South Africa face must-win test against West Indies

SYDNEY: South Africa face a revitalised West Indies side at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday in a match they need to win to breathe life back into their faltering World Cup campaign.

The Proteas, who are yet to win a World Cup, were outplayed by defending champions India in their last match, losing by 130 runs.

That left AB de Villiers’ team with two points after two games; trailing India, the West Indies and Ireland in Pool B.

While the South Africans defeated the West Indies 4-1 in a home series last month, they take on a Caribbean team full of confidence after their 73-run win over Zimbabwe.

Opener Chris Gayle was back to his destructive best with the highest-ever individual World Cup score of 215 containing a record-equalling 16 sixes, while Marlon Samuels scored an unbeaten 133 in an all-time ODI record stand of 372.

The South Africans cannot afford to lose to the West Indies as they would then have to beat Ireland, Pakistan and the UAE to ensure they finish near the top of their pool.

South Africa have won three of their five World Cup encounters with the West Indies and will also be keen to show that they are genuine World Cup contenders after reaching the semi-finals of the 1992, 1999 and 2007 tournaments.

However, their skipper is not worried by the importance of the match. “It’s a must-win in Sydney,” he said. “We’ve got a never-say-die attitude, and this tournament is by a long way not over for us.”

A big part of South Africa’s hopes rests on premier paceman Dale Steyn’s contest with Gayle.

Steyn has only taken two wickets in the tournament so far. Gayle was struggling at the start of the competition, making 36 against Ireland and four against Pakistan, but roared back into form with the first-ever double century at a World Cup.

Steyn will be without new-ball partner Vernon Philander, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Gayle, meanwhile, missed the recent training session but skipper Jason Holder has played down his absence. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th,  2015.

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