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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Gibbs powers SA to series win

Gibbs powers SA to series win

By Marcus Prior
December 05, 2002 09:26 IST
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Herschelle Gibbs struck his 11th one-day hundred as South Africa won the fourth one-day match against Sri Lanka by eight wickets on Wednesday and took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.

Chasing just 185 for victory, South Africa made 190 for two in the 31st over, with Gibbs unbeaten on 108 and Jacques Kallis 64 not out. Their unbroken partnership for the third wicket was worth 172 runs.

Gibbs and Kallis came together with South Africa at 18 for two following the loss of both Andrew Hall (two) and Neil McKenzie (seven).

After Gibbs was put down by Russel Arnold at point when he offered a tough chance on 19, the partnership quickly flowered.

Gibbs accelerated towards the end of the run chase and reached his hundred with a six over mid-on off Chaminda Vaas before he won the match with another six off Sanath Jayasuriya. He faced just 92 balls, smashing 14 fours and three sixes.

Kallis was happy to play the junior role in the partnership with his 64 coming off 83 balls with five fours and a six.

Earlier, Allan Donald proved that he is still an important part of South Africa's World Cup plans with a fine bowling display as Sri Lanka folded after a good start.

Donald, now 36, claimed three for 18

from his ten overs including four maidens, taking the important wickets of Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene.

Sri Lanka's healthy early momentum was stalled in the 11th over by the bizarre dismissal of Marvan Atapattu (37) with the score on 57.

Atapattu appeared in no danger as he sauntered back for a second run, but a casual backhand flick by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher broke the wicket.

Television replays showed that neither Atapattu's bat nor his feet were grounded and third umpire Brian Jerling gave him out.

After Kallis removed both Kumar Sangakkara (one) and Aravinda de Silva (nought), Donald then struck twice.

First, Jayasuriya fell to a spectacular one-handed diving catch at midwicket by Neil McKenzie for 27 and when Jawardene was trapped lbw for nine, Sri Lanka were 97 for five.

Russel Arnold and Hashan Tillakaratne added 34 for the sixth wicket but when Tillakartne was bowled by Shaun Pollock for 18, South Africa steadily knocked over the Sri Lankan tail.

But Arnold then held up the South Africans with a rearguard action in his 100th one-day international rotating the strike intelligently with last man Pulasthi Gunaratne in a partnership of 29 for the tenth wicket, before being last man out for 50.

The final game of the series is in Bloemfontein on Friday.

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    Marcus Prior
    Source: REUTERS
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