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

[Donny]

Ntini scored 18 and was unlucky to be given out, caught behind from Mohammed, but he's gone.

Boucher is still going, on 122 n.o. 9/532.

[Donny]

All out for 532. Boucher, 132 n.o.

Sanford finished with 4/132, Edwards, 3/132 and Mohammed, 3/112

[couragous cloke]

oh Donny... you didnt go to bed before the most exciting bit did ya?

Gayle smashed 100 off 73 balls with 20 fours and a six.

Ganga was removed for 17 with the score at 126. sarwan came in and hit 40 off 40 balls and the windies are 1-176 at stumps.

[Donny]

No, I saw it from bed. I have some of my best moments from there and that was one of them.

One of the best Test innings I've seen !!

I can see why they played this bloke while still carrying an injury. He was quite amazing. Unable to run quick singles, he just kept rocking on to the back foot and hitting boundaries.

Not many batsmen take Pollock for 7 r.p.o. but Gayle was doing it with ease. Ganga just kept putting him on strike. I know what that's like. I once shared a partnership of 107 with my gun batsman. I scored 5.

Nice to see something put a smile on your face, mate, and I can understand why your numbers aren't quite accurate.

Gayle's 50 came from 37 balls, 46 in boundaries. His ton took 79 balls with 19 fours and a six.

When Nel claimed Ganga for 17, the score was 126. Amazing.

Then Sarwan took over by slamming on 39 (43 balls) of a 52 run partnership while Gayle literally slowed to a walk with 12 from 26 balls. He's is 112 n.o. and The Windies have already knocked off 178 runs.

Ya just gotta love the Calypso Cavaliers when they do their thing. It may not win them a lot of Tests but it's bloody great to watch.

[Donny]

Gayle forces the pace after Boucher hundred

The Wisden Bulletin by Freddie Auld


A whirlwind century from Chris Gayle, the ninth-fastest in Tests, led West Indies' fight back against South Africa on the second day of the third Test at Cape Town. After Mark Boucher had guided his side to a dominating 532 with an unbeaten 122*, Gayle blitzed 112 not out from 105 balls as West Indies closed on 178 for 1, but still 354 behind.

It wasn't a day for the bowlers. In all, 402 runs were plundered on a beautiful batting track for the loss only five wickets. The first batsman to shine was Boucher, who scored his fourth Test century to give South Africa the early advantage. However, some of that supremacy was then taken away by Gayle, who's dynamic innings took the polish off what was otherwise a good day for Graeme Smith and his team.

Whatever plans the South African bowlers had of taking early wickets, Gayle blew them out the window with an astonishing assault. Still feeling the effects of his sore hamstring, Gayle simply decided to cut down the running and hit the boundaries – and he did just that in devastating style. He smashed 20 fours and a six in all, laying into anything slightly off line - he was a man on a mission.

He gave a taster of what was to come with a flick for six over square leg in Makhaya Ntini's first over. He then crunched Shaun Pollock off the back-foot through the covers, but he saved most of the treatment for Andre Nel. Gayle bludgeoned two consecutive pulls and the next ball he cut Nel to race to his half-century off only 37 balls.

Nel then disappeared over mid-off twice in a row and before anyone had noticed, the West Indies hundred was up – and Gayle had scored 77 of them. It was a case of blink and you missed another booming boundary. It was pure carnage.

Jacques Kallis couldn't keep him quiet either. Gayle cut him to the boundary, and then drove him through the covers on one knee. He had already rocketed into the nineties, and, by his standards, he took a while to get to three figures – about ten minutes. He pushed Kallis into the leg side to record a memorable century off only 79 balls Oh, and he passed 2000 Test runs at the same time.

It was easy to forget that Daren Ganga was at the other end. He was his usual studied self and while he wasn't watching and admiring Gayle's fireworks, he gave his partner good support until he lost his patience and edged Nel onto the stumps (126 for 1). While Gayle then calmed down, Ramnaresh Sarwan took over the wheel, belting eight boundaries in his 39 not out, as West Indies put their poor bowling performance earlier in the day behind them.

After their late fightback yesterday evening, West Indies began the day in a competitive position, but Boucher, along with Kallis, quickly dampened their spirits with an excellent display of attacking, aggressive batting.

Boucher added an authoritative and, at times, effortless stand of 146 with Kallis before putting his foot down after the lunch break. Boucher smashed 21 boundaries in all and gave the innings its impetus.

Fidel Edwards started brightly, and he made an early breakthrough with the wicket of Pollock, who edged Edwards behind to Ridley Jacobs for 9 (315 for 7). After that, though, it was a horror show for the bowlers, who completely wasted the new ball.

Boucher was in his element. Initially letting Kallis take the majority of the strike, he rolled up his sleeves and kept up the run rate with ones and twos on both sides of the wicket, as well the odd boundary. He did, however, have two strokes of fortune. He was bowled off a no ball by Edwards on 15, and was dropped on 59 by Carlton Baugh, but Boucher deserved his luck as he continued to tuck in to the frequent loose balls.

Adam Sanford gave the fielders some cheer when he rather fortunately trapped Kallis lbw for a classy 73 (461 for . Boucher, meanwhile, continued unfazed and he soon brought up a well-deserved century.

The packed crowd at Newlands rose to applaud his first hundred in 47 Tests, his last was against England at Durban in 1999. And he wasn't finished there. He carried on the fun, smacking anything wide or short, including three eye-catching pulls off Edwards.

Ntini got in the act too when he twice walloped Dave Mohammed high down the ground for a four and a six. Mohammed got his revenge, though, when Ntini tickled him behind to Jacobs (513 for 9), and Nel gave Jacobs his fourth catch of the innings when he nicked Sanford behind. South Africa's total represented an impressive effort from their overnight 308 for 6, and it was mainly thanks to Boucher.

Even though his sparkling innings was later overshadowed by Gayle's knock, South Africa are still in a strong position.

[Donny]

Fastest Test centuries.

100s In Minutes

70 minutes JM Gregory Australia v South Africa at J'burg 1921-22
75 minutes GL Jessop England v Australia at The Oval 1902
78 minutes R Benaud Australia v West Indies at Kingston 1954-55
80 minutes JH Sinclair S.A. v Australia at Cape Town 1902-03
81 minutes IVA Richards W.I. v England at St.John's 1985-86
86 minutes BR Taylor N.Z. v West Indies at Auckland 1968-69

100s where recorded the fastest Test Centuries in Balls received are:

56 balls IVA Richards W.I. v England at St John's 1985-6
67 balls JM Gregory Australia v S.A. at Johannesburg 1921-2
69 balls S Chanderpaul W.I. v Australia at Georgetown 2002-3
71 balls RC Fredericks W.I. v Australia at Perth 1975-6
74 balls M Azharuddin India v S.A. at Calcutta 1996-7
74 balls Majid Khan Pakistan v N.Z. at Karachi 1976-7
74 balls Kapil Dev India v Sri Lanka at Kanpur 1986-7
76 balls GL Jessop England v Australia at The Oval 1902
79 balls CH Gayle W.I. v South Africa at Cape Town 2003-04
84 balls ML Hayden Australia v Zimbabwe at Sydney 2003-04

[Donny]

Quick wickets this morning.

Gayle (116) and Sarwan (44) went in the first few overs and Hinds (13) just departed. 4/224.

A very watchful Lara is on 23 n.o. from 74 balls.

[Donny]

Today's play has given further proof of Gayle's amazing innings.

The Windies could only manage 3/59 from 29 overs today and that was with Lara and Hinds at the crease. Same bowlers. Same wicket.

Lara has struggled to 24 n.o. from 84 balls. Smith is looking good in his first Test innings with 12 from 14 balls. Nel has 2/45.

[Donny]

Lara scored his 24th. Test hundred and, along with a very entertaining 36 - 34 in boundaries - from David Mohammed, kept his team in this match.

He saw quick wickets fall in the morning but got his head down and with help from Smith (20), Jacobs (23) and Drakes (20), got the Windies to 427, only 105 behind.

Andre Nel took 5/87.

Sth. Africa is 0/38 at stumps.

[Donny]

Lara landmark lights up Newlands

The Wisden Bulletin

Brian Lara scored his 24th Test century, and in the process became the fastest batsman ever to reach 9000 runs, as West Indies continued to fight back strongly on the third day at Cape Town. But Andre Nel's best Test figures of 5 for 87 restricted the Windies to 427 all out, a deficit of 105.

Lara began his innings with uncharacteristic circumspection, taking 23 balls to get off the mark, but reached his hundred with a hooked six off Jacques Kallis, after being stuck on 99 for five overs. He was helped to his landmark by the belligerent debutant Dave Mohammad, who clattered to a run-a-ball 36 with seven fours and a six, which earned him several cautionary words from his captain along the way.

After the turbo-charged start to their innings, West Indies had throttled back and fallen apart in the first session of the day, as South Africa conceded just 59 runs in grabbing three wickets. Chris Gayle, who had enthralled the crowd with a devastating 79-ball century on Saturday evening, demonstrated that valour was the better part of discretion. He lasted just four more overs before offering no stroke to Shaun Pollock, and was adjudged lbw to a ball that might just have nipped off stump (183 for 2).

Ramnaresh Sarwan also fell inside the first half-hour of the day, as he slashed loosely at Nel and picked out Neil McKenzie at backward point for 44 (187 for 3), and when a nervous Wavell Hinds grazed a catch off Jacques Kallis to take his series tally to 34, West Indies were 224 for 4 and in danger of collapsing.

Dwayne Smith, making his debut in place of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, walloped Adams for a pair of boundaries through midwicket, and pulled Pollock's sixth ball after lunch behind square for another four. But he became Andre Nel's third wicket of the innings, when he went fishing outside off stump and offered a regulation slip catch to Kallis (252 for 5),

With the new ball looming, Lara decided a gear change was necessary, and flailed Kallis for three fours in an over to bring up his half-century from 134 balls. Ntini was then crashed both sides of the wicket by Lara, but Ntini exacted his revenge on Ridley Jacobs instead, with a brute of a delivery that hit a crack and reared off a thick outside edge to Pollock at first slip (306 for 6).

Lara saved the follow-on shortly after tea, and in the same over cracked Nel through the gully to register his 9000th run in his 177th innings – two fewer than Sachin Tendulkar had required when he passed the same mark on Friday. Drakes then clobbered Ntini for six over midwicket, before slashing Nel to Mark Boucher, diving in front of first slip (361 for 7).

After Adam Sanford had been run out by a direct hit from Kallis, Lara was the last man out, bowled by Nel as he heaved across the line. But his 115 had ensured that West Indies remained in the hunt with two days to go, even though Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs had rattled South Africa along to 38 for 0 at the close.

[couragous cloke]

Wooooo Hoooo! too bad sanford cant catch otherwise we'd have em 1 fa.

We need early wickets for any chance... the pitch is awesome.

[Donny]

Smith (24) was bowled by a real ripsnorter from Edwards and Vaspert (the handsome one) Drakes got Rudolph (0) to nick one from his second ball.

It's 2/75 with Gibbs on 40 n.o. The lead is 180.

[Donny]

Gibbs is 50 n.o. and Kallis, 32 n.o. 2/115.

[Donny]

2/188 after 50 overs.

Gibbs is 82 n.o. and Kallis, 63 n.o.

Players have left the field. Rain.

[Donny]

Kallis and Gibbs flay the Windies

The Wisden Bulletin


Jacques Kallis recorded his third century of the series, and Herschelle Gibbs his second, as South Africa batted on - and on and on - on the fourth day of the third Test at Cape Town. By the close, their endeavours had secured a lead of 440, and with one day remaining, not even Brian Lara would fancy his chances of overhauling that sort of a target.

By the close, the West Indians had been run completely ragged. With the part-time spinners Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle wheeling away in tandem, the closing overs were a cavalcade of sixes and dropped catches (including one drop that went for six).

Gibbs eventually chanced his arm once too often and holed out to Gayle on the midwicket boundary for 142, but Kallis finished the day unbeaten on 130 – his 14th Test century.

The Windies had briefly thought that their day's work was complete, when Cape Town's inclement weather rolled in shortly after lunch. Even then, South Africa's lead was a useful 293, and with eight wickets remaining they might have expected to chance their arm for quick runs. Instead, it didn't quite turn out like that, and neither batsman was willing to take any risks until he had reached his landmark.

Eventually, though, Gibbs steered the wayward Fidel Edwards through the gully region to bring up his hundred from exactly 200 balls, and from that moment on, there was no holding him back. He walloped Sarwan over square leg for six in his next over, before leaning back to heave a rank long-hop deep into the crowd at midwicket.

Kallis followed a remarkably similar pattern – a dab for three to bring up his century, then a mighty six over square leg to celebrate. Although Gibbs fell in the same over to bring an end to their 251-run partnership, Kallis clobbered two more sixes in quick succession before the close.

The day had briefly looked like being a fruitful one for West Indies, when they grabbed two quick wickets in the first quarter of an hour. After resuming at 38 for 0, South Africa lost Graeme Smith (24) in the second over, as he shouldered arms to Edwards and watched his off stump cartwheel out of the ground (48 for 1).

And six balls later Jacques Rudolph aimed a weak waft at a wide ball from Vasbert Drakes and was caught behind for 0 (54 for 2). How long ago his first-innings hundred must have seemed as he trudged off.

Gibbs began with typical aggression, but was more subdued as the lunch interval approached. But West Indies continued to provide far too much width, with most overs containing at least one bad ball.

Both Gibbs and Kallis were happy to wait for the inevitable gift delivery, and the bowlers duly obliged. They were just beginning to cut loose when the heavens opened and play was interrupted for nearly two hours.

At that stage, a cynic might have suggested it was West Indies' best day of the series. But a swift mopping-up operation later, and there was very little to be cheerful about.