Gayle Force Hurricane Hits SA
Sat, Jan 3, '04
Christopher Gayle ambushed the South Africans today to record his 3rd test century, the ninth fastest in Test cricket history.
Gayle smashed an unbeaten 112 from 109 balls to pilot the West Indies to 178 for one, still 354 runs behind. He shared in an opening partnership of 126 with Daren Ganga 17, a record for the West Indies 1st wicket against South Africa, eclipsing the stand of 99 held by Desmond Haynes and Phil Simmons.
It was an amazing display of power hitting as Gayle drove, cut and pulled all comers. The South Africans appeared shell-shocked until Jacque Kallis came on and subdued Gayle who slowed down considerably while in the 90s. His 100 came off 79 balls in 99 minutes with 19 fours and one six, an amazing 82% of his runs coming off boundaries.
No South African bowler was spared as Pollock, Ntini and Nel were carted off to the boundary at will by the rampaging Gayle.
The only West Indian wicket to fall was that of Daren Ganga, playing on to Nel for 17.
Ramnaresh Sarwan continued his good form with 39 from 43 balls with 8 fours and seemed at ease against both pace and the spin of Paul Adams. He was given half a life when Adams got a ball to take the outside edge of a defensive push only to see the ball elude second slip.
The West Indies had started the day in a competitive position before Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis put the damper on their preceedings with a stand of 146.
Fidel Edwards had started brightly by having Shaun Pollack out early edging to Ridley Jacobs (315/9), but after that indisciplined bowling made a mockery of taking the new ball. Boucher rode his luck, being bowled by Edwards with a no ball on 15 and being dropped by Carlton Baugh on 59 to notch up 122*. Kallis went lbw for 73 to Adam Sanford.
The South Africans were eventually all out for 532.
Any hope Pollack and Ntini had of making early inroads into the Windies batting were dashed, as the injured Gayle flicked Ntini for 6 off his legs in his first over. He pummeled Pollack for successive boundaries, before laying into Nel with two consectitive pulls and a cut for 4s to notch up his 50 in only 37 balls.
Captain Brian Lara has promised that this West Indies team will not be whitewashed, and his young charges have responded positively so far.
There is a lot of work to do tomorrow if the Windies are to reach the follow on target of 333 and then get close to or even pass the South African total. Gayle and Sarwan will have to continue battling on and hope that here is some magic from Brian Lara's bat and support from the likes of debutant Dwayne Smith Wavel Hinds, Jacobs and the tail.
Fastest Test Centuries in Balls
56 balls - IVA Richards - W.I v Eng at St John's, Antigua, 1986
67 balls - JM Gregory - Aust v SA at J'burg 1921-2
69 balls - S Chanderpaul - W.I v Aus at Georgetown 2003
71 balls - RC Fredericks - W.I v Aus at Perth 1975-6
74 balls - M Azharuddin - India v S A at Calcutta 1996-7
74 balls - Majid Khan - Pak v NZ at Karachi 1976-7
74 balls - Kapil Dev - India v SL at Kanpur 1986-7
76 balls - GL Jessop - Eng v Aus at The Oval 1902
79 balls - CH Gayle - W.I v SA at Cape Town 2004
84 balls - ML Hayden Aus v Zim at Sydney 2003-4
* Submitted by lbw375.