ST JOHN'S, Antigua, (Reuters):
A CENTURY from opener Herschelle Gibbs helped South Africa to an overwhelming eight-wicket victory in the second one-day international against West Indies at the Recreation Ground yesterday.
Gibbs hit 104 as South Africa levelled the best-of-seven one-day series 1-1.
Chasing a modest total of 220 for eight on a good batting pitch, the tourists lost opener Gary Kirsten (five) with just 11 runs on the board.
But Gibbs and Jacques Kallis responded with a record South African second-wicket partnership of 179 from 37 overs to take their team to the brink of victory.
Gibbs made a cautious start before exploding into action against first-change bowler Nixon McLean.
McLean's first two overs cost 25 runs and included a remarkable six after Gibbs charged down the wicket to the fast bowler.
Gibbs completed his fourth one-day century with another pair of sixes against part-time spinner Marlon Samuels.
A replacement ball was needed after one of the sixes left the stadium over deep square leg.
Kallis reached his half-century from 90 balls. The powerful all-rounder clubbed another part-timer, Chris Gayle, straight over the Richie Richardson stand and into the town centre, which meant a second replacement ball was needed.
Gibbs was eventually stumped by Ridley Jacobs off left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell after hitting eight fours and three sixes off 141 balls.
With 31 runs required for victory, Jonty Rhodes made light work of the target with an unbeaten 21, while Kallis's 78 not out from 112 deliveries included five fours and two sixes.
Earlier, a half-century from Shivnarine Chanderpaul proved insufficient to rescue West Indies from a slow start and an ever slower middle section of their innings in which they compiled 220 for eight after being put in to bat.
The home side reached 51 without loss in the first 15 overs and became even more bogged down when opener Leon Garrick made just 16 runs from 61 balls before running himself out while attempting an impossible single.
Fellow opener Chris Gayle was starved of the strike for much of the opening stand. But he completed a solid half-century from 70 balls before mis-timing a Lance Klusener slow ball and handing a catch to Pollock at mid-off for 50.
Brian Lara (13) failed to settle against the tight bowling of Allan Donald and Kallis and fell to another slow ball from Klusener, with Pollock holding his second catch at mid-off.
Chanderpaul was in sublime form, however, striking Klusener for a pair of sixes over mid-on and mid-wicket before smashing Donald for a third six back over the bowler's head.
Hooper scored at better than a run a ball, riding his luck to reach 48 from 46 balls with four boundaries and another straight driven six, this time off Kallis.
Chanderpaul was the victim of another misunderstanding between the batsmen. Hooper wisely refused a second run as Boeta Dippenaar's throw from the cover boundary left Chanderpaul 10 yards out of his crease.
Chanderpaul's 60 came off just 54 balls and contained two fours and three sixes.
Hooper then sliced a slower ball from Pollock high to Justin Ontong at extra cover, while Marlon Samuels (three) was run out after playing the ball straight to Rhodes at backward point. Rhodes trotted in to remove the bails and complete the third run out of the innings.
Two further wickets fell in the final over, with Kallis bowling Neil McGarrell (three) and McLean falling first ball to a Gibbs catch at extra cover.
The series now moves to Grenada, where the two teams will play back-to-back matches on Saturday and Sunday, before further games in Barbados, Trinidad and St Vincent.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies innings
L. Garrick run out (Kallis) 16
C. Gayle c Pollock b Klusener 50
B. Lara c Pollock b Klusener 13
S. Chanderpaul run out (Dippenaar) 60
C. Hooper c Ontong b Pollock 48
R. Jacobs not out 13
M. Samuels run out (Rhodes) 3
N. McGarrell b Kallis 3
N. McLean c Gibbs b Kallis 0
M. Dillon not out 1
Extras (b-1 lb-4 nb-3 w-5) 13
Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 220
Fall: 1-63 2-80 3-104 4-190 5-208 6-214 7-218 8-218
Bowling: Pollock 10-1-34-1 (w-1), Telemachus 9-0-50-0 (w-1), Donald 10-0-40-0 (w-1), Kallis 10-1-38-2 (nb-1, w-1), Klusener 5-0-28-2 (nb-2, w-1), Ontong 6-0-25-0.
South Africa innings
H. Gibbs st Jacobs b McGarrell 104
G. Kirsten b Cuffy 5
J. Kallis not out 78
J. Rhodes not out 21
Extras (lb-2 w-2 nb-9) 13
Total (for two wickets, 45.5 overs) 221
Fall: 1-11 2-190
Bowling: Dillon 6.5-0-39-0 (nb-3, w-1), Cuffy 10-1-27-1 (nb-1), McLean 4-0-40-0 (nb-4), McGarrell 10-0-34-1, Hooper 10-1-42-0 (w-1), Samuels 3-0-21-0, Gayle 2-0-16-0 (nb-1).
Result: South Africa won by eight wickets.
Man of the match: Herschelle Gibbs.
