da betsul： A quite magnificent fifth one-day international century from HerschelleGibbs lead South Africa to a crushing seven-wicket win over a sloppy WestIndian side in the fifth one-day international at the Kensington Oval onWednesday
Marcus Prior09-May-2001A quite magnificent fifth one-day international century from HerschelleGibbs lead South Africa to a crushing seven-wicket win over a sloppy WestIndian side in the fifth one-day international at the Kensington Oval onWednesday.The win gives South Africa an unassailable 4-1 lead in the seven-matchseries, with two games remaining in Trinidad and St Vincent.It was about as demoralising a defeat as could have been inflicted, andWest Indies captain Carl Hooper’s early decision to use his part-timespinners in preference to the three frontline pacemen at his disposal onlyadded to a side bereft of ideas and self-belief. Kerry Jeremy did not evenbowl a ball. Gibbs was also dropped on 11 – a sharp chance off Cameron Cuffywhich ‘keeper Ridley Jacobs spilled.Gibbs (107), who also produced two sublime moments in the field, faced132 and struck three sixes and eleven fours in a stay which silenced astunned full house. Indeed, by the time Gibbs fell driving DinanathRamnarine straight to Hooper at cover, a long line of fans was alreadymaking its way out of the ground.Boeta Dippenaar (42 not out) and Jonty Rhodes (10 not out) saw SouthAfrica home with eight overs and two balls to spare.Earlier Gary Kirsten (18) shared a partnership of 54 for the firstwicket with Gibbs before pulling the occasional off-spin of Marlon Samuels -used as early as the 12th over – straight to Brian Lara at midwicket.Kallis (18) was never troubled, but sacrificed his wicket when totalconfusion between the batsmen left both of them at the striker’s end.After being put into bat, the West Indies again failed to compile acompetitive total on a pitch of few demons. Lara with 92 from 125balls stood form for any length of time as the home side were undone by someaccurate bowling and another immaculate and occasionally inspiredperformance in the field from the South Africans.Lara was never at his most spectacular, preferring to accumulate ratherthan launch an all-out assault. With wickets falling at the other end atregular intervals, he could hardly be said to have had any other option.He was eventually last out in the 50th over, one of four victims forKallis, returning to the side after recovering from a strained calf muscle.Lara was bowled slogging – it had reached a desperate stage.A new opening combination again failed to change West Indies fortunes,Kallis claiming both with just 24 on the board. Chris Gayle (6) edged toMark Boucher behind the stumps and Daren Ganga splicing an attempted hookstraight back to the bowler.For the West Indies total to have been competitive, they the experiencedHooper or Shivnarine Chanderpaul or Jacobs to keep Lara company. They allmade starts, but were also all undone by flashes of South Africanbrilliance.Hooper (21) turned to see his middle stump cartwheeling backwards whenhe missed a searingly fast yorker from Makhaya Ntini. Then Gibbs played hishand in the field, first running out Chanderpaul (24) with a brilliantdirect hit as he threw off-balance from midwicket and then diving one-handedlow to his right to catch a full-blooded cover drive from Jacobs (21).With the tail failing to provide Lara with meaningful support, the WestIndies total always looked well below par.