Herschelle Gibbs, whose whirlwind 175 on Sunday helped South Africa to win the most amazing one-day international played to date, suggested that South Africans would have a ”moerse babelaas [huge hangover]” on Monday.
While not everyone would have taken him at his word, there is no doubt that South Africa’s stunning one-wicket victory over Australia in the fifth Standard Bank one-day international at the Wanderers is the main topic of conversation throughout the country.
”The best marketing team in the world couldn’t have sold the game of cricket as effectively as South Africa and Australia did yesterday,” said United Cricket Board chief executive Gerald Majola. ”It was an unbelievable achievement, and people will be talking about it for years — even decades — to come.
”Our phones haven’t stopped ringing with people asking where they can get a DVD of the game. So we’re in the process of putting one together, because everyone wants a memory of this incredible game — I want one myself! I hardly slept last night — I had to keep reminding myself it was true.
”It’s been a brilliant series and to end it like that was just amazing,” he added. ”Both teams played brilliantly, and we’ve had sell-out crowds for all the games.”
Majola said the reaction to the win reminded him of the reaction to the 1995 Rugby World Cup. ”It brought people together, and in all parts of South Africa, people were running out into the streets to share their joy.”
He paid tribute to the Australian team and to their captain, Ricky Ponting, in particular.
”I take my hat off to Ricky,” he said. ”He was so gracious in defeat, and he made the point that while he was disappointed, he was just so happy to be a part of history.”
The cricket chief said he thought the arrival of the crew from the Oscar-winning movie Tsotsi might have helped to inspire the team.
”When the Tsotsi group arrived with that gold statue, everyone was a little down. Most people thought we were down and out, and were only staying on because they had paid for their tickets. But I think Gavin Hood and his colleagues may have given everyone some inspiration.”
Majola said he had received a call from Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka congratulating the team. ”She was acting president yesterday, because President [Thabo] Mbeki was out of the country, but I understand he will be holding a cocktail party or something for the players when he gets back.”
The opening batsman for the Transvaal ”mean machine” and a member of the first team to play international cricket after the return from isolation, Jimmy Cook, was equally enthusiastic.
”I’ve always said that there’s always a reason for something to happen. If one team makes a huge total, it’s probably a pretty good wicket, and the other team can do it too. I imagine that’s what they said to each other in the dressing room.
”Herschelle played the kind of innings we all know he’s capable of, but he seldom plays. It was a brilliant innings, but Graeme [Smith] was fantastic too. At one stage, when they were both on about 40, the commentators were all raving about Herschelle, but then you realised that Graeme had got there from about 20 balls. He hadn’t had much of the strike, but he was keeping pace with Herschelle.”
Cook said that Smith had phoned him on Saturday and asked for some batting time with him.
”He came down and we had a bit of a knock. That’s the dedication of the man,” said Cook. ”He deserves what he got. He has great self-belief. He phoned me when he got back from Australia, and said to me, ‘We can beat these guys.’ And he did it in style yesterday.” — Sapa