Andre Russell toasted his match-winning innings with his first beer for a month, deservedly so after making 64 in 40 balls to see West Indies home in a thrilling one-wicket victory that finally got his side on the board in this series after three heavy defeats.
Andre Russell played an innings to saviour for the West Indies © AFP read more about Andre Russell here.
West Indian cricketers would be sober men indeed if they waited for ODI victories before having a drink but they finally had a performance to open a bottle to in Port Elizabeth, with Russell providing the coup de grace.
Arriving at the crease with 97 needed from 83 balls, Russell smashed five fours and five sixes to chase down 263 with nine balls to spare.
“This is something special,” Russell said. “I haven’t had a beer in like a month now and I am going to have a beer tonight. Everyone played from ball one today. It’s very important for us. Every win is something special in international cricket. And everyone was expecting us to keep losing and South Africa to turn up in all five games and win, so this is very good.” [Read more]
SCORES
SOUTH AFRICA
- +M van Wyk c wkp Ramdin b Cottrell 18
- R Rossouw c Sammy b Cottrell 4
- F du Plessis c wkp Ramdin b Holder 4
- *AB de Villiers c wkp Ramdin b Russell 19
- D Miller not out 130
- JP Duminy c & b Sammy 43
- F Behardien b Holder 12
- W Parnell b Holder 12
- A Phangiso c Johnson b Holder 0
- K Abbott not out 1
- Extras (lb2, w17) 19
TOTAL (8 wkts, 50 overs) 262
Did not bat: M Morkel
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Rossouw, 2.2 overs), 2-32 (du Plessis, 6), 3-32 (van Wyk, 6.2), 4-76 (de Villiers, 14.4), 5-166 (Duminy, 36.4), 6-196 (Behardien, 42.1), 7-259 (Parnell, 49.2), 8-259 (Phangiso, 49.3)
Bowling: Cottrell 6-0-39-2 (w3), Holder 10-1-53-4 (w2), Russell 10-1-60-1, Sammy 10-1-46-1 (w1), Brathwaite 10-1-39-0 (w3), Samuels 3-0-19-0, Gayle 1-0-4-0.
WEST INDIES
- D Smith b Morkel 0
- C Gayle c Behardien b Duminy 10
- L Johnson run out 18
- M Samuels b Behardien 68
- +D Ramdin lbw b Behardien 3
- J Carter run out 5
- D Sammy c de Villiers b Parnell 51
- A Russell not out 64
- *J Holder c Miller b Duminy 13
- C Brathwaite run out 11
- S Cottrell not out 1
- Extras (b4, lb3, w14, nb1) 22
TOTAL (9 wkts, 48.3 overs) 266
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Smith, 0.3 overs), 2-12 (Gayle, 6.1), 3-41 (Johnson, 13.5), 4-48 (Ramdin, 15.5), 5-73 (Carter, 20.5), 6-166 (Sammy, 36.1), 7-189 (Samuels, 39.2), 8-218 (Holder, 43), 9-239 (Brathwaite, 47.1)
Bowling: Morkel 9-1-58-1 (w7, nb1), Abbott 9.3-1-62-0 (w1), Duminy 6-0-29-2 (w1), Phangiso 10-1-41-0 (w2), Parnell 10-0-48-1 (w2), Behardien 4-0-21-2 (w1).
Result: West Indies won by one wicket.
Series: South Africa lead five-match series 3-1.
Man-of-the-Match: Andre Russell.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: S Davis, S George; TV – S Ravi.
Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/sports/windies-end-nine-year-losing-streak-win-sa#ixzz3Q0KOvktE