SYDNEY, CMC – Chris Gayle served notice on Indian Premier League bidders, when he set a new Twenty20 Big Bash record in a dashing half-century that helped to set-up a 19-run victory for Western Australia against New South Wales yesterday.
Gayle struck the highest number of runs from an over of 32 in the brief history of the competition on his way to 61 from 30 balls, as WA, choosing to bat, amassed 205 for five from their allocation of 20 overs in the rain-affected match at Stadium Australia.
The left-handed opener gave a powerful reminder to the IPL franchise owners that have snubbed him at the players’ auction in Bangalore, India, when he Shaun Marsh marauded the NSW bowling in a rapid opening stand of 101.
Marsh also had a point to prove to the Australian national selectors, and hit four fours and six sixes in the top score of 85 from 45 balls.
When rain stopped play, pre-match tournament leaders NSW were 104 for four from 11.5 overs, and under the Duckworth-Lewis Method, they needed to be 124 to claim their second straight victory.
Despite the result, WA remained rooted at the bottom of the table, and NSW dropped to fourth. All six teams in the competition have two points, and only net run run currently separates them.
Gayle failed to attract any interest from IPL bidders for a second straight day yesterday, and is now unlikely to feature in the competition later this year.
He however, reserved special treatment for Scott Coyte, striking sixes over deep mid-wicket and twice over long-on from the first three deliveries in the medium-pacer’s second over.
Gayle reached his 50 from 23 balls with a four to the mid-wicket boundary off the next ball before finishing the over with a drive over point for another four, and his last six over long-off.
Two overs later, Gayle’s fun came to a screeching halt, when Stuart Clark, the discarded Australia fast bowler and NSW captain, had Gayle caught at long-off, much to the relief of the home team.
Before the rain ended the match, NSW ran into early trouble, when they plunged to eight for two, after Matt Johnston removed opener Dan Smith for a duck and national wicketkeeper/batsman Brad Haddin for four.
National T20 batsman David Warner made the top score of 49 from 34 balls, and Test batsman Phil Hughes added 24 in a stand of 82 for the third wicket before they were dismissed in the space of four balls just before the rain descended.
