05 February 2004	Thursday	13 Zilhaj 1424

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 4: Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul put on a record 193 for the first wicket to put West Indies on track to level the series in the fifth and final One-day International against South Africa on Wednesday.

Gayle top-scored with 152 not out and Chanderpaul made 85 as the tourists, who won the toss and opted to bat, piled on an impressive 304 for two in their 50 overs in the day/night fixture.

It was the highest total by West Indies against South Africa in one-dayers, surpassing their 300 for three at Centurion on Sunday in the fourth match of series.

Left-handers Gayle and Chanderpaul, whose opening partnership came off 235 balls, eclipsed the previous best for the first wicket against South Africa, the unbroken 154 put on by Desmond Haynes and Brian Lara at Port-of-Spain in 1991-92.

Both teams have a lot riding on the outcome of Wednesday's match, with South Africa leading the series 2-1.

A West Indies victory in the last game of their tour would provide a significant boost for the visitors, who lost the Test series 3-0 and were dismissed for a record low of 54 in the opening one-dayer in Cape Town.

Gayle, who reached his eighth one-day century, was the more fluent of the openers, hammering 12 fours and three sixes in 153 balls.

The more circumspect Chanderpaul faced 114 balls and hit six fours and a six.

Both openers scored heavily with straight drives, with Gayle's straight six off fast bowler Makhaya Ntini the most memorable blow of the innings.

South Africa's bowlers struggled to make a impact on a good batting pitch, and lacked the precision to contain Gayle and Chanderpaul.

The initial breakthrough came in the 39th over, when Chanderpaul pulled the off-spin of Graeme Smith to Jacques Rudolph on the square leg boundary, having dispatched the previous delivery, a full toss, for six in the same area.

Three overs later, West Indies captain Brian Lara pulled a ball from medium pacer Lance Klusener to Makhaya Ntini at deep square leg to be depart for 11.

Gayle and Ricardo Powell then smashed 92 off just 51 balls for the unbroken third wicket.

Gayle finished one run short of his career-best score, while Powell blazed 49 not out off 24 deliveries with four fours and two sixes.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

C.H. Gayle not out 152

S. Chanderpaul c Rudolph b Smith 85

B.C. Lara c Ntini b Klusener 11

R.L. Powell not out 49

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-4, NB-2) 7

TOTAL (for two wkts, 50 overs) 304

FALL OF WKTS: 1-193, 2-212.

DID NOT BAT: R.R. Sarwan, D.R. Smith, R.D. Jacobs, R.O. Hurley, M. Dillon, R. Rampaul, C.D. Collymore.

BOWLING: Pollock 10-2-47-0; Ntini 7-1-41-0 (1nb, 2w); Nel 10-0-60-0; Klusener 8-0-42-1 (1nb); Peterson 3-0-22-0; Kallis 4-0-39-0; Smith 8-0-52-1 (2w).

SOUTH AFRICA: H.H. Gibbs, G.C. Smith, J.A. Rudolph, J.H. Kallis, H.H. Dippenaar, M.V. Boucher, L. Klusener, S.M. Pollock, R.J. Peterson, M. Ntini, A. Nel.-Reuters