Dutch manage to find funny side in Gibbs mauling

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Mar 17 (Reuters) Dutch captain Luuk van Troost had planned on his side making cricket history against the number one-ranked South Africans in the World Cup and Herschelle Gibbs ensured they achieved it.

The Netherlands were the recipients of a slew of unwanted scoring records with South Africa making mincemeat of the part-timers but Gibbs led the way with a maximum six sixes hit off hapless spinner Daan van Bunge.

Only three men in the history of the game have achieved 36 runs from an over at elite-level cricket, West Indian Garfield Sobers in 1968, Indian Ravi Shastri in 1985 and now Gibbs.

It was the first time, however, the ultimate feat has been achieved in a one-day international or World Cup.

GOOD HUMOUR In his post-match news conference, Van Troost dealt with the humiliation with good humour.

''Before the game we said let's make history today by beating South Africa,'' Van Troost said. ''We made history but not by beating them.'' Van Troost related the conversation he had with Van Bunge during the bowler's nightmare over.

''After the third one I told him (Van Bunge) to try to bowl a quicker delivery, and he said, 'I just did'. There were a few good balls, and a few shit ones as well.'' The effects of the mauling lingered with Van Bunge.

''He (Van Bunge) had some flashbacks, he started laughing when he was sitting in the dressing-room.'' Van Troost offered no excuses for his team's eventual 221-run loss.

''I was quite happy with the start but they totally outplayed us,'' he said. ''This was world class batting and the small boundaries didn't help us.

''In the end we didn't bowl well enough.'' News of Gibbs's feat reached Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who scored 113 in Australia's 203-run win over Scotland at the same venue on Wednesday.

''I didn't see any of it but it doesn't surprise me that much,'' Ponting told a news conference at Australia's training session elsewhere in St Kitts.

''Having played out there the other day it is a very, very small ground. (But) you have to have a fair bit of skill to be able to do it.'' Gibbs's blast earned a donation of 1-million dollar to the Habitat for Humanity housing project put up by World Cup sponsors Johnnie Walker.

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