Sth. Africa v. West Indies - 4th. Test

[Donny]

Brian Lara won the toss and sent Sth. Africa in to bat.

I hope the Windies do well on this first day but you need a good attack to send in any batting side, Charlie, but to send Sth. Africa in you'd need to have a minefield to bowl on, with Dillon, Edwards, Collymore and Drakes as your weapons.

Good luck.

[Donny]

After the first hour, S.A. are 0/54.

Gibbs is 26 n.o. and Smith, 23 n.o.

[Donny]

At lunch, it's 0/70 with Gibbs on 33 n.o. and Smith, 29 n.o.

[The Prototype]

Would be a good match to watch looks like Test cricket is starting to get even better.

[Donny]

Oh Brian, I can't say I feel sorry for you.

Your strength was your batting and you sent Smith and Gibbs in to bat.

Yes there was some life in the wicket but you have some real talent in your batting. The same can't be said of a bowling attack led by Mervyn Dillon.

S.A. are 203 for no wicket. Smith is 109 n.o. and Gibbs, 76 n.o.

[Donny]

After 59 overs, S.A. are 0/253.

Both batsmen are on 121 n.o.

[commonwombat]

Close of play

S.A 1/302.

Bad light stopped play @ 5pm local time with 22.5 overs remaining. Along with play beginning 1/2 hr late due to overnight rain, it could have been even worse for the Windies.

In short the day was dominated by a 301 run opening partnership between Graeme Smith and Herchelle Gibbs. Smith was the only wicket to fall being caught behind by Jacobs off Collymore for 139. Gibbs is not out 139 and Rudolph is 1 n.o

Will leave it to others to post the days summary but CC and other Windie worshippers, I would suggest that large scale consumption of strong drink may be the way to go.

[Donny]

Smith and Gibbs destroy demoralised West Indies

The Wisden Bulletin by Freddie Auld


Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs powered their way to a record opening stand for South Africa at Centurion Park on a shortened opening day of the fourth Test. After Brian Lara won the toss and put South Africa in, Smith and Gibbs both scored centuries and made West Indies pay for some more wayward bowling and shoddy fielding. South Africa closed at a dominating 302 for 1 when bad light stopped play.

What has gone before in a one-sided series was nothing to compare with the level of the slaughter today. The bowling was toothless, the fielding tired, but the batting was almost faultless. After a morning seeing off the new ball on a damp track, Smith and Gibbs cut loose, smashing the hapless attack to all parts of the sparsely populated ground, and keeping the run rate up to five an over.

Smith was the more aggressive of the two, racing to his sixth Test century from 125 balls, including 17 fours and a six. He played a host of sublime shots, most of which pierced the leg-side field. He had only one blemish, when, on 23, he should have been run out by Ramnaresh Sarwan, but was reprieved by bad fielding. Gibbs, meanwhile, opened up after a subdued start, and he reached his 13th Test hundred on the way to an unbeaten 139.

Play was delayed by half an hour after heavy overnight rain, and the tone of the day was set with the first ball of the match – a wide long-hop from Merv Dillon, which Smith slashed over the slips for four. Gibbs was temporarily in a spot of bother when Dillon managed to apply some pressure for all of an over, but Gibbs soon helped himself to some erratic bowling from Fidel Edwards at the other end.

Smith signalled the fifty partnership with a handsome cover-drive off Dillon, and 10 fours had come in the first 11 overs – not exactly what Lara would have hoped for after he won the toss. The Smith run-out chance, which happened shortly before the lunch break, was in fact the only time West Indies came close to making a breakthrough, but that was wasted - and in comical fashion.


Smith pushed Vasbert Drakes to Sarwan at point and set off for a suicidal run, but Gibbs sent him back. Smith was halfway down the track and Sarwan had all the time in the world to take aim and fire. Instead, he chose to pick the ball up and get closer to the stumps. After a few strides, though, he belly-flopped forward and looped the ball way over the target. Smith couldn't believe his luck – and he made the most of it.

Just as West Indies were beginning to assert some control, Smith bulldozed Drakes for three fours in same over, all on the leg side, to put South Africa back on track to domination. And it didn't stop there. Corey Collymore was next in Smith's firing line. He was peppered to different parts of the leg-side boundary, and Lara was forced to turn to Chris Gayle for a wind of change. Gayle promptly served up a floating full-toss, which Smith smacked away with disdain on the way to his hundred.

Gibbs, meanwhile, was more watchful. He took 116 balls to reach his half-century, but he did it in style with a back-foot thump through the covers off another Edwards short ball. He then smeared Gayle over midwicket, later pulled Dillon for a huge six over deep mid-on, and eased to his hundred off a gentle Sarwan full-toss.

Smith and Gibbs carried on the charge, continuing to punish anything short in particular, and they soon had their sights on beating their own record stand of 368 against Pakistan at Cape Town last year. However, Collymore spared West Indies that embarrassment when Smith edged him behind to Ridley Jacobs for an outstanding 139, including 21 fours and two sixes (301 for 1).

Not long after Smith's wicket, at 5.05pm local time, the umpires offered Gibbs and Jacques Rudolph the light with 22.5 overs to go - and, rather surprisingly, they accepted with South Africa in total control of a completely one-sided contest

[couragous cloke]

hmmmm did i mention that i..... HATE CRICKET

That had to be the most frustrating performance with the ball i have Ever seen, our only real weapon fidel edwards was all over the place with the new ball, Merv bowled well to Gibbs early but no where near good enough. Vasbert was so STUPID when bowling to Smith, he did not learn his lesson after being hit for 3!! yes thats right 3 consecutive balls in the same area and the same result, 4 4 4.

There was 1 positive, yes thats right, I FOUND A POSITIVE out of that pathetic performance. Not many people would of seen it but i think i saw the coming of the next Westindian Captain! Ramnaresh sarwan last night showed me that he will most Definitely be the next captain. The only guy that didnt give up, the only guy talkin it up in the field (besides the yappy Ganga ) He was the only 1 that proved that he wasnt going to go down without a fight! For that i thankyou Sarwan, you gave me my only tiny bit of happiness last night.

And as for Lara... excuss me but WHAT THE F*** WERE U DOING sending a bowling line up like that in??? is that stupid or WHAT?! jesus christ that was a knife to the heart.

As for Day 2... should i torcher myself again and stay up tonight?? well unfortunatly the answer to that is yes. thats right.. Windies heart and soul no matter how pathetic our bowling is

[commonwombat]

CC,

Sarwan yr bright light eh!! He may be yr next captain but he didn't really help things by completely butchering yr best chance all day, the Smith run-out chance when the score was 54. Razor blades to wrists stuff that.

Just think, a very in-form Kallis and then Kirsten still to come. Don't fancy batting last on this track which is playing slightly livelier than normal and may get very irregular.

Pretoria wasn't really one of my old stamping grounds otherwise I could have recommended a local witchdoctor Brian and the boys could consult. An honourable draw in this one will be the very best they can hope for.

[The Prototype]

Looks like Lara should of batted, rather then bowled, I reckon South Africa will get close to 500, if they don't have a collapse.

[Donny]

Dave, they will get to 500 even with a collapse. Try 650 - 700


Gibbs goes to 150 and Sth. Africa is 1/330.

[commonwombat]

1/367 after 90 overs.

Gibbs 165 n.o from 289 balls; Rudolph 37 n.o off 80 balls.

[Donny]

Rudolph was bowled by Edwards for 37.

2/379. Gibbs is 179 n.o.

[Donny]

It's 4/495 with Kallis on 65 n.o. and McKenzie, 22 n.o.

Gibbs made 192 before falling to Sarwan (2/55) who also claimed Kirsten for 10.