Rain the big winner in one-off T20

Cricket365
March 30, 2012

India flew more than 6 000km to take part in a one-off Twenty20 in honour of Jacques Kallis, but the match lasted just 27.5 overs and South Africa came out on top thanks to the Duckworth/Lewis method.

The game was shaping up for a good finish after the visitors made an excellent start in their reply to South Africa's 219 for four, but the heavens opened up when they were on 71 without loss after 7.5 overs. The rain never relented and the match was called off with India 11 runs short of the D/L par score.

Gautam Gambhir was the man who got India's chase off to a flyer as he smashed 49 from 28 balls while the recalled Robin Uthappa was unbeaten on 18 from 19 balls. Sadly for the two openers, their efforts were not enough.

Earlier, man of the evening Kallis and Colin Ingram's century partnership laid the foundations for an imposing total from the Proteas.

Richard Levi provided the early fireworks with 19 from seven balls to get South Africa up and running, but Irfan Pathan got the better of him as he steered one that angled across him to first slip.

From then on it was the Kallis and Ingram show as they took several Indian bowlers to the cleaners. Ingram was first to bring up his half-century from 38 balls, but Kallis went to the milestone in the next over from 36 balls.

They shared a second-wicket partnership of 119 from 80 balls to push the hosts over the 130-run mark.

Kallis's knock of 61 from 42 balls finally came to an end when his slog sweep from spinner Ravichandran Ashwin failed to clear the rope and Rohit Sharma took the catch on the ropes.

Ingram continued the onslaught and made 79 from 50 balls before he holed out to long on.

Ferhaan Behardien, one of two South African debutants with the other being wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, finished unbeaten on 20 while Justin Ontong smashed 22 from seven balls and Albie Morkel chipped in with 16 from three balls.