Tony Becca

THE WEST Indies have not yet turned the corner - at least not as far as Test cricket is concerned.

Based on their performance in the ICC Champions Trophy, however, they are going well in the limited-over version of the game - so much so that they are now probably half-way through it.

After defeating Australia and India to reach the semi-finals, the West Indies defeated South Africa in Jaipur yesterday to reach the final. In fact, they not only defeated South Africa as much as they whipped them - and in style at that.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, South Africa left the West Indies a winning target of 259 off their allotted 50 overs - a target that in any limited-overs contest of 50 overs and on any kind of pitch is usually quite formidable.

In a beautiful display of batting, however, the West Indies, with opening batsmen Christopher Gayle, 133 not out off 135 deliveries, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 57 retired hurt off 70 deliveries, leading the way, sprinted to 262 for four off 44 overs and in the process ticked off an easy victory.

Gayle, batting like a man obsessed, started the assault with two front-foot straight drives in the first over bowled by Shaun Pollock, Chanderpaul followed with two front-foot drives through the offside off Makhaya Ntini, and by the time the scoreboard read 75 without loss off 10 overs, the pair of left-handers had smashed eight fours and two sixes with Gayle driving Pollock straight for one of the sixes and Chanderpaul going inside and flicking fast bowler Andre Nel over mid-wicket for the second.

Dominated bowlers

West Indies' Marlon Samuels dives to stop a ball during their semi-final match against South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy in Jaipur yesterday. - Reuters

After that, although they eased off the pedal somewhat, Gayle and Chanderpaul totally dominated the South African bowlers who, for most of the innings, looked out of their depth.

As well as Gayle and Chanderpaul batted, however, what was impressive about the West Indies, what really suggested that they were well into the corner, was their fielding.

With Dwayne Smith on one side of the pitch and Dwayne Bravo on the other, with Ramnaresh Sarwan and captain Brian Lara on either side of the pitch but closer in, and with Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels and Runako Morton patrolling the boundary, the West Indies were brilliant.

The West Indies yesterday reminded of the days when Gary Sobers was at slip, Rohan Kanhai, Conrad Hunte and Joe Solomon in the covers, the days when Clive Lloyd was in the covers, and also the days when the likes of Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge and Lawrence Rowe were in the slips, when Joel Garner or Roy Fredericks was at gully, when Viv Richards and Roger Harper were in the covers, when Gus Logie and Faoud Bacchus were matching skills with their seniors, and when Michael Holding raced around the boundary like a 400-metre sprinter.

The West Indies yesterday not only looked confident in the field. They were also brilliant as they chased every ball to the edge of the boundary, dived to save a run or two and, after picking it up, returned the ball into wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh's gloves with some accurate throws.

Lara's direct hit to run out the dangerous-looking A.B. de Villiers at the non-striker's end was a perfect example of the quality of the West Indies in the field - and so too were two catches by Sarwan.

It is now West Indies versus Australia in Mumbai on Sunday, and although the odds may now be slightly on Australia to win, even though the West Indies lost to England in the last match in the group stage, and although, as they did against India, they suffered in a few hiccups yesterday before strolling to victory, based on their performance against Australia and India in the group stage of the contest, and on the performance yesterday, only a fool, or a born gambler, would bet against the defending champions.