JAIPUR, India - Chris Gayle smashed 133 not out as the West Indies powered into the Champions Trophy cricket final with a six-wicket victory over South Africa this morning (NZ time).
The 27-year-old Jamaican stroked his third hundred of the tournament and amassed 154 runs for the firstwicket with fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul (57) to snuff out South Africa's challenge.
Gayle's second successive hundred, his 15th overall, guided the defending champions to 262 for four in 44 overs after South Africa were restricted to 258 for eight. Herschelle Gibbs top-scored with 77 for them after skipper Graeme Smith elected to bat.
The 2004 winners face world champions Australia in the final on Sunday.
Gayle blew away the bowling with Chanderpaul in a calculated early assault and then held firm at one end after the latter retired with cramp.
He hammered 17 fours and three huge sixes in his 135-ball effort to help West Indies reach their third Champions Trophy final.
The victory helped the Caribbeans avenge their 1998 final defeat against South Africa in the inaugural edition of the tournament in Dhaka.
Gayle had made 101 in the previous game after scoring 104 not out against Bangladesh in a qualifying match in Jaipur.
He smashed Shaun Pollock's first two balls for fours to set the tone as he and Chanderpaul took 75 runs in 10 overs to quickly end South African hopes.
They also hit strike bowler Makhaya Ntini off the attack on a pitch affording no seam movement.
Smith brought himself on to bowl off spin with seamer Jacques Kallis to briefly stem the flow but could not separate the opening pair until Chanderpaul limped off.
Gayle lofted Pollock over long-off and Kallis over midwicket for his first two sixes before pushing Ntini for a single to reach triple figures.
He also completed 1,000 runs in one-day internationals for 2006 and Chanderpaul aggregated a career tally of 6,000 during their knocks.
The victory provides West Indies another opportunity against Australia after beating them by 10 runs in the opening group fixture.
