (30) was bowled by Braithwaite after stroking six fours as the half-century opening stand was broken.
Narine, in his first International game with his remodeled action, trapped the dangerous Amla LBW as he played back to one that did not turn and the tourists had lost two wickets on 52. Amla’s run-a-ball 26 included just one boundary.
Rossouw, who scored both of his centuries against the West Indies in last year’s series in South Africa, joined his Captain AB deVilliers and the pair posted their 50 partnership from 89 balls; they brought up the 100 in 24 overs as the pair struggled to score freely.
AB did not look like the batsman who dominated in the IPL and struggled to find boundaries, he did not reach the ropes a single time in his 49-ball 31 before he was caught and bowled by Taylor at 130-4.
Rossouw who crawled to his fifth 50 from 74 balls with one four, pushed at Narine, whose first four overs cost 11 runs, for Braithwaite at slip to hold a sharp catch at 160-4. Farhaan Behardien was trapped LBW to Narine in the same over without addition to score and after Duminy (23) bowled by Holder at 172-6, none of the last six batsmen reached double figures as Narine controlled proceedings.
When West Indies began their chase, Johnson Charles who started in reckless fashion played a couple of injudicious and was dropped by the Keeper before he had scored. Both of his edged shots brought him fortuitous boundaries against the unlucky Kyle Abbott.
He {Charles} got another four from an edge off Kagiso Radaba while Andrew Fletcher who also looked uncertain, was tested by Rabada, who looked lively even on the docile track. Colin Morris was greeted with an awkward pull which went for four as the St Lucian continued to live dangerously. At the end of 10 overs the West Indies were 34-0.
Fletcher (9) who never suggested stability was soon bamboozled by a big turning googlie from 37-year-old leg-spinner Imran Tahir and was bowled at 37-1 to bring Bravo to the crease. Despite his lack of technique Charles has two hundreds from 35 ODIs and along with the stylish Bravo took their team to 52 before the former was dismissed in identical fashion to Fletcher by Tahir.
His 31 lasted 52 balls and included four fours and his demise left West Indies 52-2 in 18 overs. One run and one over later West Indies’ most experienced player Marlon Samuels (1) was LBW to left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and the visitors were in the ascendency.
Bravo clobbered a Tahir full toss for four before being dropped by the Keeper on 16 off Phangiso but Ramdin (10) was soon removed by Duminy two runs later. Pollard got going with three sixes, two off successive balls off Phangiso and the fans in the stands were dancing. A misfield brought up the 100 in the 28th over and heightened the intensity of their enthusiasm.
Pollard played a baseball-like shot off Radaba which sailed into the sky for six and the fans began to get vocal in anticipation of the ‘Pollard show’ under lights. Bravo played the supporting role; pushing the balls into gaps and rotating the strike but broke free with an exquisitely timed on-drive off Tahir which reached the boundary like a bullet.
Pollard, with three ODI tons, was the aggressor and hit successive boundaries off Tahir, the second one clearing the ropes at long-on but once Bravo (30) and Braithwaite (8) were both removed by Phangiso at 176-6 Pollard and Holder saw their team to victory.
Tomorrow, West Indies will face Australia in the second game in another Day/Night encounter which commences at 13:00hrs.
Feb 06, 2025
-Jaikarran, Bookie, Daniram amongst the runs Kaieteur Sports-The East Bank Demerara Cricket Association/D&R Construction and Machinery Rental 40-Over Cricket Competition, which began on January...Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The American humorist Will Rogers once remarked that the best investment on earth is earth... more
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]