A force of nature

25 February 2015 - 02:27 By Telford Vice in Canberra
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West Indies' Chris Gayle celebrates scoring the first-ever World Cup double century.
West Indies' Chris Gayle celebrates scoring the first-ever World Cup double century.

Even a real storm was no match for the force of nature that was Chris Gayle at Manuka Oval in Canberra yesterday.

A thunderstorm worthy of Johannesburg doing its worst soaked Canberra on Monday night - but it was Gayle who was lightning in a bottle.

The Jamaican ripped the record book to shreds in the West Indies' World Cup match against Zimbabwe, scoring a smashing 215 runs - the highest ever in a World Cup match and the highest by a West Indian in a one-day international.

Gayle's 16 sixes equalled the amount of sixes AB de Villiers made when he scored 149 off 44 balls against the Windies at the Wanderers last month.

Watching yet another six soar over the fence, commentator Shaun Pollock said: "It's got to that point where the fielders are becoming spectators and the spectators are becoming fielders."

The stand of 372 Gayle shared with Marlon Samuels - who quietly scored 133 not out - is the biggest in ODI history for any wicket by any team. That took the West Indies to a total of 372/2, their highest in the 372 ODIs they have played.

Then Gayle took 2/35 as Zimbabwe succumbed for 289 - 73 runs shy of their revised target of 363.

In the 3612 ODIs that have been played, Gayle's was only the fifth double century.

Sachin Tendulkar was the first to reach the milestone when he made 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior on February 24 2010 - five years ago to the day. India's Rohit Sharma has twice reached a double century in an ODI.

Yet Gayle would not have scored a single run on the day if the first ball that was bowled his way by Tinashe Panyangara struck his pads marginally lower. Gayle said: "Call it a big relief when I was given not out."

Gayle was also caught off a no-ball on 121 and off the free hit that followed, and to hear him tell it he should not have been able to swing a bat in anger at all much less score his first century in 20 ODI innings.

Referring to a persisting back injury that caused him to wince as he sat down for a press conference, Gayle said: "It's been a year and a couple of months since I've been playing with an injury."

Radar projections showed an angry mass of thunder and lightning headed straight for the Australian federal capital and set to arrive early in the match.

Light drizzle duly fell through most of West Indies' innings and indeed the match, but as the storm proper loomed overhead it split into two chunks of cloud and neatly skirted the city on both sides.

For once, the Gayle blowing on the ground was more dangerous than the one high above.

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