Amla strikes as SA clinch thriller
Hashim Amla continued in his rich vein of form, and struck his third one-day international hundred to help South Africa shake off the ‘dead-rubber syndrome’, and win the fourth ODI against the West Indies by seven wickets on Sunday.
Amla collected nine fours and two sixes in his 129 from 115 balls, as the South Africans, chasing 304 for victory from their allocation of 50 overs, reached their target from the very last ball in a thrilling finish.
Amla shared 59 for the first wicket with his captain Graeme Smith, 178 for the second wicket with Jacques Kallis, and 46 for the third wicket with A.B. deVilliers.
When Amla was dismissed, South Africa needed 80 from 76 balls, and J.P. Duminy joined de Villiers to carry them the rest of the way in an unbroken stand of 80 for the fourth wicket.
In a dramatic finish however, the South Africans needed one run from the last delivery, following a sensational final over from Dwayne Bravo in which he conceded a single to deVilliers off the first ball, a leg bye to Duminy from the next, and then bowled three dot-balls.
DeVilliers however, formalised the result, when he swung the final delivery through mid-wicket, where Darren Sammy fumbled it, and then missed a throw at the bowler’s end, as the batsman scrambled to make his ground.
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Sahara nets Team India deal
Age Correspondent
New Delhi
May 31: The Sahara Group will continue as sponsors of Team India after they won the contract by bidding Rs 3.34 crores per international match.
The industrial conglomerate outbid telecom giants Bharti Airtel by more than Rs 45 lakhs per game for the contract that enables the former to display its logo on the Team India shirt for a three-and-a-half year period beginning July 1, 2010.
The Subrato Roy-led group will, however, sponsor only the senior men’s team this time round, even though they sponsored all four teams — India men’s, women’s, India A and Under-19 — in the previous deal.
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