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Bylines Cricket Blogging

White Washed Windies

The Proteas have made amends for their abysmal performance in the T20 World Cup. White washing the West Indies in both the T20 and ODI formats will certainly go some way towards taking the team into a new era. New combinations have been tried, the top order have been in blistering form, but as good as The Proteas were in this series the West Indies were woeful. We need to be cautious in celebrating this victory.

Chris Gayle, an individual talent stands head and shoulders above his team. And not just literally. His frustration with his team was exemplified in his blow out with spinner Suleman Benn in Dominca on Monday and Benn’s exclusion from the team yesterday ultimately cost the West Indies much-needed variation to their attack. The perennial reliance on Chris Gayle is unhealthy. On the day that Zimbabwe’s second defeat of India was celebrated as a victory for the development of the game, the cricketing world should also be concerned at the state of West Indian cricket. World cricket needs a strong West Indian team.

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Bylines Cricket Blogging

Sammy wears a huge heart on West Indian sleeves

Hashim Amla may have walked away with his second man-of-the-match award in as many matches but Darren Sammy’s eleventh hour heroics stole the show in Antigua last night.

South Africa’s 300 looked an imposing total and though the wicket was an excellent one for batting, the West Indies’ reply was repeatedly stilted by the fall of wickets. (Read more)

 

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Bylines Cricket Blogging

One small step for SA, one giant leap back for Boucher?

Once more Chris Gayle won the toss and once more he chose to bowl first. Hashim Amla and AB De Villiers were in prolific form as they both raced to centuries in the first One Day International between South Africa and West Indies in Antigua.

It is promising that while Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis failed Hashim and AB were able to rescue the innings calmly. South Africa were in trouble at 57 for 2 with the good start made my Amla and Smith nullified by the fall of two quick wickets. Amla and de Villiers stayed the course though, seeing off the West Indian fightback and were soon in control of the match. Much of the innings offered no fancy shots or boundary fireworks. Hashim and AB simply went about collecting the singles and twos on offer and making no mistake in sending the bad balls to the boundary. While 300 seemed an almost certain score with Amla and De Villiers at the crease their demise stalled the run flow in the rain-recuded 48 over match. (Read more)

 

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Bylines Cricket Blogging

Aussies choke on English medicine

If you’re not keen on joining the adulation of the English cricket team steer clear of British media for the next week. Paul Collingwood’s men have become the darlings of the nation, saviours of English cricket, restorers of national sporting pride, etc, etc.

It is the first time England have won an ICC competition but in South Africa the talk is curiously about whether it’s an English victory at all. ‘They say SA are chokers, we’ve just won the T20 world cup!’ says a friend. (Read more)