Cricket: Kallis seals South Africa’s win

Gambhir assault not enough for India as hosts win by 11 runs.

JOHANNESBURG:

A blazing innings by India’s Gautam Gambhir could not prevent a South African win in a rain-hit one-off Twenty20 at the Wanderers Stadium.

Gambhir smashed an unbeaten 49 not out off just 28 balls as India raced to 71 for no wicket in 7.5 overs in reply to South Africa’s 219 for four in 20 overs.

But South Africa’s big total meant that India were 11 runs short of the Duckworth/Lewis par score when a thunderstorm broke over the ground.

Earlier, Jacques Kallis and Colin Ingram shared a rapid century partnership as South Africa posted a formidable total.

“That gave us a really good platform,” said stand-in South African captain Johan Botha. “A hundred partnership in any form of cricket is great but in Twenty20 cricket it is even better.”

Kallis made 61 off 42 balls and the left-handed Ingram raced to 78 off 50 deliveries after South Africa were sent in to bat. The pair put on 119 of 80 balls for the second wicket.

Indian captain MS Dhoni used eight bowlers but runs flowed as the batsmen took advantage of a good batting pitch, short boundaries and a fast outfield.

“The match was quite evenly poised.

Although the Indian openers batted well, they were only scoring at nine runs an over and they would have needed to score at more than 12 runs an over for the rest of the match,” added the off-spinner

The hastily arranged one-off Twenty20 was billed as an annual fixture for the Friendship Cup and a tribute to South African all-rounder Kallis, with profits going to the Jacques Kallis Foundation which provides scholarships for talented cricketers from under-privileged areas to attend good schools.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2012.