West Indies will require another 227 runs from 44 overs to beat South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy Pool B game in London at the Oval on Sunday and go through to the semifinals of the competition.
Saturday’s play was suspended because of rain after South Africa had scored 246-6 from 50 overs.
The West Indies were 20-0 in reply from six overs when the weather interrupted with Chris Gayle not out 12 and Wavell Hinds not out six as their side tried to book a semifinal date against either India or Pakistan.
For South Africa, Herschelle Gibbs hit 101 in 135 balls, including nine fours and a six, after South Africa were put into bat by Brian Lara.
The West Indies skipper will tell his side not to get distracted by the weather, which could lead to a result decided by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
”If it looks like we are going to get a full day’s play, then the most important thing is concentrate on the target [of 247] and we are not chasing down small goals,” said Lara.
”I expect South Africa to really come hard and we have got to wickets in hand. It is going to be a good game and hopefully it will end up going in our favour.”
South Africa’s Jacques Rudolph provided some clean hitting, making 46 from 39 balls with four fours and a six before he was bowled by the impressive Gayle with four overs left and a steady fall of wickets stemmed the flow of runs.
Gayle was the pick of the West Indian bowlers, taking 3 for 50, and Ian Bradshaw picked up 2 for 40.
Opener Gibbs has been in desperate run of form scoring just 93 runs in his last six one-day internationals and averaging a modest 20,8 in 32 games since the 2003 World Cup.
But coach Eric Simons resisted calls to drop the 30-year-old down the order and he responded with a well-paced innings that yielded his 13th one-day century.
He reached three figures with a straight six off Gayle but was out two balls later attempting to repeat the shot when Dwayne Bravo took a superb overhead catch at long-off.
”It was not a nice place to be but in the last three weeks I have started going about things in the way I have done in the past,” said Gibbs as he reflected on his poor form.
”I never really doubted my ability because I believe it is something every batter goes through. I had tried to stay positive and today my balance was really good. I paced myself and I was going very nicely.
”I had a pizza for the first time in a few months last night and maybe that helped my balance!”
With captain Graeme Smith, Gibbs put on 102 for the first wicket before Smith was bowled attempting to cut the gentle spin of Gayle in the 23rd over.
Apart from one uppish off-drive off Bradshaw, Smith had not been in trouble making 45 from 64 balls with five fours.
His dismissal brought in Jacques Kallis, who played a subdued innings of 16 that was all made in singles until he was comprehensively bowled by Bravo.
Martin van Jaarsveld drove his first ball straight to Ricardo Powell when the final push was on and Mark Boucher (7) also perished chasing quick runs at the death. — Sapa-AFP