ST KITTS: Reaction of Captains for South Africa and The Netherlands crickets squads to their opening round match

Record ID: 452260

  • Title: ST KITTS: Reaction of Captains for South Africa and The Netherlands crickets squads to their opening round match
  • Date: 18th March 2007
  • Summary: (SP01)ST KITTS (MARCH 14, 2007) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HERSCHELLE GIBBS SAYING: "I'd seen Brian Charles Lara hit a few (sixes) in test match cricket and thought I could do something similar. Today happened to be that day," (SOUNDBITE) (English) HERSCHELLE GIBBS SAYING: "Obvously I've got to thank Graham and Jacquees for building the foundation that they did you know that wouldn't have allowed me to have the dip that I did a a lot of praise have to go to them. Records do happen. Its just your day you know.... (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAPTAIN GRAEME SMITH SAYING: "I guess there were a few comments that maybe the world record was on again you know the way we were going there with another ten overs and you still have Kemp and Pollock sitting there. We were faced with a fourty over game today and I think we did fantasicly well. I'm very chuffed that most of our guys got a hit out today.Bowlers got a good workout and we were pretty good in the field so I'm pretty chuffed." (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAPTAIN GRAEME SMITH SAYING: "We'll have a nice relaxing day tomorrow and tomorrow night we'll do some video analysis for our game against Scotland.we're got some footage on them and we'll move into our training session before the game. We'd like to get a good result there and them move on to the Australian game which is the one we're really looking forward to. " (SOUNDBITE) (English) DUTCH CAPTAIN LUUK VAN TROOST SAYING: "What can we say its a nightmare. Before the game we said let's make history today by beating South Africa.We made history but not by beating them. Six sixes in an over. What can we do. Hide in our rooms? we have to take the positives out of it."
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2007 13:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAATS4M87BGLB41YCC6OKPB10YG
  • Story Text: Herschelle Gibbs had a history making batting performance in their World Cup opener in St Kitts.
    South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs created World Cup history when he smashed six sixes in an over in a crushing victory over the Netherlands in their Group A match on Friday.
    On a record-breaking day for the South Africans who steamrollered the outclassed Dutch by 221 runs, Gibbs became the first player to pile up 36 runs in a one-day international over.
    After hammering leg spinner Daan Van Bunge back over his head four times and over the ropes on the on-side twice, he also became the third man ever to complete the feat at elite level.
    India's Ravi Shastri and West Indian Garfield Sobers had achieved the record in first class cricket.
    Gibbs told a news conference.
    "The last two balls landed in the right areas for me to have a go and luckily I didn't miscue either of them. If the ball's in the right place I'll try anything."
    The lopsided result, though, will once again have raised questions about the International Cricket Council's decision to allow as many as six non-test playing nations into the sport's showpiece event.
    Gibbs launched Van Bunge's first delivery of the 30th over high over long-on, and followed that blow with strikes over long-off, twice, a six over mid-wicket, and another pair of mighty hits over long-off.
    His pyrotechnic innings was ended five balls later when he holed out to a catch on the long-on boundary off a ball from Dutch captain Luuk van Troost. Ironically it was van Bunge who took the catch to end the onslaught.
    He faced just 40 balls and hit four fours and seven sixes in his whirlwind 72.
    Gibbs's heroics completely overshadowed the fastest half-century scored in the World Cup by Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis's century as top-ranked South Africa racked up 353 for three.
    Kallis scored a measured 128 not out, captain Graeme Smith added 67, and Boucher was 75 not out after reaching his half-century off a record 21 deliveries.
    Dutch captain Luuk van Troost had planned on his side making cricket history against the number one-ranked South Africans in the World Cup on Friday and Herschelle Gibbs ensured they achieved it.
    The Netherlands were the recipients of a slew of unwanted scoring records with South Africa making mincemeat of the part-timers but Gibbs led the way with a maximum six sixes hit off hapless spinner Daan van Bunge.
    Only three men in the history of the game have achieved 36 runs from an over at elite-level cricket, West Indian Garfield Sobers in 1968, Indian Ravi Shastri in 1985 and now Gibbs. It was the first time, however, the ultimate feat has been achieved in a one-day international or World Cup.
    In his post-match news conference, Van Troost dealt with the humiliation with good humour.
    "Before the game we said let's make history today by beating South Africa," Van Troost said. "We made history but not by beating them."
    Van Troost related the conversation he had with Van Bunge during the bowler's nightmare over.
    "After the third one I told him (Van Bunge) to try to bowl a quicker delivery, and he said, 'I just did'. There were a few good balls, and a few shit ones as well."
    The effects of the mauling lingered with Van Bunge.
    "He (Van Bunge) had some flashbacks, he started laughing when he was sitting in the dressing-room."
    Van Troost offered no excuses for his team's eventual 221-run loss.
    "I was quite happy with the start but they totally outplayed us," he said. "This was world class batting and the small boundaries didn't help us.
    "In the end we didn't bowl well enough."
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