– but Parnell’s top 10 bowling performance see S/Africa home
LONDON, June CMC – Lendl Simmons belted 77 from 50 balls, but one of the Top-10 bowling performances in Twenty20 Internationals from Wayne Parnell undermined West Indies, and helped South Africa fashion a 20-run victory in the Twenty20 World Cup yesterday.
A target of 184 from their allocation of 20 overs was always going to be a challenge for West Indies in their second Group-E match of the Super Eights at The Oval.
Simmons struck 12 fours and a six and anchored the batting, but it all came apart at the seams for West Indies under the weight of left-arm fast bowler Parnell’s four wickets for 13 runs from his allotment of four overs.
The result leaves West Indies in second place in the group on two points – two behind the unbeaten South Africans – and they must now beat hosts England tomorrow for the first time in the two months they have spent there in their final Super Eight match at the same venue to guarantee a place in the semifinals.
No West Indies batsman other than Simmons passed 20, and Dwayne Bravo with 19, and Sulieman Benn with 13 not out were the only others to reach double figures.
West Indies fought back well in the closing overs to restrict South Africa, after Herschelle Gibbs hit the top score of 55 from 35 balls, Jacques Kallis made 45 from 31 balls, and Graeme Smith got 31 from 18 balls to give the Proteas a flourishing start.
Jerome Taylor was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with three wickets for 30 runs from his four overs.
But West Indies were set back early in their chase, when Parnell removed big-hitting openers Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, and Andre Fletcher cheaply.
Fletcher slogged, missed, and was bowled in the second over for his second duck in as many matches and days, and Gayle was caught at mid-on for five, when he chipped a delivery to a fielder strategically placed there in the fourth over to leave West Indies 13 for two.
Bravo joined Simmons, and they got West Indies moving with a rollicking stand of 57 from 34 balls which included an over from Kallis, when they took 18 runs which included four fours.
But Bravo, moving down the pitch, tried to clear long-off with the lofted off-drive he has now perfected, and was caught just inside the boundary off left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe in the ninth over.
Simmons reached his 50 from 31 balls, when he guided a delivery from van der Merwe square into the off-side for a single in the 11th over, but Shivnarine Chanderpaul, clearly out of touch, gave a return catch to Jean-Paul Duminy off the leading edge in the next over to leave West Indies 91 for four.
Simmons continued to dominate, when Sarwan arrived at the crease, and they added 42 from 29 balls, but the match was swung decisively South Africa’s way, when they were both dismissed off successive deliveries.
Simmons, essaying a lofted drive, was caught at long-off from the last ball of the 16th over, bowled by van der Merwe, and Sarwan going inside-out at the first ball of the 17th over from Dale Steyn was caught on the deep cover boundary for eight.
At this stage, West Indies required 51 from 23 balls, but Parnell snuffed the life out a rearguard action, when had Kieron Pollard caught at mid-off for six, and bowled Jerome Taylor two balls later for a one-ball duck in the 18th over.
Steyn and van der Merwe ended with the identical figures of two for 30 from their four overs.
Earlier, West Indies were put on their heels, when Kallis and Smith put on 54 for the first wicket for South Africa inside the first six overs.
Benn claimed Smith with the penultimate ball of the sixth over, when he had him caught at backward point.
But West Indies continued to feel the pinch, when Gibbs came to the crease, and batted with typical flourish to add 51 for the second wicket before Kallis was caught at long-on off Simmons in the 12th over.
Things appeared to be running away from West Indies, as Gibbs raced to his 50 from 33 balls, and AB de Villiers batted with typical aplomb.
Pollard however, had Gibbs caught at mid-wicket in the 15th over, and South Africa would lose wickets at regular periods in the closing overs, as they chased quick runs.
Taylor made it more difficult, when he had de Villiers caught at extra cover for 17, and bowled Albie Morkel for 10 in the space of five balls in the 17th over.
Fidel Edwards had Duminy caught at deep fine leg for a one-ball duck in the 18th over, and Taylor completed his work when van der Merwe was caught behind for one.
