Chris Gayle's 117 in 2007 - ICC World T20 gold - Opinion
It comes to no one’s surprise that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/CH-Gayle-c1221 is considered to be the ‘Don Bradman’ of T20 cricket. His thunderous hitting and penchant for depositing sixes into the stand with elegant ease, have made him the best batsman in the world in the shortest format
of the game. His stroke play is based upon the simplest of techniques, where a high bat lift is supplemented with a whish of the hands. The bowlers he smacks often get nightmares when they return back to their hotel lobbies. Yet there was one moment that defined
the Chris Gayle that the world sees today and sparked his rise into the international T20 Arena. It was an innings of sheer ferocity at Johannesburg, where a score of 117 in just 57 deliveries, revealed so little, in what was a flabbergasting display of power
hitting. Fittingly, it was the first match of the inaugural http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, which eventually set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 were up against hosts South Africa for the tournament opener at the Wanderers Stadium. On a magnificent batting wicket, the Proteas won the toss and sent the Windies into bat. It proved to be a controversial and audacious decision in the
end. On a lively Joburg wicket, Chris Gayle hammered some of the thriftiest bowlers in the South African line up with impunity. The first over, bowled by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shaun-Maclean-Pollock-c89847, was characterized by a powerful cut shot for a boundary through backward point which signaled
his intentions early on. The likes of Pollock, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/M-Morkel-c73528 were all taken to the cleaners as Gayle galloped towards what was the first hundred in T20 cricket at that point of time. His was characteristic of punchy back
foot play, towering sixes over the leg side and incredible timing, all of which had a Calypso flavor. South Africa was left clueless in that game as their notoriety for producing some great bowlers under pressure faded away into the distance. The West Indies
charged to 205 for just 6 wickets in 20 overs, which was then the highest score in T20 history. It was the Gayle factor, as acknowledged by the opposition with a gulp.
Chris Gayle’s calmness was possibly reflected in his still head and amazing hand eye coordination. It seemed plausible to believe that despite his flashy stroke play for the first five overs, he would eventually succumb to the South African bowlers who were
bowling in good areas. Yet Gayle was on a mission to not only decimate the figures of the bowlers but also to ensure that they were well and truly drilled out of the game. He was partially successful with securing that ambition, yet wickets kept on tumbling
at the other end, which deprived him of much needed support. At one stage it looked as if the Wanderers could be treated to another run fiesta that was witnessed in 2006, when South Africa chased down a record breaking score of 434 in fifty over versus http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746.
There was room for disappointment this time, as the innings was derailed in the end but a score of 205 looked more than formidable if not out of reach for South Africa.
Perhaps South Africa’s reply was even more extravagant as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/HH-Gibbs-c1549 smashed a magnificent 90 runs which sealed the deal in an astonishing 17.4 overs. The West Indies eventually bowed out of the tournament with that loss and the subsequent one to minnows
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747. Yet that innings of ferocity by Gayle with a distinct Jamaican touch would arguably go down as the greatest T20 innings that was ever played. The only thing that could be said about it was that it wasn’t a match winning effort. Otherwise, it symbolized
what the T20 format had to offer in the years to come.
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