West Indies won the second T20I against South Africa by 4 wickets. They successfully chased the 232 runs target sparing 4 balls, henceforth leads the 3 matches T20 series by 2-0.
Match report: South Africa v West Indies; 2nd T20I; New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg; 11th January, 2015.
To call Chris Gayle, Gayle storm won't be quite wrong because when its his day, it's his day and no hurdle can block his smashing speed. This also happened in the second T20 against South Africa when Gayle blasted 90 off 41 balls making West Indies to successfully achieve the world record run chase in Twenty 20 Internationals.
Windies successfully chased one of the highest T20I target of 232 runs within 19.2 overs.
Gayle & Marlon Samuels together spoiled all efforts of South Africa. Even Proteas' captain's 46-ball century went in vain. Faf du Plessis' 119 off 56 balls wasn't even enough to secure the victory for his team.
Wanderers the stadium is now witness of world record chase of both ODI & T20I. As it was on the same field where South Africa achieved record 50-over run chase against Australia when it successfully achieved the target of 438 runs in 2005/06. And on Saturday Windies achieved the same feat in the shortest format against South Africa. India holds the previous record chase of 211 runs agaisnt Sri Lanka in Mohali 2009/10.
It was a day of astonishing display with bat from both the teams. 40 overs filled with 4's & 6's.
“Cricket was the winner today,” said Sammy. “We were dominated in the Tests but we have different energy in this series."
Du Plessis said his South African record score of 119 off 56 balls was ‘bittersweet’.
He added: “I said at half-time that this game is very far from finished. Nothing is out of reach. Chris played so well up front, it is very hard to contain him.”
Du Plessis and David Miller set the tempo of the match when they together hit whooping 109 runs in just 49 balls at third wicket. After Miller, 47, was run out it was Plessis' sole knock which led South Africa to one of the highest targets in T20I. Plessis became second South African to score a T20 hundred.
In reply to this West Indies was ferocious from the beginning. Windies blasted 86 for one in the mandatory powerplay making their intentions quite clear to Proteas. Fifty runs partnership came for Gayle & Samuels in just 21 balls. The second wicket partnership grew to 152 off 11.5 overs giving an explicit edge to West Indies over South Africa.
Gayle was a bit slow unlike his performance in first T20 when he hit 17 ball fifty, he reached the feat off 20 deliveries in this match. Gayle, 90, & Samuels, 60, partnership impeccably worked where Gayle was focused on thrashing the bowlers while Samuels was focused on classical strikes. As Gayle's only T20 ton was also against South Africa in the same ground, he was all set to repeat the feat but failed 10 runs short of the century.
It was a typical Gayle innings, with thrashing the ball round the stadium without bothering where the ball is coming. All he was focused was to send the ball out of the boundary. He exploited Kyle Abbott to the maximum when he delivered one after the other five full tosses and conceded 22 runs in that respective over.
Imran Tahir was the only bowler infront of whom Gayle struggled a bit, but it was just for one over and then again Gayle took hold of the match. Gayle's startling innings comprised of 9 fours & 7 smashing sixes. His bludgeoning innings came to an end when he was caught behind in the 14th over.
Immediately after him Samuels & Pollard departed. South Africa still had a chance to turn the game in their favor as West Indies was 47 runs short off target with 25 balls remaining. But then Sammy faultlessly concluded it with his unbeaten 20 off 7 balls.
Abbott conceded a world record 68 in his four overs breaking the previous record of 64 runs conceded by Jimmy Anderson of England and Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka.
Scorecard:
West Indies 236 for 6 (Gayle 90, Wiese 3-43) beat South Africa 231 for 7 (Du Plessis 119, Bravo 2-32) by four wickets
Man of the Match: CH Gayle (West Indies)