West Indies record a win at last
Ken Borland
16 December 1998
THE West Indies recorded the first win of their troubled tour of
South Africa yesterday with a resounding eight-wicket victory
over a lacklustre Natal XI that failed to compete much to the
disappointment of a capacity crowd at the Chatsworth Oval.
After skipper Jonty Rhodes had decided to bat first on a benign
pitch that had enough early moisture from overnight showers to
delay the start by 50 minutes, the Natal XI were bundled out for
just 120.
The selection of these ``development'' Natal teams is going to
require more thought in future with none of the players of colour
drafted into the team showing the ability to play against
top-class opposition.
The only entertainment provided by the home side for the crowd of
nearly 10000 came from Andrew Hudson, who made batting look easy
on a slow and low pitch. The elegant former international opener
stroked his way to a classy 38 off 50 balls, with five
sweetly-struck boundaries, before being run out by young batting
partner Bongani Zibane when his call for a bye was ignored.
Apart from Hudson's cameo effort and dogged resistance from
bowlers Robbie MacQueen (23) and Desigan Reddy (18), it was an
ignominous batting effort by Natal.
The tourists' new-ball bowlers, Nixon McLean (three for 25) and
Franklyn Rose (three for 21), ripped away the top-order and the
contest was effectively over after just 12 overs, with Natal 39
for five.
Having been dismissed in just 39.4 overs, Natal had to bowl nine
overs to the West Indians before lunch, which was taken with the
tourists on 23 without loss. Any hopes of somehow turning 120
into a winning score were quickly dispelled after the break as
Clayton Lambert went on the rampage against a moderate attack.
By the 14th over the West Indies 50 was up, Lambert lofting
off-spinner MacQueen for two big sixes over long-off. The opener
with the bizarre stance then went to his own half-century with a
sensational assault on Reddy. The 19-year-old medium-pacer, the
darling of the Chatsworth crowd, went over on his ankle after his
second delivery and, after treatment, watched in disbelief as
Lambert struck the remaining balls of his first over for three
fours and a six.
Although Reddy came back well to dismiss both Lambert (58) and
Darren Ganga (3), opener Junior Murray, who has hardly played
since arriving on tour, guided the West Indies home with 46 not
out.
While the West Indies will be relieved to get their first win
under their belts, the match did little for the Natal team in
terms of uncovering new talent. Probably the biggest plus of the
day was the tremendous response of the Chatsworth community in
supporting the game.
The West Indians won't be the last touring team to play at the
picturesque Chatsworth Oval, with Ali Bacher announcing during
the match that he will recommend to his United Cricket Board of
South Africa executive that one-day internationals and possibly
even World Cup 2003 fixtures are played at the venue in future.
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