South Africa ease past India

South Africa beat India by five wickets with one over to spare in the Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2001 being played at Kowloon Cricket Club in Hong Kong, on Saturday.

After being put in to bat India got off to a disastrous start, losing Mohd Kaif (3) and Rohan Gavaskar (5) in the first two overs. Both the batsmen were caught by Andrew Hall off the bowling of Derek Crookes (1-0-5-1) and Henry Williams (1-0-7-1) respectively.

Robin Singh played an explosive unbeaten knock of 30 off just 10 balls, including five boundaries and a six. Hemang Badani failed to get the ball away for quick runs and managed only 14 runs off 15 balls. Andrew Hall pitched in with a superb over, giving away just five runs. India ended up with 63/2 off their five overs.

South Africa were never in trouble even though they lost the wicket of Hall (10 off 3 balls) to Nikhil Chopra. Crookes made an unbeaten 26 runs off nine balls, striking two boundaries and two sixes. Skipper Jonty Rhodes ensured an easy victory for South Africa by making an unbeaten 28 off 12 balls with the help of six boundaries.