There are a few cracks, but they are not opening up. It looks a beautiful pitch to bat on and it should be a high-scoring one once again. As reckoned by Dominic Cork.
VENUE STATS
1st Innings
165Avg Runs
7Avg Wkts
143.08Avg
SR
2nd Innings
145Avg Runs
6Avg Wkts
138.26Avg
SR
Weather Update
Weather Update
Birmingham,England
Updated: 07 Jul 22:00
15.8°CClouds
few clouds
88%
Clouds
81%
Rain %
58%
Humidity
11.7 kmph
Wind
Playing XILineups Out
Which team will win?
SA-L
WI-XI
(Answer to see poll results)
Your input will be completely confidential and used in accordance with our privacy policy
Experts are creating their teams, watch this space
Venue Details
Edgbaston, Birmingham
There are a few cracks, but they are not opening up. It looks a beautiful pitch to bat on and it should be a high-scoring one once again. As reckoned by Dominic Cork.
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That's it from us for now. Hope you enjoyed the coverage. There's more cricket coming your way with Pakistan Champions taking on England Champions in around 15 minutes from now. Do join us for that. This is Bala and Bidipto Datta signing off. Good night!
Well, then. It was an entertaining match between the West Indies Champions and South Africa Champions with the momentum shifting from one side to the other. Dane Vilas helped the Proteas get to a competitive total, but Universe Boss once again proved that he has still got it. The Jamaican once again did his magic and took the team home.
Chris Gayle (West Indies Champions Captain and the Player of the Match): We needed a win, overall a good game. We started well with the ball, but South Africa came back well in the end. Again, we started well with the bat, but faltered in the middle after my wicket. But Chadwick did well to finish it off in the end. I'm not playing international cricket anymore, but the fans still expect to be entertained. There's some pressure. They want to see sixes and fours, not ones and twos. Glad that I got some runs and managed to please them.
Jacques Kallis (South Africa Champions captain): I was kind of forced into bowling today, due to the injuries but it was a much better performance. Unfortunate that we couldn't win. It was a tricky wicket, we hung in there but just could not get over the line. Neil McKenzie has been saying for years that he can bowl! But that was a great moment in the match with his son taking the catch of his bowling!
It is time now for the post-match presentation!
West Indies Champions win by 6 wickets with five balls to spare!
West Indies Champions 175/4 (19.1 overs) Chris Gayle 70(40) | Chadwick Walton 56*(29) Vernon Philander 2/27(4) | Neil McKenzie 1/22 (2)
There was a span of 10-15 minutes in the chase when it felt that South Africa Champions had a chance, but that was all they had in the end. West Indies Champions were too good for them today. They were ahead right from the outset and completed the run-chase almost clinically.
Early wickets were key for South Africa, especially that of Chris Gayle, but it did not come their way. The opening stand of 65 runs between Gayle and Dwayne Smith set the foundation for the chase. While Gayle timed the ball right from the first one he faced, Smith took some time to get going. But the start that they gave at the top proved to be crucial in the end.
Gayle continued to punish anything that was in his zone, clearing the boundary six times in that innings. With the spinners dictating the terms in the first innings, Imran Tahir was going to be the key for South Africa, but Gayle dominated him throughout his spell. The innings of 70 from just 40 balls was well enough to take his team to the driver's seat.
Chadwick Walton, who came in at three, gave Gayle good company. He did not get a lot of the strike while Gayle was in the middle. He also saw three wickets falling in the space of just 8 runs. That was the time it felt like the Proteas were crawling back into the game. But Walton just didn't allow it to. He stepped on the gas and, along with Kirk Edwards, and smacked 30 runs off overs 17 and 18 ensuring that any kind of pressure that might have been there was negated. His knock of 56* from 29 balls ensured that West Indies crossed the finishing line unscathed.
Vernon Philander had a tough couple of games leading into today's match. But he was kind of a lone warrior with the ball for South Africa. While all the bowlers traveled around the park, his twin wickets in the middle-overs gave them some kind of hope. But it was quite too much to ask for to defend the total without much support from the rest of the pack.
19.1 Dale Steyn to Chadwick Walton, SIX RUNS! AND WEST INDIES CHAMPIONS PICK UP THEIR FIRST WIN! Back of a length around off-stump. Clubbed off the back foot well over wide long-on for a maximum with the front leg cleared!
Just 6 runs required off the final over. Dale Steyn [3.0-0-23-0] will bowl it.
Walton was trying to finish it off quickly there, but just couldn't time the ball in that over. They ensured that the singles kept coming though.
19
overs
169/4score
1
1
1lb
1
2
1
runs
Chadwick Walton*
50(28)
Kirk Edwards
12(9)
Vernon Philander
2/27
18.6 Vernon Philander to Chadwick Walton, short on leg-stump. Tucked away to the deep mid-wicket area off the back foot for a single. 50 for Walton now!
18.5 Vernon Philander to Chadwick Walton, length ball around off-stump with pace taken off. Smacked around off the back foot to the left of deep mid-wicket for a couple more runs.
18.4 Vernon Philander to Kirk Edwards, back of a length around off-stump. Hoicked around to the long-on area from the back foot for a single.
18.3 Vernon Philander to Chadwick Walton, back of a length on leg-stump. A heave attempted off the back foot but missed. However, they end up taking a leg-bye to the left of the keeper.
18.2 Vernon Philander to Kirk Edwards, good length ball around off-stump. Hoisted over the in-field from the back foot by backing away, for just a single to long-on!
18.1 Vernon Philander to Chadwick Walton, over the wicket, good length ball on off-stump. Inside-edged to the mid-wicket area off the back foot for a single here.
Vernon Philander [3.0-0-21-2] comes back into the attack. Just 13 runs required off the final two overs.
Langeveldt tried to take the pace off the ball, but you can't bowl it halfway down the track. It was just bread and butter for the batters.
18
overs
162/4score
1
1
6
1
2
6
runs
Kirk Edwards*
10(7)
Chadwick Walton
46(24)
Charl Langeveldt
1/30
17.6 Charl Langeveldt to Kirk Edwards, SIX RUNS! Back of a length slower ball around off-stump. Powered away off the back foot from the meat of the blade over cow corner!