Sth. Africa v. West Indies - 3rd. Test

[Donny]

West Indian pride at stake

Rahul Bhatia - Cricinfo

Here's a pop quiz. After two Test matches in the current series against South Africa, who has taken the most wickets for West Indies?

Wavell Hinds has, and he's an opening batsman. If anything, it indicates that the bowling has been a major problem area, and that's something West Indies will have on their mind when they take the field at Cape Town for the third Test.

With five wickets to his credit, Hinds has outdone Fidel Edwards, Merv Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Adam Sanford, and Corey Collymore: bowlers who were expected to hustle South Africa. Of the five, the most impressive bowling figures belong to Sanford, who claimed three for 170 in the second Test.

At the same time, though, Hinds has struggled with the bat, scoring 21 in four innings, five fewer than Dillon's tally. In all four innings so far, Hinds has been the first man to fall, and even Daren Ganga has failed to mount an effective defence, exposing the West Indian middle order to a charged-up bowling attack that has been relentless in its pursuit of wickets. But Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan have at least posed some resistance, if not threatened to take the game away. With two Tests to go and South Africa firmly in command, it is questionable whether individual flashes of talent will upset the equation.

South Africa don't have much to worry about, because the top order, barring Neil McKenzie, has delivered unfailingly, with five big centuries to show. Their hunger for runs has been matched only by the West Indian fielders' passion to regress. Even cats have fewer lives.

To their credit, the South African batsmen have taken these opportunities and built a battering ram. In the second Test, after Herschelle Gibbs tore into the attack, Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis came together and ensured that South Africa would not bat again. The bowlers have done their bit, too. The combination of Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, and Andre Nel has prised out 36 batsmen at an average of 20.

Lara isn't giving up yet. He rubbished talk of a series sweep by South Africa, and said that improving bowling standards wasn't difficult. It's a brave stand, but one thing's for certain: West Indies will need much more than just bowling improvements to make their rivals sweat.

South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Jacques Rudolph, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Gary Kirsten, 6 Neil McKenzie, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Paul Adams, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Andre Nel.

West Indies (from) Brian Lara (capt), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Smith, Ridley Jacobs (wk), Vasbert Drakes, Adam Sanford, Dave Mohammed, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards.

[Donny]

Smith won the toss and Sth. Africa will bat.

South Africa team:

*GC Smith, HH Gibbs, JA Rudolph, JH Kallis, G Kirsten,
ND McKenzie, +MV Boucher, SM Pollock, PR Adams, M Ntini, A Nel.

West Indies team:

CH Gayle, D Ganga, RR Sarwan, *BC Lara, WW Hinds, DR Smith,
+RD Jacobs, VC Drakes, D Mohammed, A Sanford, FH Edwards.

[Donny]

Sth. Africa off to a good start.

After 10 overs, they are 0/43 with Gibbs on 30 n.o.

[foxy]

gibbs dropped by mohammed - EASY catch. bad luck for edwards.

who's this mohammed bloke? is it his debut? horrible way to start, but i'm lookin forward to seeing him bowl. great first-class record.

[Donny]

David Mohammed is playing his first Test.

He's taken 56 wickets @ 23.75 with one 5 for in 17 first class games.

He bowls left arm chinaman. That is he spins in to the right handers.

[Donny]

After 50 overs, S.A. is 3/174 with Rudolph on 42 n.o.

Kallis (23 n.o.) retired hurt and all 3 wickets - Gibbs (33), Smith (42) and Kirsten (16) - were batsman mistakes more than good bowling.

Mohammed looks good but bowls a loose one per over which has been punished nearly every time.

[foxy]

gibbs' wicket could be put down to sanford, don't ya reckon? in fact i reckon sanford has improved amazingly from his last outing. strange to say but he's almost a younger version of drakes - which is a good thing IMO.

like the look of mohammed's googly. started out beautifully i thought.

love the way lara gives these young fellas so much responsibility. kept drakes off specifically so mohammed could take charge of an end. constantly tries to re-introduce edwards & boost his confidence.

mckenzie looks the goods in a big, big way.

[Donny]

Good to see you in here, foxy.

Sanford does bowl a good line and that was in his favour with Gibbs' wicket but I thought Hersch really played a get out shot.

After 61 overs, S.A. are 3/219. Rudolph is 64 n.o. and McKenzie, 29 n.o.

[Donny]

Rudolph (101) and McKenzie (76) added 142 before S.A. lost 3 late wickets to be 6/308 at stumps. A good result really.

Edwards, Sanford and Mohammed each took two wickets.

The Windies still have work to do. The dangerous Pollock and Boucher will start afresh and Kallis is still to come.

[foxy]

pollock & boucher might be dangerous but i sense they've both made batting less of a priority over the last year or two.

interesting to see if kallis is still hurting.

much-improved performance from the windies.

[couragous cloke]

i disagree with you on Gibbs.. i thought he got 1 of the balls of the game.

Those three wickets were needed badly.. we need to get into the tail quickly 2moro.

And what a fantastic comeback by Fidel Edwards who had 0 for 39 off 6 overs earlier finished with impressive figures and had the South Africans jumping all over the place in the last spell of the day. Good captaincy by the great Man not to take the new ball.. Pheww! i wasnt too happy with it but it turned out pretty good.

An even day i'd reckon.

[Donny]

I had another look at it today, Anthony. Gibbs didn't move his feet and hung out the bat to a ball at least a foot outside the off stump. Kallis would've left it. Ponting would've smashed it through (or over) point.

Pollock fell to a good ball from Edwards. Looks a good bowler, this bloke. Sharp and pretty accurate for a slinger.

Kallis (55 n.o.) and Boucher (22 n.o.) have added 67 and are looking dangerous. 7/382

[Donny]

The partnership has reached 104 at lunch.

S.A. are 7/419 with Kallis on 63 n.o. and Boucher, 50 n.o.

This one has just about gone for the Windies.

[Donny]

Kallis was trapped in front by Sanford for 73.

Boucher has moved on to 86 n.o. 8/473

[Donny]

Excellent innings from Boucher.

On 95, he hits Edwards for 2, dot, 2 and 4 to go to 103. 17 fours. 151 balls.

8/492.