Munro smashes ton as West Indies fall apart
A winning season for Proteas is what counts
NEW Zealand’s master blaster Colin Munro attributed his record-setting century to sink the West Indies in the third Twenty20 in Mount Maunganui yesterday to a hit-and-hope philosophy. THE editor asked for “five things we want to see happen in South African cricket in 2018”. He can get them all in one – win‚ damn it. But seriously: 1. Win‚ damn it. Injuries and illness all around? No worries. The suits sound like they want to go to war with the players’ union? Doesn’t matter. Some lurid T20 tournament is getting in the way of everything else? Who cares.
Nothing puts a shine on even the messiest situation like winning.
If only it was that simple. This season‚ winning will mean beating India and Australia – a tough ask. 2. Please‚ Dale Steyn‚ stay fit. South Africa need Dale Steyn‚ and not only for his peerless fast bowling‚ rifle arm in the field‚ brave hitting and pugnacious brand of leadership.
Let’s be honest: we need Steyn to sustain our own interest beyond the runs and wickets of it all. In an age when cricketers are saddled with public personas that have popped out of the nearest cookie cutter‚ Steyn is worth listening to. 3. Keep the big boys around. It’s no secret that this summer’s franchise T20 tournament gave us the most watched domestic cricket in South Africa for a long time. Neither “I try and go out there and swing from ball one and see what happens,” he said after blazing 104 off 53 deliveries.
On the back of Munro’s heroics, New Zealand won the third Twenty20 by 119 runs to complete a sweep of the tour by the West Indies, having won both Tests, all three one-day internationals and two T20s. Munro became the first player to score three centuries in international T20s, going one clear of four other players, including the West Indies’ Chris Gayle.
The 30-year-old left-hander cracked 10 sixes and three fours.
New Zealand made 243 for five in their 20 overs and the West Indies’ reply ended at 124 for nine in 16.3 overs, with Shai Hope unable to bat after being injured while fielding.
Munro was named Man of the Series after scores of 53 and 104 in the two completed Twenty20s and 66 in the washed-out second match. The West Indies, desperate to get at least one win on the tour, tried every trick in their playbook but captain Carlos Brathwaite admitted Munro was too good. “He took the game away from us,” Brathwaite said.
Munro and Martin Guptill (63) put on 136 in 11 overs for New Zealand’s first wicket.
That included 16 off the first over by Rayad Emrit, who was making his T20 debut at the age of 36.
Munro continued until the first ball of the final over when he drove a Brathwaite full toss straight to Shimron Hetmyer at long on.
The West Indies reply began disastrously with both Chadwick Walton and Chris Gayle out without scoring in Tim Southee’s opening over.
From 80 for four after eight overs, the last five West Indies wickets fell for 44 runs in 51 balls. — AFP is it a secret why: the national players were involved.
That’s the only way to lend relevance to what has become an unloved but vital part of the landscape of the game in this country.
How to do that in the era of rampant professionalism‚ and considering South Africa’s currency is as soft as a pink ball that’s been through 80 overs‚ is the challenge. 4. Keep the suits in their box. Haroon Lorgat had his problems‚ not the least of them believing he could conjure a big money T20 tournament out of thin air. That is‚ without a broadcast deal or a headline sponsor.
But Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) former chief executive understood that cricket is nothing without cricketers‚ in every sense.
So it is worrying that the suits seem bent on a showdown with the South African Cricketers’ Association.
Someone – maybe even Lorgat – needs to sit them down and tell them that if too many players decide cricket in this country is no longer worth putting up with‚ CSA won’t have anything to sell. 5. Don’t lose to these bastards. The opposite of winning is never good for business‚ but losing to some teams hurts more than losing to others.
And nothing hurts more than going down to England‚ Australia and India.
We all know what happened in England this winter. Which takes us back to point No 1. — DDC