Chris Gayle hundred powers West Indies to 205
Sept 11 - Four years ago, Brian Lara delivered the coup de grace as South Africa's World Cup campaign started with a depressing defeat at the Wanderers. And after Graeme Smith had elected to bowl first on a grass-less pitch in the inaugural match of the ICC World Twenty20, it was Chris Gayle's turn to depress the hometown crowd with some dazzling shotmaking that took West Indies to a massive total of 205 for 6 from their 20 overs.

Along the way, he became the first batsman to score a century in the format, going past Ricky Ponting's score of 98 against New Zealand. The other batsmen had to do little but bat around him as 10 sixes and seven fours were pummelled with a nonchalance that must have felt like a cold knife through Smith's heart.

Gayle started as he meant to continue, with a square-drive so powerful that it burst through the hands of backward point on its way to the rope. And after a relatively uneventful over from Makhaya Ntini, sporting a new hairdo, Gayle teed off against Shaun Pollock, with an astonishing whip off his pads that landed next to his team-mates in the dug-out square of the wicket.

With the tone set, it was Ntini's turn to feel the power, and two stupendous straight sixes that cleared the rope by yards. With the situation already desperate, Graeme Smith turned to Johan van der Wath and Mornè Morkel to restore a semblance of sanity. They did that, but once the hitherto restrained Devon Smith clouted Van der Wath for two fours, it was carnage again.

There was hardly any swing, and little movement off the pitch, and Gayle took advantage with some monstrous hitting. His 50 came from just 26 balls, and when Vernon Philander came on, he said hello with a carve that went deep into the stands at midwicket. Albie Morkel got the same treatment, and by the halfway mark , West Indies had cruised to 109 for 0.

With his seam options having produced nothing, Smith brought himself on, only to concede 17 from the over as Gayle nonchalantly clouted one over long-on. The first-wicket partnership was worth 145 from just 13.3 overs when Philander finally broke through, but though Marlon Samuels fell cheaply, there was no let-up in momentum.

A straight-drive down the ground for two got Gayle to three figures from just 51 balls, and he celebrated with more devastating strokeplay down the ground as South Africa's bowling threatened to implode. Pollock went for 52 in his spell, and it was only the reintroduction of Van der Wath that gave the hosts some relief.

Having cruised to 117 from 56 balls, Gayle's attempt to clear the leg side flew off the top edge and down into the hands of Mark Boucher. Mornè Morkel also came back strongly as Gayle's exit produced a relative lull in proceedings, but it was Van der Wath that was the pick of the bowlers, also picking up Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the penultimate over.

Philander bowled a fairly tidy fine over to limit the damage, but by then Gayle and West Indies had done enough to ensure that South Africa would have to make the highest Twenty20 total ever made at this venue to avoid a repeat of that ignominious 2003 defeat.

       
         

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