Brittle West Indies tail-enders choke to give South Africa a one run victory

South Africa have won the one-day series with a tense one-run victory in the third one-dayer at Barbados. They had already won the weekend double header games.

When century maker Gayle was out in the 46th over, West Indies needed 27 to win in 4 overs. Browne and Bravo did a very good job for the next two overs, bringing the target down to 10 off 2 overs. They did this without any big hitting, running a lot of ones and twos. Browne was dismissed off the last ball of the over, but the two had already scored six runs off it. This meant West Indies, with three wickets in hand, needed four of the last over. Would Langeveldt, bowling the last over, be as brainless as Merv Dillon was at the 2002 Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka? With South Africa needing to score three runs off one ball, Dillon bowled a wide, off which the batsmen ran a bye, and then gave away a four the next ball.

With only the tailenders remaining, West Indies only had to make sure they got three singles to at least ensure that the series was still alive. Two singles came off the first two balls. So far so good. Nice sensible stuff. Two required off four balls now. Surely West Indies couldn't lose now.
"Oh yeah? Take this hoik over cow corner so that we win the game", says Bradshaw.
"Umm not quite dear Braddie, have a look at your stumps."

Next man in is Powell, not Ricardo but Daren. Bravo, who is at the other end, having made 20 at more than a run-a-ball, tells Powell "Cool it maan, just take a single. We only need 2 off 3". But no, since Powell saw what Bradshaw did, he figures that he could do better and goes for a huge swing. Misses. Bravo is on the verge of tears now. Langeveldt has two wickets in two balls and is on a hat-trick. Collymore is the last man in. Bravo pleads with him to at least put bat to ball. Collymore decides that he wants to take a leg-bye and is struck plumb in front off an inswinger. Game over. South Africa win by one run.

Dwayne Bravo, already mentally stressed out from his battle with Graeme Smith which resulted in Hinds copping a fine, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the ripe old age of 22.

Langeveldt gets South Africa's first ever one-day hat-trick. West Indies went from 281/6 to 283 all out. Shades of the stupid display by India's tail in the 1999 World Cup game against Zimbabwe when with 9 required off 2 overs and three wickets in hand, the game was over with one over to spare. Graeme Smith admitted that he was still struggling to breathe after the tense finish.

There's no point in writing anything about what happened earlier in the game, except that West Indies continued to donate runs to Dippenaar. Kallis fell short of a century. For the West Indies, Gayle got a century, not made at his usual frenetic pace. The rest of the batsmen chipped in with a few scores. Surprisingly enough, Cricinfo's match report has no mention of Lara. Perhaps he makes news only if he scores pathetically or awesomely. Nothing in between!

South Africa, in spite of being comfortably placed on 230/2 with 7 overs left, only got 284. It turned out to be one more than what West Indies got. I suppose that is what matters most!

William's Corridor of Uncertainty has snippets from the Cricinfo ball by ball commentary for the last few overs, just to rub it in further for West Indies fans.