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Another century for Kallis gives South Africa the series

Jacques Kallis led South Africa to an enthralling win against West Indies in the final one-dayer at the Wanderers

The Wisden Bulletin by Charlie Oliver
04-Feb-2004
South Africa 310 for 6 (Kallis 139, Smith 58) beat West Indies 304 for 2 (Gayle 152*, Chanderpaul 85, Powell 49*) by four wickets
Scorecard


Jacques Kallis: yet another century
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Another magnificent century by Jacques Kallis led South Africa to a dramatic four-wicket victory against West Indies at the Wanderers. After Chris Gayle helped his side to an impressive 304 for 2 with an unbeaten 152, South Africa sneaked home with only two balls to spare to take the series 3-1.
The climatic ending was set-up by a wonderful penultimate over by Ravi Rampaul - in which he dismissed Kallis and conceded only one run. South Africa still required eight runs off the final six balls, but eased home, helped by some dreadful West Indian fielding. They will now fly home sick of the sight of Kallis, who hit six centuries against them on the tour.
Kallis stroked 139 from 142 balls, his highest one-day score, including 11 fours and three sixes. His innings was an imperious mixture of orthodox strokes and savage blows, including one towering smack off Ryan Hurley, which landed 10 rows back beyond the longest boundary.
Kallis paced the recovery to near perfection after West Indies were in the ascendancy, especially once Graeme Smith fell for an entertaining 58 off 60 balls. He was bowled trying to cut Gayle (133 for 2), ending a sprightly 102-run partnership with Kallis after the pair had come together following Herschelle Gibbs's early exit (31 for 1). Boeta Dippenaar and Kallis were forced to consolidate and the required run rate rose towards eight an over.
Yet the departure of Dippenaar, caught in the deep by Rampaul off Hurley (187 for 3), sparked a South African revival, led by Jacques Rudolph. He cracked three early boundaries and, crucially, was dropped on 20 by Merv Dillon at mid-off, from a Corey Collymore over that went for 12 runs.
The tide was turning South Africa's way and Kallis made hay, racing to a century - his 12th in one-dayers - off 115 balls. He accelerated further, heaping punishment on Hurley and Rampaul in particular, just as he had done to Collymore earlier in his innings. When Rudolph fell for 35, off only 28 balls, he and Kallis had put on 90 runs in little over ten overs (277 for 4).
By then the required rate was down to a run a ball and victory was South Africa's for the taking. However, a sensational catch by Brian Lara at midwicket dismissed Lance Klusener for only 4 (285 for 5), and two overs later Rampaul, who bowled well throughout, produced his marvellous late effort, during which Kallis holed out to Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the deep (296 for 6).


Chris Gayle: all smiles after his entertaining century
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Gayle was charged with bowling the last over, only for his fielders to let him down. Shaun Pollock's blast through the off-side should have yielded two runs at the very most, but Hurley comically slipped on the dewy surface and conceded a precious four. Next ball, Dillon contrived to turn a one into a two, allowing Pollock to smash a six over mid-off to clinch the match - and the series. All in all, as so often on the tour, West Indies' fielding let them down when it mattered.
Their loss was especially sickening for Gayle, who earlier lit the Wanderers up with his swash-buckling innings. He broke West Indies' highest one-day individual score against South Africa, including 12 fours and three eye-catching sixes.
Chanderpaul, who scored 85, offered deft support in a record-breaking opening stand of 193, before Ricardo Powell upped the ante in the last 10 overs, notching a searing 49 not out off only 24 balls.
Lara would have been confident that a score of over 300 was enough to steal a draw in the series, especially after his comments that teams bowling second under the lights have an unfair advantage. However, rather than serving as a confidence booster ahead of the England series, this result capped a disappointing and ultimately forgetful tour.