INSPIRED by an innings of 116 by Brian Lara that immediately reestablished his place among the greats of the modern game, the West Indies revival, so unmistakably initiated in his absence in India three months ago, was confirmed here yesterday before the watching cricket world. Lara's virtuoso performance in the opening contest of the World Cup, against stunned hosts and second favourites, South Africa, was in his first encounter of any meaning since September 15 when he was stricken by the debilitating illness that kept him out of the game for four months.
It earned him the Man-of-the-Match award in a remarkable West Indies victory by three runs. But it was only one of the many highlights of a classic encounter. As an advertisement for the remainder of a tournament previously enmeshed in commercial and political controversy, it was so perfect it could have been scripted by Dr.Ali Bacher and his organising committee.
For the 25,000 South Africans packing the Newlands Stadium, waving their flags, cheering their heroes and overwhelming the small group of supporters from the Caribbean and Bermuda, the defeat, however narrow, was a disappointment. But no one could have asked for better entertainment.
To watch a master craftsmen at work, such as Lara was over three hours and 134 balls, is always worth any money. But there was much, much more. The day produced 553 runs and the outcome was not decided until the penultimate ball when Ramnaresh Sarwan held the catch on the extra cover boundary off Makhaya Ntini that left South Africa with the impossibility of scoring eight from Vasbert Drakes' last ball.
Left-hander Nicky Boje swung it for four but joyful West Indians on and off the field were already celebrating. After completing the job, those on it ran across to the flag-waving group of West Indians opposite the pavilion to express their appreciation.
Lara's measured batting led the West Indies through the darkness of seven for two after seven overs and 67 for two after half their 50 overs were through into the light that finally dazzled in a closing partnership of exhilarating, clean hitting worth 63 off 28 balls between the two young tyros, Ricardo Powell and Sarwan. The West Indies then kept claiming regular wickets and their triumph seemed all but settled at 204 for seven in the 41st of the 49 overs to which South Africa were reduced by their slow over-rate.
Suddenly, Lance Klusener, whose awesome hitting earned him the Man of the Tournament title in the previous World Cup in England in 1996, kept smiting leg-side sixes, five in all, electrifying the previously muted crowd once more as the target rapidly dwindled. The equation was reduced to 14 off two overs and nine off the last. Klusener swung a full toss from Vasbert Drakes' third ball of the last into the hands of captain Carl Hooper at deep midwicket, deliberately positioned there the previous delivery by the bowler.
When Ntini swatted the fifth into Sarwan's grasp, it was effectively over. Not even a six by the left-handed Boje could have changed it. His four was meaningless.
In warm, cloudless sunshine, the West Indies appeared doomed to a measly total after Hooper won the toss.
South African captain Shaun Pollock and Ntini bowled with such control of line and length, Ntini especially taking advantage of umpire Venkataragahan's leniency on off-side wides, that Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds, two eager ball-beaters, were stalled and then removed by Pollock.
Hinds, ever the unlucky one, was ruled out to a catch at the wicket when he clearly missed the ball. Gayle dragged a wide one back into his stumps. Had Lara been caught by the flying Jacque Kallis at second slip from an edge off Ntini off his first ball, the course of the innings would have been far different.
So reprieved, Lara carefully set himself up for a long stay in the middle. He went 19 scoreless balls at one stage but, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul feeding him the strike, began to find his range with strokes of uncanny placement, timing and certainty.
A peerless straight-driven boundary, his first, that greeted Pollock's second spell set him off and there was no stopping him afterwards until he skied Ntini off the top-edge to mid-wicket in the 46th over.
One six was straight off Donald, the other a flick off Klusener. He had 12 fours besides.
Lara was skilfully accompanied in restorative partnerships of 102 from 23.5 overs with fellow left-hander Chanderpaul and 89 from 12.5 with captain Carl Hooper who was in that easy touch that makes him so beloved of his fans.
Chanderpaul's 34 off 60 balls with three fours and 14 singles was ended by a keeper's catch off Klusener's medium-pace at 109 for three in the 31st over.
Hooper's effortless, run-a-ball 40 came to an end with a flicked catch to deep square-leg off Ntini and Lara followed 17 runs later. It was his second World Cup hundred, his first also against South Africa in Karachi in 1996.
A measure of his propulsion was the stats for his first 50 - 78 balls with four fours.
But there was even more rapid acceleration after he left. Powell gathered 40 off 28 balls, Sarwan 32 off 18.
Powell's mandatory six was a clean, straight hit off Pollock that would have been the envy of Tiger Woods.
It was the first in an over, the 47th, that featured another, equally startling, over midwicket, by Sarwan and cost the previously miserly Pollock 23.
The South Africans left the ground in a state of some shock at the barrage that brought 109 from the last 10 overs.
Each time they appeared to be making headway towards their goal in their reply, they lost a wicket.
Herschelle Gibbs, their most dangerous batsman, was 24 and going well when Ridley Jacobs tumbled to his right to gather in his edge from a leg-cutter from Dillon in the ninth over.
Boeta Dippenaar clouted Hooper over long-off for six one ball, was deceived by Hooper's straight ball and smartly stumped the next.
Pedro Collins, who had a difficult night with ball and in the field, made one vital strike in his first over of his third spell, Jacques Kallis edging for Jacobs' third dismissal.
Jonty Rhodes chopped on to Hooper but Gary Kirsten, the veteran left-handed opener, and wicket-keeper Mark Boucher again got South Africa into contention.
Kirsten clearly set himself to bat through the innings. He played with increasing certainty until Hooper summoned his main strike bowler, Dillon, for a second spell.
In his second over, the 32nd, Kirsten pushed a return catch after scoring 66 and, when Pollock drove Gayle's stiff off-spin low to short extra-cover where Hooper gathered an excellent catch, South Africa were 160 four in the 33rd and the match seemed beyond them. First, wicket-keeper Mark Boucher kept finding the boundaries in a run-a-ball 59 and, with Klusener, added 44. But Gayle foxed him with a faster leg-stump yorker in the 41st over when South Africa still needed 75 off 8.1 overs.
It called for the same acceleration Powell and Sarwan gave to the West Indies innings and Klusener typically provided it, pulling Dillon for a gigantic six and then turning his attention to the previously frugal Gayle, taking three sixes off his final over.
When Collins caught the last at long leg and then carelessly stepped back onto the ropes, the force seemed with South Africa.
Collins atoned for the mistake by allowing only five off the penultimate over and, amidst nail-biting excitement, Drakes completed the job in the last.