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DURBAN (South Africa), Oct 27: Gary Kirsten led South Africa to a comfortable six-wicket win over India in the triangular series final Friday (partly reported in Saturday’s edition).
Kirsten scored 87 as the hosts cruised to 187 for four in reply to India’s 183, clinching victory with 7.5 overs to spare.
South Africa’s left-handed opener, who faced 108 balls and hit nine fours and a six, was dropped on 23 with the total 44 without loss by VVS Laxman at second slip off the bowling of seamer Javagal Srinath.
Srinath suffered his second disappointment when Jacques Kallis, on nine with the total 106 for one, cut a delivery high to third man, where the ball somehow escaped Anil Kumble’s grasp. Kallis went on to score 39.
Kallis helped Kirsten add 70 runs for the second wicket, a stand which ended in the 32nd over when Kirsten pushed forward to a turning delivery from Harbhajan and was caught by Laxman at slip.
Harbhajan’s evening took a turn for the worse when he was struck by a missile thrown from the crowd while fielding on the mid-wicket boundary near the end of the match.
Umpire Ian Howell went to the fence to prevent a further disturbance, and the match continued with Harbhajan unhurt.
INDIA:
S.C. Ganguly c Boucher b P’lock 9
S.R. Tendulkar b Hayward 17
V. Sehwag c Hayward b Ntini 34
R.S. Dravid c Pollock b Kemp 77
V.V.S. Laxman c Ntini b Klusener 5
Yuvraj Singh c Pollock b Kemp 0
R.S. Sodhi c sub (Nel) b Hayward 22
A.B. Agarkar not out 9
Harbhajan Singh c Kemp b P’lock 3
J. Srinath run out 0
A.R. Kumble c Ntini b Kemp 0
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2, NB-4) 7
TOTAL (all out, 48.2 overs) 183
FALL OF WKTS: 1-17, 2-31, 3-91, 4-112, 5-113, 6-164, 7-177, 8-183, 9-183.
BOWLING: Pollock 9-1-19-2 (2nb); Hayward 10-0-38-2 (1nb, 1w); Kallis 8-0-41-0; Ntini 10-0-45-1 (1nb); Klusener 5-0-19-1; Kemp 6.2-0-20-3 (1w).
SOUTH AFRICA:
G. Kirsten c Laxman b H’bhajan 87
H.H. Gibbs c and b Harbhajan 21
J.H. Kallis b Tendulkar 39
N.D. McKenzie not out 14
J.N. Rhodes st Dravid b T’kar 6
S.M. Pollock not out 0
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-2, W-10, NB-3) 20
TOTAL (for four wkts, 42.1 overs) 187
FALL OF WKTS: 1-80, 2-150, 3-173, 4-183.
DID NOT BAT: L. Klusener, M.V. Boucher, J.M. Kemp, M. Ntini, M. Hayward.
BOWLING: Srinath 10-0-49-0 (1nb); Agarker 7.1-0-32-0 (6w); Kumble 10-1-24-0 (2nb); Harbhajan 10-1-48-2 (1w); Tendulkar 5-1-27-2 (3w).
RESULT: South Africa won by six wickets.
UMPIRES: D.L. Orchard and I.L. Howell.
TV UMPIRE: W.A. Diedricks.
MATCH REFEREE: A.M. Ebrahim (Zimbabwe).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shaun Pollock.
MAN-OF-THE-SERIES: Gary Kirsten.
Express pace bowler Mornantau Hayward, Allan Donald’s heir apparent, was recalled to the South Africa squad Saturday to play India after being sidelined from Test cricket for more than a year.
Hayward was one of two changes to the squad, with left-arm spinner Nicky Boje also brought back for the first Test in Bloemfontein starting next Saturday.
Squads:
South Africa: Shaun Pollock (captain), Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Mornantau Hayward, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Charl Langeveldt, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini.
South Africa ‘A’: H.D. Ackerman (captain), Paul Adams, Gulam Bodi, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Justin Ontong, Jacques Rudolph, Graeme Smith, Thami Tsolekile, Martin van Jaarsveld, Charl Willoughby.—Reuters
