Rare glimpse of IPL worth it as Gayle offers memorable knock

On Tuesday I did something I have never done before.

I switched on the television specifically to watch coverage of the Indian Premier League.

Yes, I know, I must be taking leave of my senses.

But there was mitigation, your honour, in the extraordinary nature of the cricket on show.

For I had noticed that Chris Gayle had just brought up the fastest century in the history of the game.

“Gayle smashes 30-ball ton” read the headline on Cricinfo, with the associated story revealing that Gayle was still at the crease.

By the time I switched on, suppressing every inclination to do no such thing and get on with the job of writing a preview to Yorkshire’s County Championship match at Durham, Gayle was something like 130 not out off 40 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors at Bangalore, and records were falling faster than nine-pins.

The first delivery I saw was, appropriately enough, bludgeoned by Gayle for six over long-on.

“Cool shot man!” enthused the message on the electronic scoreboard as spectators in the stands danced with delight.

Gayle, Mr Cool himself, simply twiddled his bat and adjusted his bandana.

It was just one of a record 17 maximums struck by the West Indian, who scored more than 100 runs in sixes alone.

Although I have little time for IPL, mainly because I cannot identify with the teams involved, I put my prejudices to one side just for a moment to watch history in the making.

For there are times – “Mickey Mouse” cricket or not – when you simply have to admire the skill levels on show.

Make no mistake, it takes rare skill to do what Gayle did, which was to plunder a Twenty20 world record score of 175 not out from 66 balls, thereby eclipsing the previous highest innings of 158 by New Zealand’s Brendan McCullum for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Bangalore in 2008.

Indeed, had Gayle faced a bit more of the strike than 11 overs of his team’s innings, he would surely have broken Twenty20’s equivalent of the four-minute mile and become the first man to score a double century in the game’s shortest form.

So impressive was Gayle’s performance that I did something else I have never done before.

I foolishly listened to the post-innings interview in the forlorn hope that it might reveal something interesting – assuming, of course, that the inquisitor was not a former player.

Alas, no sooner had Gayle walked off the field with the cheers of the crowd ringing in his ears than he was accosted for a quick chat by the former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan.

The drooling McMillan served up all manner of incisive enquiries such as “Er, tell us, what did you have for breakfast?”

“All I had was a plain omelette, two pancakes and a hot chocolate,” replied Gayle, wearily.

On reflection, I suppose it was marginally more interesting than a slice of toast and a cup of tea.

Gayle’s great innings, which eclipsed the previous fastest century (34 balls) by Andrew Symonds for Kent against Middlesex in 2004, led Royal Challengers Bangalore to 263-5.

This surpassed the previous best Twenty20 team score of 260, set by Sri Lanka against Kenya at Johannesburg in September 2007.

Call it sickly, pre-packaged entertainment if you will (which is exactly what it is), but this particular IPL match is not one that will easily fade from the memory.

Twenty20 is heavily reliant on the sort of drama men like Gayle provide, and boy did he provide it in Bangalore.