Jerome Taylor sparkles in West Indies triumph
published:
Monday | December 17, 2007
Taylor
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (CMC):
Two fast bowlers, likely to play a key role over the next seven weeks, gave a prelude to what opposing teams can expect, as West Indies completed a five-wicket win in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa yesterday.
West Indies speedster Jerome Taylor and South Africa tyro Dale Steyn sent strong warnings to the batsmen on the opposing side, as the visitors successfully chased a modest target of 59 in a match reduced to 13 overs a side by early rain.
Taylor pulled the rug from under the South Africa batting when he collected three wickets - all in his first over - for six runs from his three overs and helped West Indies to restrict the home team to 58 for eight from their 13 overs.
West Indies should have coasted to victory with many more than 19 balls to spare, but Steyn returned the favour, when he collected three in his second over before ending with four for nine from his allotment of three overs for the best figures by a South African in a Twenty20 International.
Choosing to field in obviously favourable conditions, West Indies rocked South Africa, when Taylor completed a rare triple-wicket maiden.
He had Morne van Wyk lbw for one and bowled Jean-Paul Duminy for a duck with the first two balls of his first over before Abraham de Villiers survived the hat-trick, only to be bowled off the inside edge for a duck.
Daren Powell then had Herschelle Gibbs caught low down at mid-on for a duck to leave South Africa five for four in the third over.
West Indies snared two more wickets in the space of 10 balls, when South Africa captain Shaun Pollock was run out for two, and Albie Morkel suffered a similar fate for his one.
Good partnership
West Indies never took their boot off the throats of the South Africans Vernon Philander entered and started to build a partnership with Ghulam Bodi before he was beaten for pace and adjudged lbw to Fidel Edwards for four.
West Indies had South Africa 22 for seven and the home team was able to get past 50, thanks to a late flourish from Johan Botha with an undefeated top score of 28 from 22 balls that contained two fours and two sixes.
Brenton Parchment gave West Indies an enterprising start, when he charged down the pitch and lofted the first ball of the innings from Pollock for four, and then moved down again to cross-bat a short ball high over long-on for six.
Parchment however, is a rookie in international cricket and Pollock foxed him with a slower ball which he drove into the lap of cover and was caught.
Top-order meltdown
West Indies did not suffer the same top-order meltdown in the early overs as South Africa did, but once Pollock brought Steyn into the firing line, things started to happen.
The visitors lost four wickets for nine runs in the space of 16 balls, as Steyn bowling fast, full and straight, uprooted the stumps of Devon Smith for seven in his first over.
West Indies however, wobbled to 41 for five in the sixth, when Steyn bowled Runako Morton for 20, Marlon Samuels for one, and West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo for a first-ball duck, all in his second over.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul remained unflappable he came close to being run out twice, to guide West Indies home along with Denesh Ramdin and give the tourists a welcomed boost of confidence.
West Indies start a four-day, tour match against South Africa-A on Wednesday at East London in their only practice match prior to the first Test at Port Elizabeth.
(Reuters) - Scoreboard after the Twenty20 match between South Africa and West Indies in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, yesterday.
South Africa innings
M. van Wyk lbw b Taylor
1
H. Gibbs c Chanderpaul b Powell
0
J.P. Duminy b Taylor
0
AB de Villiers b Taylor
0
G. Bodi b Sammy
8
S. Pollock run out
2
A. Morkel run out
1
V. Philander lbw b Edwards
4
J. Botha not out
28
D. Steyn not out
1
Extras (lb-7 nb-1 w-5)
13
Total (eight wickets, 13 overs)
58
Did not bat: M Ntini.
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 5-10, 6-12, 7-22, 8-37.
