Chris Gayle after dismissing Reeza Hendricks
Chris Gayle may be in the latter stages of his career, but his pulsating batting effort and on-field celebrations defy his age. One of the most lethal openers in the shorter format of the game, the 41-year-old hogged the limelight with his antics during the fourth T20 International against South Africa.
After showing the exit door to South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks, Gayle decided to imitate Kevin Sinclair as he broke into a cartwheel at the National Cricket Stadium, Grenada. Gayle was asked to share the new ball with pacer Fidel Edwards and he didn't disappoint.
On his very first delivery of the over, he scalped the wicket of Hendricks (2) before treating cricket fanatics with a somersault-like cartwheel celebration. Twitter was instantly flooded with Gayle's hilarious cartwheel. The Universe Boss later revealed that his teammates had asked him to pull off Kevin Sinclair's celebration.
Chasing a 168-run target, South Africa were restricted to 146/9 as West Indies registered a 21-run victory to level the five-match series 2-2. Despite losing Fabian Allen to a shoulder injury, the hosts defended their 167/6 total to win the match.
Dwayne Bravo stepped up and plucked four wickets including the prized scalp of Quinton de Kock (60). Skipper Kieron Pollard also contributed with the ball in Allen's absence, registering figures of 1/24 in his four overs.
Gayle, along with claiming the wicket of opener Hendricks, took two catches. He concealed his poor outing with the bat with bowling figures of 1/11 in two overs.
“Chris (Gayle) bowling that one over and getting a wicket... sometimes you take a chance and it works,” said Pollard, who was Player of the Match for his unbeaten half-century and a wicket to his name.
Pollard struck a quick-fire half-century from 24 deliveries, including five sixes, and finished 51 not out. He took three sixes among 25 runs from the 19th over which was almost the difference between the teams.
