Windies legend Lloyd hails 'terrific' Gayle

Sydney, Feb 28 (IANS) Chris Gayle has come in for high praise from cricket World Cup legend Clive Lloyd who has compared the opener’s strength with that of former West Indies batting supremo Vivian Richards.

The left-handed Gayle wrote his name in the record books when he hammered a World Cup record 215 against Zimbabwe in Canberra Tuesday as West Indies strolled to a 73-run victory, reports CMC.

“He has very good strength and he times the ball quite well. He’s a very strong boy. Viv was strong but this boy has got tremendous power and hits the ball a long way from pace or spin. Viv was just as good in the sense that he was strong too but Gayle has got exceptional strength," said Lloyd, current chairman of the West Indies selectors.

Gayle counted an incredible 10 fours and 16 sixes in an innings that required only 147 balls. The double century was also the fastest in One-Day Internationals (ODI) and helped West Indies register 37 runs with Marlon Samuels (133 not out), the highest ODI partnership.

The innings came against a long run of low scores for Gayle. He entered the game with a single half-century in 20 months and an average of 14 during that period.

Lloyd, who lifted the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, said it had always only been a matter of time before Gayle struck form again.

“It was a terrific innings and we’ve come to expect such great innings from Chris Gayle. He’s done it in Twenty20s and now he’s done it in 50 overs. His body is not as strong as it used to be but if you can have somebody who is still not fully fit making 200 runs in a 50-over game," Lloyd said.

“We’re quite happy he’s back to form and I hope he continues hereon. Chris has been a tower of strength for us and when he wasn’t getting the scores people were calling (for his ouster) but my mother always said good cream comes to the top all the time.”

The knock was Gayle’s 22nd ODI hundred and it came in his 266th game. He also became only the second West Indies batsman to reach 9,000 runs in ODIs following former batting star Brian Lara.