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| December 6, 2002 | Friday | Shawwal 1,1423 |
Gibbs century helps South Africa clinch one-day series
KIMBERLEY (South Africa), Dec 5: Opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs thrashed a century off 87 balls as South Africa clinched their series against Sri Lanka by winning the fourth one-day international by eight wickets at De Beers Diamond Oval on Wednesday.
Gibbs finished with 108 not out as South Africa overhauled a Sri Lankan total of 184 all out with 19.1 overs to spare as the home nation took a winning 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Gibbs shared an unbeaten South African record third wicket stand of 172 with Jacques Kallis, who made 64 not out.
Sri Lanka earlier collapsed on a good batting pitch following the freak dismissal of Marvan Atapattu after they had raced to 58 for no wicket in the first t en overs.
Atapattu, who made a match-winning 123 not out in the third match of the series in Benoni Sunday, was in magnificent form before he was run out for 39.
The batsman turned Kallis to fine leg and trotted through for what seemed an easy second run.
Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher took the ball about two metres in front of the stumps and, without looking back, flicked the ball behind him to break the wicket.
Atapattu had crossed the line but had not grounded either his foot or his bat and was given out by television umpire Brian Jerling.
Kumar Sangakkara was dismissed in the same over and he was followed quickly by Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya, with Jayasuriya falling for 27 to a sensational, one-handed leaping catch by Neil McKenzie off Allan Donald at midwicket.
Donald took three for 18 as the Sri Lankans lost their momentum after being sent in with only Russel Arnold (50) making a worthwhile contribution.
Arnold, playing in his 100th one-day international, made his runs off 88 balls with three fours.
Lanka skipper Jayasuriya said he was disappointed with his team’s batting.
“We lack consistency,” he said.
South Africa made some significant changes for the day-night game, with Andrew Hall selected to open the batting ahead of Graeme Smith, McKenzie in for Boet a Dippenaar as a top order batsman and Robin Peterson in place of left-arm spinner Nicky Boje.
But both Hall and McKenzie were out cheaply as South Africa lost their first two wickets for 18 runs, leaving the national selectors no closer to deciding w ho should be in their squad for the World Cup in February.
Gibbs, who had made 0, 16 and 0 in his first three innings in the series, returned to the sublime form he had shown earlier in the season.
He reached 50 off 57 balls and then launched a stunning assault as he made his next 50 off 30 balls before finishing off the match by hitting Jayasuriya for a huge six over square leg.
He hit 13 fours and three sixes in his 92-ball innings.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA:
M. Atapattu run out (Boucher) 39
S. Jayasuriya c McKenzie b Donald 27
K. Sangakkara c McKenzie b Kallis 1
A. De Silva c Ntini b Kallis 0
M. Jayawardene lbw b Donald 9
H. Tillakaratne b Pollock 18
R. Arnold c McKenzie b Pollock 50
C. Vaas lbw b Pollock 4
P. Nissanka c Boucher b Klusener 1
D. Fernando c Boucher b Donald 2
P. Gunaratne not out 13
EXTRAS: (b4, lb8, nb2, w6) 20
TOTAL (47.3 overs) 184
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-58, 2-61, 3-64, 4-78, 5-97, 6-131, 7-146, 8-152, 9-155
BOWLING: Pollock 9.3-0-40-3, Ntini 9-1-35-0 (1nb, 1w), Kallis 5-0-25-2 (2w), Donald 10-4-18-3, Klusener 9-0-29-1 (1nb, 1w), Peterson 5-0-25-0 (2w)
SOUTH AFRICA:
H. Gibbs not out 108
A. Hall lbw b Vaas 2
N. McKenzie c Sangakkara b Gunaratne 7
J. Kallis not out 64
Extras: (b4, w5) 9
TOTAL: (2 wkts, 30.5 overs)) 190
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7, 2-18
BOWLING: C. Vaas 9-2-42-1, P. Gunaratne 6-0-46-1, P. Nissanka 5-0-29-0 (1w), D. Fernando 5-0-30-0 (2w), S. Jayasuriya 4.5-0-29-0, M. Jayawardene 1-0-10-0 (2w).
DID NOT BAT: J. Rhodes, L. Klusener, M. Boucher, S. Pollock, R. Peterson, A. Donald, M. Ntini.
RESULT: South Africa won by 8 wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Herschelle Gibbs.
SERIES: South Africa win 3-1.
UMPIRSS: Ian Howell (Rsa), Russell Tiffin (Zim). TV umpire: Brian Jerling (Rsa). MATCH REFEREE: Gundappa Viswanath (Ind).
REMAINING MATCH: Dec 6, Bloemfontein.—AFP
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