In 2005 an extraordinary Charl Langeveldt final over hat-trick took the Proteas to an unlikely win.

The Kensington Oval in Barbados was the venue when the Proteas took on West Indies in the third of a five match ODI series. Chasing a target of 285 the West Indies had done well to go into the last over needing four runs for a win.

Proteas captain Graeme Smith entrusted Charl Langeveldt with the last over and the West Indian fans were already getting ready for a party. The first ball of the over was fielded by Boeta Dippenaar on the deep-cover boundary, restricting the West Indians to only a single run. The Carribean team now needed only three runs off five balls in what at this point looked like an easy cruise to victory. But Smith was still setting his field with enthusiasm.

The second ball was fielded at mid-wicket by Ashwell Prince, but not before the West Indians could claim a run of the ball. Now with the task looking increasingly impossible for the Proteas, there was a bit of reprieve when Langaveldt dismantled Ian Bradshaw’s stumps, leaving the West Indians needing  two runs from three balls with two wickets in hand. Darren Powell confidently walked in to bat but Langevedt didn’t waste any time in sending back to the dug-out for a first ball duck. For the first time in the match there was panic in the West Indian camp – understandably so.

At this point the match was evenly matched with the Indies needing two runs of two balls for the last wicket.  Over the wicket to Corey Collymore, Langeveldt perfectly timed his yorker into Collymore’s pads and by the time empire Darrell Hair’s finger went up, the whole South African team had gathered around Langeveldt in celebration. This still remains as one of the most exciting ends to an ODI match, and a tale that the Proteas bowling coach will tell for many years to come.

Picture: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix