South Africa beat West Indies in pulsating encounter
South Africa 282/8 (Makwetu 99, Pillay 47) beat West Indies 206 (Athanze 76, Kallicharan 44; Rolfes 4/33) by 76 runs
A controversial ‘obstructing the field’ decision set social media ablaze during the first innings of South Africa’s clash against West Indies, but there was much else to enjoy besides in a thrilling clash.
The dismissal of Jiveshan Pillay was the decision in question, the batsman given out obstructing the field after throwing a motionless ball to West Indies keeper and captain Emmanuel Stewart, who then appealed.
Some felt the West Indies’ decision to appeal went against ‘the spirit of cricket’, others that while it remained within the rules they were within their rights to appeal. Others still felt that the rule itself needed changing, while another camp argued that if batsmen just stuck to the rules as they are, we wouldn’t have any controversy. To his credit, Stewart came out after the game and said if he could have his time again, he would withdraw his appeal.
The South Africa was given out for obstructing the field.
But while all the tongue-wagging was going on off-field, there was some highly competitive action taking place on it, the game fluctuating and refusing to commit until the last, when it swung decisively South Africa’s way.
The margin makes the result look comfortable; in reality it was anything but. The game appeared to be headed South Africa's way when West Indies slumped to 87/4, three catches going to gloveman Wandile Makwetu, who, one late drop aside, enjoyed an excellent all-round day.
However, Alick Athanaze and Kirstan Kallicharan dragged their side back into contention with a 90-run partnership, by the end of which West Indies' total was dovetailing with the DLS-par score. Athanaze's was the top score, but Kallicharan's 44 was the true gem. The 18-year-old's hero, the player he tries to emulate is Virat Kohli, and with his desire, and punched drives over cover there is a resemblance.
But his dismissal, pinned in front by Hermann Rofles - South Africa's hero with the ball - was the start of a collapse of 6/29 from 177/4 to 206 all out, West Indies risking their wickets in the face of an ever-climbing asking rate.
The slightly muted ending hardly did justice to the high-calibre of cricket on show throughout the day, which begun with West Indies looking the more likely to claim victory as they bowled and fielded excellently during South Africa's first 25 overs.
Leading the way was Jarion Hoyte, who completed a stunning caught-and-bowled, palming a firmly struck Matthew Breetzke drive up in the air and diving to grab the rebound, before adding an excellent run out, his direct hit catching Raynard van Tonder short despite a full-length drive. The South African captain came into this game having scored 143 in his previous innings against Kenya, and the moment felt crucial, especially when another run out, of Jason Niemand, reduced South Africa to 112/5 with more than half the innings gone.
But if the first half of the innings was West Indies, the second half, and certainly the last 10 overs, belonged to South Africa. They added 122 from the start of the 41st over, and 58 in the last three, pushing their total into the realms of the just-above-par.
No.5 Wandile Makwetu provided much of the rebuilding and the acceleration with a high-quality innings, perhaps the best we’ve seen at this tournament. South Africa could have easily lost themselves in feeling angry at the world, but he dragged them out of any budding malaise caused by the contentious decision. The innings was perfectly timed, his first 50 coming off 77 balls and his second 49 off 22, the knock full of invention, chutzpah, and lower-order shepherding, as well as no little timing and skill.
He finished 99 not out, striking his last two balls to the fence to narrowly miss out on a hundred, but it was worth much more. In the furore created by Pillay’s dismissal the knock may well be forgotten. It deserves not to be.