Awesome AB whacks Windies

Awesome AB whacks Windies

1 Feb 2008

AB de Villiers put on a batting masterclass to steer South Africa to a five wicket victory in the fourth ODI against the West Indies in Durban.

The relative ease with which the Proteas managed to chase down a competitive 263, said much about the state of the tourists but more about the hosts’ confidence in their formulae in ODI cricket. There always seems to be a match winner, whether with bat or ball and this time De Villiers took his moment in the spotlight.

The youngster was in typically destructive mood, driving, whipping or hooking anything that was remotely imperfect. Credit also has to go to captain Graeme Smith, whose 37-ball 50 helped lay the foundation for victory, while JP Duminy (44) once again showed that he is at home on the international stage, sharing a 99-run fifth wicket stand with De Villiers.

The Proteas began brilliantly with Graeme Smith continuing his good form smashing his third half century of the series. He succumbed shortly after, though, blazing a half tracker to midwicket.

With the score at 77 after 12 overs, the hard work had been done, but when Jacques Kallis sliced a drive to backward point, the West Indies had the upper hand. Herschelle Gibbs (39) had just found his stride before an inside edge flicked his leg stump, leaving AB de Villiers and set about salvaging a result for the hosts.

He did so with a roughhouse class before falling to a Ricardo Powell slower ball.

Fittingly, though, it was Shaun Pollock (21*) who hit the winning runs. Kingsmead was littered with banners of support for the retiring all rounder and they gave him a rousing and emotional send-off befitting a hero.

Earlier Jerome Taylor flayed the Proteas bowlers at the death to give his side hope of a consolation victory. The Proteas will look back and lament a 50-run last wicket partnership between Taylor (43*) and Fidel Edwards. Taylor was particularly brutal in Makhaya Ntini, who went for in excess of eight runs per over, including a 24-run last over nightmare.

The foundation was laid by Brenton Parchment (48) and Sivnarene Chattergoon (48) who put up 97, but it seemed that none of the Windies batters could contribute anything similar. The Proteas’ bowlers were generally disciplined and excellent ground and air fielding restricted the Windies for the majority of the innings.

Jerome Taylor, however, launched a couple of lusty blows at the death of the innings to transform what looked like being a mediocre total to one that took some chasing.

West Indies 263-9 (50 overs)
Brenton Parchment (48), Sivnarene Chattergoon (48), Jerome Taylor 43, Andre Nel 2-40, Shaun Pollock 1-38

South Africa – 266/5 (47.5 overs)
AB De Villiers 77, Graeme Smith 50, JP Duminy 44

South Africa won by five wickets

Click here for live score updates


78 Comments

Pages: « 1 [2] Show All

  • 51.Cricketlover: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:26 pm

    And the hasbeen walks again. We are screwed. Bye-bye herschy!

  • 52.BokiNZ: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:28 pm

    u guys think Gibbs did enough?

  • 53.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:28 pm

    #52 NO!!!!

  • 54.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:30 pm

    Jeez Duminy is good!! He is still going to play a massive role in SA cricket!!

  • 55.KingPaul: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:34 pm

    “Taylor tortures Protreas”
    Wat de moer is ‘n “Protrea”? hehehe

  • 56.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:37 pm

    Dis ‘n Protea wat bry!!

  • 57.bristolshark: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:38 pm

    132 / 3 – we need another 132 from 26 overs

  • 58.bristolshark: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 20:46 pm

    136/3 off 25 overs

  • 59.Cricketlover: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 21:18 pm

    I think that even if he got a 200 it would not be enough!! Drop him!! I’m loving this Duminy thing! Atleast he can bat and he’s quite classy on the field plus a part-time spinner! I want morné van wyk in gibbs’s place, he just needs to find his feet, like duminy!

  • 60.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 21:26 pm

    No CL! You say Boeta is useless but then you say van Wyk must be picked? WTF?
    Duminy is can play though!

  • 61.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 21:26 pm

    Duminy can play though! %^$%#%^!!!

  • 62.Silence is Gold: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 21:29 pm

    Good partnership this. These 2 are the new face of SA cricket to come. Lets hope that they can deliver on their promise(unlike Cullinun and Gibbs)

  • 63.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 21:47 pm

    Finish it in style Polly!!!

  • 64.Cricketlover: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 21:57 pm

    Yip finish it in style. Hooker van wyk didn’t have half the chances boeta did plus boeta is old, van wyk is young. Go check out the nice things smith had to say about boeta on media24. Van wyk just needs to find his feet.

  • 65.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 22:37 pm

    The reason he’s had half the chances is because he isn’t as good as Boeta. Just look at their stats.Boeta avg 43 in first class cricket while van Wyk only avg’s 36. Van Wyk is 28 and Boeta is 30. 30 is not old!

  • 66.Cricketlover: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 22:52 pm

    Ag let’s agree to disagree., because I don’t agree with you! Anyway congrats Proteas you played excellent! Smith had a good biffday in terms of cricket and polly had a great goodbye.

  • 67.Hooker: Reply to this comment
    1 Feb 2008, 22:57 pm

    Yip they played well. Nice of Boucher to let Polly finish it off!
    Now for Sunday and hopefully a 5-0 whitewash. Oops can I say whitewash?

  • 68.Koos: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 03:58 am

    Aish KP, janee what the fluck is a ‘Protrea’? Sheesh Ryan, I know it was Friday night and all, but surely the drinking should wait till AFTER you posted your article…

  • 69.Rugby_Princess: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 04:00 am

    More Koosie :-D

  • 70.Manlybok: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 04:01 am

    Howzit Koosie wat se tzy ?

  • 71.Rugby_Princess: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 04:10 am

    Manly :shock: you are back !

  • 72.Manlybok: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 04:14 am

    Look Princess…you know men can only do one thing at a time…can you please stop switching threads…I feel like the proverbial chameleon in a Smartie box

  • 73.Rugby_Princess: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 04:23 am

    Sorry hon … I liekt the analogy though :lol:

  • 74.Ryan: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 06:29 am

    Guys sorry about the late report. Major powercuts in Cape Town last night.

  • 75.Manlybok: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 06:58 am

    So who’s in power now???

  • 76.Cricketlover: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 08:29 am

    Ag we’ll forgive you this time Ryan! Hooker, ja it was nice of boucher, but he is that type of guy! I had a good laugh at him last night, he intimidated those windies lekker while he was batting! Sheez and he gave our bowlers a glare that would make me cry when they bowled ****. I have a huge softspot for bouch!

  • 77.Cricketlover: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 08:36 am

    Hooker let’s not say whitewash, we said that about aus vs. Ind and look at what happend. I’m mad at AB dev! I don’t like that little womaniser, so I made a bet that he wouldn’t make 20 runs. Little twit!

  • 78.Koos: Reply to this comment
    2 Feb 2008, 11:52 am

    #74 :lol: Yip, the ‘lectric failure’ bugger the spelling big time…

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