da fezbet： South Africa’s superior bowling and fielding skills enabled them towin the LG Cup final against India by 26 runs at Nairobi on Sunday
Partab Ramchand04-Oct-1999South Africa’s superior bowling and fielding skills enabled them towin the LG Cup final against India by 26 runs at Nairobi on Sunday. Ina well contested match, India were in the game on more than oneoccasion but faltered at crucial junctures both when South Africa werebatting and during their own innings.Put in to bat, South Africa were rocked by some inspired bowling byVenkatesh Prasad and Mohanty and were 18 for three in the 11th over.While Mohanty bowled Klusener first ball, Prasad removed Kallis andRhodes through slip catches.Gibbs and Cronje initiated a rally by putting on 78 runs for thefourth wicket off 13.5 overs before the South African captain wasbeaten in the air and bowled by Chopra for 39, inclusive of threefours and two sixes. The recovery process continued with Gibbs andCrookes, promoted in the order, adding 53 runs for the fifth wicket in9.1 oveers. Crookes was then well caught by wicketkeeper MSK Prasadoff Mohanty for 25. Gibbs’ anchor innings came to an end when he wassixth out at 187, bowled by Bhardwaj for 84, compiled off 124 ballswith the help of six fours and three sixes. India then came backstrongly into the game with Bhardwaj also dismissing Benkenstein andBoucher while Dawson was run out. But Pollock hit a timely unbeaten 23off 24 balls with a six and a boundary and he and Elworthy took 16runs off the last over of the innings bowled by Chopra. South Africawere able to post a challenging total of 235 for nine in 50 overs.When India batted, they suffered two early blows with the dismissalsof both openers Ramesh and Ganguly with only 25 runs on the board inthe ninth over. Dravid and MSK Prasad, promoted in the order, set theinnings back on course with a third wicket partnership of 65 runs. Butaccurate bowling and keen fielding saw to it that the runs did notcome at a nifty rate. Dravid fell in the 27th over at 90 for 30 off 65balls but Prasad and Jadeja then gave the scoring rate some impetuswith a fourth wicket stand of 51 runs off 9.5 overs before the Indiancaptain hit Pollock to substitute Dippenaar at square leg for 30 off32 balls, inclusive of two fours and a six. Hereabouts Prasad wasovercome by cramps and had Dravid as a runner. But soon he was unableto continue and retired when his score was 56. The game had reached aninteresting stage with India’s target now approaching seven an overbut with six wickets in hand. Robin Singh did not last long, beingbowled by Crookes, trying to sweep and this made India 163 for five inthe 39th over. But India’s batting depth saw them stay in the fight asBhardwaj and Joshi now got some quick runs. At 190 for five after 43overs, India needed 46 runs off seven overs. But the fall of Bhardwajand Joshi in successive overs was a major double blow from which Indiacould not recover. Prasad came back to resume his innings but thenlost Chopra at 201 in the 46th over. With Prasad being run out in thenext over for a gallant 63 off 90 balls inclusive of six hits to theropes, India’s hopes evaporated. The match ended in the following overwhen Mohanty was leg before to Kallis and India were all out for 209in 47.3 overs. In fact the end came all too swiftly as the Indianslost their last five wickets in successive overs from the 44th to the48th for the addition of only 19 runs.Gibbs won the man of the match award while the Indians had someconsolation with Bhardwaj taking the man of the series award. SouthAfrica who had lost to India by eight wickets in the league, turnedthe tables at the all important juncture.