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Jaipur, Nov 1: Title holders West Indies bank on their batsmen against the formidable pace attack of South Africa in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy here tomorrow. Having lost their last league match to England, the Caribbeans, who had come through the qualifying stage, would have to put up a inspired show against Graeme Smith's outfit which has steamrolled opponents like Pakistan and Sri Lanka to make their way to the last four. Both teams have relied heavily on their fast bowlers in the championship so far and with the Jaipur track looking to offer help to new-ball bowlers, pacers should rule the roost again.
The onus will certainly be on the batsmen on both sides to come good, and more so for the West Indies line-up which has cracked in crunch situations. West Indies had almost made a mess of their run chase against India but Brian Lara would draw solace from Chris Gayle's century at the top of the order in the last match against England. The South African pace attack led by Makhaya Ntini has worked wonders so far and Smith will hope to exploit the chinks in the West Indies armour. South Africa shrugged off their loss to New Zealand in the first match and steadied their game from then on.
West Indies have taken most by surprise by their showing in the mini World Cup so far and barring a glitch here and there, the team has looked like beating any side on their day. Gayle has been at the forefront of their resurgence with the dashing opener excelling both with the bat and the ball. With 302 runs, inclusive of two tons, and eight wickets in his kitty, he has shown that success cannot elude a player if he sticks to the basics. Gayle appeared confident when he said he would look to give another good start to his team.
"It is very pleasing to be among runs. We know what to expect tomorrow. South Africa have won their last two games and they were quite impressive," said the 27-year-old Jamaican. "They will come hard at us but we are also prepared." Also contributing to West Indies' success has been the inspirational leadership of Brian Lara who took the field in the game against India despite suffering from a back spasm. That he came down the order and could not do much with the bat was of little significance as his mere presence inspired the team to upset the Indian applecart and assure themselves of a place in the semi-final.
Although West Indies lost their last league match against England, it counted for little. By their own admission, the defeat did not come as a "major setback" to the players. South Africa too would be keen to add a major title to their kitty after their World Cup disappointments. Significantly, they won the inaugural edition of the Champions Trophy by beating none other than the West Indies in 1998 in Dhaka. (Agencies)
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