Proteas target Gayle By Zaahier Adams ‘GET some runs. I need some runs for West Indies.” This was the ominous warning Christopher Henry Gayle sent out before the start of the on-going Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom. Arguably the biggest crowd puller in limited-overs cricket now that Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar has retired from both short formats, the strapping Jamaican has not quite lived up to his promise yet. He has had solid starts against the two Asian giants, Pakistan and India, but without converting form into anything substantial. Taking all this into account, it would be fair to suggest that Gayle, like a lion targeting his prey from a distance, has the Proteas firmly in his sights when they meet in a virtual “quarter-final” here in the Welsh capital tomorrow. It is a winner-takes-all scenario, with the victors joining India from Group B in the semifinals next week. “There is no doubt it is a big game. And these big games are usually about the team who do the basic disciplines well. When I talk about basic disciplines, I am talking about limiting extras, batting through to the 50th over. This is crucial in the one-day game and we will be emphasising this over the next two days. South Africa are generally a very disciplined side, but we can beat anybody on our day,” Proteas coach-elect Russell Domingo, who will succeed Gary Kirsten after this Champions Trophy, said yesterday. But what about Gayle, surely he is the significant figure standing between South Africa and progression to their first Champions Trophy semi-final since 2006-07? Ironically, it was that very game in Jaipur when the Gayle-force struck to blow the Proteas out at the semi-final stage yet again with a blistering 133 not out. The powerful left-hander reaped the fruits of a blissful Indian summer, with the triple-figure score being his second successive century and also third of the tournament to top the highest run-scorers list – an accolade he still holds overall today. In recent years, though, the Proteas have had the upper hand over Gayle. He has not registered a century against South Africa since that Nagpur semi-final – that is an absence of almost seven years – which clarifies a damning statistic that also shows that the Windies have not defeated the Proteas in 13 one-day games. The successful strategies employed against Gayle have been well-researched and executed with precision on the day, none more so than when the Proteas broke away from their orthodox method of opening with fast bowlers for spinner Johan Botha to take the new ball when these two teams met in the 2011 World Cup. Botha sent Gayle back to the pavilion after three balls. Will there be a similar plan or will South Africa’s brainstrust pull another rabbit out of the hat tomorrow? “Obviously Gayle is a big-game player,” Domingo said. “A lot will depend on what the conditions will be like (tomorrow morning). If it is overcast and grey, then maybe it might not be necessary to open the bowling with a spinner, but we’ll have to assess that on the day. “We know that if we get Gayle early, it will be a big blow to the Windies’ morale.” It is unlikely that South Africa will play three spinners, like in their last game against Pakistan, which could see Aaron Phangiso possibly making way for Dale Steyn’s return. The world’s No1 fast bowler bowled at training, albeit off a shortened run-up because of the constant drizzle that fell throughout practice yesterday. “Dale is progressing quite well, he came through his net session today without any discomfort. If he comes through net practice (today) he should be available for selection,” South African team doctor and manager Mohammed Moosajee said yesterday. - The Star
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:09:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015