Sunday, August 31, 2014

The Cricket World Cup - Memorable Performances…..9 : Excerpt from ‘The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011’ by Indra Vikram Singh

HAYDEN SETS NEW MARK 
FOR QUICKEST HUNDRED

Warner Park, Basseterre  •  24 March 2007


Conditions were perfect, with a flat batting track and short boundaries. Matthew Hayden was not one to miss out, and he launched a blitzkrieg right from the start. He bludgeoned the South African bowlers, racing to the fastest century in the World Cup off a mere 66 deliveries, one less than Canada’s John Davison in 2003. Hayden lofted Graeme Smith for a straight six in the 23rd over to claim the coveted record. Australia went on to post their highest World Cup total of 377 for six.
           
Adam Gilchrist was in an equally belligerent mood, and the duo motored along at 7 runs per over. They posted a century stand before Gilchrist was dismissed for a run-a-ball 42. The partnership was worth 106 in 14.5 overs. Ricky Ponting kept up the momentum as Hayden went on the rampage, putting on 61 off 51 deliveries.

Hayden straight-drove the first ball he received to the boundary off Shaun Pollock. He lost the strike for a while but made up for it as Pollock came on to bowl the fifth over. He square-cut the first ball fiercely to the boundary, then danced down the wicket to the third and smote it over mid-wicket for a six. The next delivery was pitched up on the off stump and Hayden slammed it high over long-on for another six. 

It took Hayden just 37 balls to bring up his fifty as he drove Andrew Hall to the long-off boundary. In Hall’s next over he glanced one to the fine-leg boundary and blasted the next over long-off for a six. Hayden then rocketed 3 fours in a Charl Langeveldt over. He was on 94 off 65 balls as Smith floated in his off-spinner. Hayden smashed it over the bowler’s head and beyond the ropes to take the record away from Davison. In the next over bowled by Jacques Kallis, Hayden cut one straight into the hands of Herschelle Gibbs. He had sent the crowd into raptures with his 101 off 68 deliveries, having hit 14 fours and 4 sixes. It was one of the most fierce displays power hitting that left the Proteas shell-shocked.

Ponting and Michael Clarke then posted a mammoth 161-run partnership in 130 balls, both scoring quickfire nineties. Ponting got a-run-a-ball 91 with 8 fours and 2 sixes, bringing up his 10,000 runs in One-day Internationals. Clarke was even more belligerent, hitting 92 off 75 deliveries, including 7 fours and 4 sixes, Smith and Abraham de Villiers raised a 160-run opening stand for South Africa in a matter of 21 overs. De Villiers hit up 92 in 70 deliveries with 14 fours and 2 sixes. Kallis too joined the party. But as the wickets began to fall, with chinaman bowler Brad Hogg inflicting the most damage, South Africa continued to hurtle downhill and were beaten by 83 runs.  

Despite the big hitting by the other batsmen, everything paled in comparison to Hayden’s awesome knock. Clive Lloyd’s record of the fastest World Cup hundred off 82 balls in the 1975 final stood for 28 years until it was shot down by a long way by the rampaging willow of Davison in 2003. In the 2007 tournament as many as three batsmen, Hayden, Gilchrist and Virender Sehwag scored quicker hundreds than the former West Indies skipper, and one, Brad Hodge, equalled him. This was clearly a sign of the times and an indication of how dramatically the game has changed in the last few years.

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011

ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3

Distributed in India by Variety Book Depot, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Phones + 91 11 23417175, 23412567

Available in leading bookshops, and online on several websites.



No comments:

Post a Comment