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| November 02, 2006 | Thursday | Shawwal 9, 1427 |
Proteas hope batsmen will come good
JAIPUR, Nov 1: South Africa go into the Champions Trophy semi-final here on Thursday hoping the batting line-up will back up their fast bowlers against a resurgent West Indies.
Fast bowlers spared South Africa blushes in the last two games against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, with Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock playing key roles in their team's wins.
South Africa were defending a modest total of 219 against Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad when Pollock grabbed two big wickets in an inspired 10-over spell to put his team on course for victory.
Ntini did better than his team-mate in the next match, wrecking Pakistan with a five-wicket burst at Mohali to help his team advance to the semi-finals with a convincing 124-run win.
He is his team's leading wicket-taker in the ongoing tournament with seven victims, followed by Pollock with five.
South Africa's batting has yet to click although they have so far not played in ideal conditions. Mark Boucher, Justin Kemp and A.B. de Villiers are the only batsmen to defy odds with a half-century apiece.
They managed just 105 against New Zealand on a dubious Mumbai pitch, 219 against Sri Lanka and 213 against Pakistan on seamer-friendly pitches at Ahmedabad and Mohali.
Their main batsmen – skipper Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Kallis and Boeta Dippenaar — are all averaging below 25 after three matches.
The West Indies have been on a roll during Brian Lara's third stint as captain, having beaten India in May, qualified for a triangular series final at Kuala Lumpur last month and won four of their six matches in this tournament.
They may have lost 5-0 in their last one-day series against South Africa at home in 2005, but are expected to put up a stiff resistance this time.
The West Indies's two defeats in this tournament came in 'dead' matches, against Sri Lanka when they had made it to the main draw, and then against England when they had qualified for the semi-finals.
Teams (from):
SOUTH AFRICA: Graeme Smith (captain), Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, A.B. de Villiers, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Robin Peterson, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt, Loots Bosman.
WEST INDIES: Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Runako Morton, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Carlton Baugh, Ian Bradshaw, Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards, Wavell Hinds.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Simon Taufel (Australia).
TV umpire: Daryl Harper (Australia).
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).—AFP
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