Cape Town, February 9
In a dramatic twist to the cricket World Cup opener, West Indies shocked hosts South Africa by three runs to make a winning start in the tournament here today.

Set to score 279 runs for victory, South Africa could manage only 275 for nine in 49 overs.

The hosts required only eight runs off the last over but the fall of Klusener on 271 and then Ntini on the same score tilted the scales in favour of West Indies after the hosts almost reached the victory doorstep.

For South Africa, Gary Kirsten (69), Boucher (49) and Klusener (57) were the main scorers.

Earlier, Brian Lara rescued his team from a near hopeless situation with a masterly century as West Indies made a astounding recovery to post 278 for five in the opening game of the World Cup cricket tournament against hosts South Africa here today.

Coming when West Indies were two wickets down for seven in the seventh over, Lara batted beautifully till the 46th over to almost single-handedly pull his side out of the rut. He scored 116 — his 16th one-day hundred and second in World Cup — from 134 balls with 12 fours and two sixes before being caught by South African captain Shaun Pollock off the bowling of Makhaya Ntini.

SCOREBOARD

West Indies

Gayle b Pollock 2

Hinds c Boucher b Pollock 0

Lara c Pollock b Ntini 116

Chanderpaul c Boucher b Klusener 34

Hooper c Kallis b Ntini 40

Powell not out 40

Sarwan not out 32

Extras (lb-6, nb-4, w-4) 14

Total (for 5 wkts in 50 overs) 278

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-7, 3-109, 4-198, 5-215.

Bowling: Pollock 10-2-52-2, Ntini 10-1-37-2, Donald 9-0-54-0, Kallis 10-2-52-0, Klusener 8-0-53-1, Boje 3-0-24-0.

South Africa

Gibbs c Jacobs b Dillon 24

Kirsten c & b Dillon 69

Dippenaar st. Jacobs b Hooper 20

Kallis c Jacobs b Collins 13

Rhodes b Hooper 2

Boucher b Gayle 49

Pollock c Hooper b Gayle 4

Klusener c Hooper b Drakes 57

Boje not out 25

Ntini c Sarwan b Drakes 0

Donald not out 0

Extras (lb-4, nb-3, w-5) 12

Total (9 wkts in 49 overs) 275

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-79, 3-104, 4-117, 5-155, 6-160, 7-204, 8-271, 9-271

Bowling: Dillon 10-0-47-2, Collins 9-0-54-1, Drakes 8-1-33-2, Hooper 10-0-63-2, Gayle 10-1-60-2, Powell 2-0-14-0. PTI