Windies lose by one runHaydn Gill Antigua
Friday, May 21st 2010
OH, the expectations were so high. Oh, how the hearts sunk. It was an all-too-familiar script.
Another low-scoring Digicel Twenty20 International, played out on another difficult pitch at the Vivian Richards Stadium, ended in a heart-breaking defeat by one run for West Indies that gave South Africa a 2-0 series triumph.
For most of their chase of 121, West Indies always looked behind the eight-ball, but there was a semblance of hope when they started the final over from fast bowler Ryan McLaren 15 shy of the target.
Darren Sammy almost turned from villain to hero in a short matter of 24 hours, collecting ten runs from the first three balls, courtesy an edged boundary to third man and another four that included two overthrows and desperate dives.
It brought the equation to five from three balls and a fair-sized crowd was now on its feet in anticipation of a win.
They would leave the stadium with more disappointment for the second successive day.
Sammy managed a single to square-leg from the fourth ball and Narsingh Deonarine was run out off the fifth while trying to complete a second run with another big dive.
Out came Jerome Taylor to see if he could get three off the final ball. It was squeezed out to point and a single was not enough, leaving West Indies at 119 for seven in response to South Africa’s 120 for seven,
The hosts will look back and probably feel that they tried to press the accelerator a little too late.
Truth be told, however, the pitch was never easy to bat on. Fluent strokeplay wasn’t on the cards and the fast bowlers gained generous bounce in both innings of the match.
After the early losses of openers Chris Gayle to a good ball from pacer Dale Steyn that pinned him on the backfoot for a second-ball duck and Andre Fletcher to a non-descript stroke that was caught by the keeper, Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul consolidated with a third wicket partnership of 68 in which neither batman dominated.
Bravo’s 40 took 42 balls and Chanderpaul spent 37 balls over 29. By the time their stand was broken in the 15th over at 77 for three, the asking rate had climbed to 8.6
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