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

[Donny]

At tea, it's 4/517 as Kallis (77 n.o.) moves ever closer to 4 centuries in 4 sucessive Tests.

McKenzie is 31 n.o.

[Donny]

Dillon finally gets a wicket. McKenzie for 40.

Sth. Africa is 5/532 and Kallis is 83 n.o.

[commonwombat]

Stumps West Indies 0/7

Sth Africa declared at 6/604. Kallis was 130 n.o, his 4th consecutive Test hundred and his series total of 712 runs has passed Ponting's recently set mark for a 4 Test series. Argue as you wish relative merits of attacks.

Again bad light stopped play early, a regular hazard on the high veldt and a frequent visitor to matches in Pretoria/Centurion and also Johannesburg.

[Donny]

Kallis breaks new ground as South Africa dominate

The Wisden Bulletin by Freddie Auld


South Africa continued their dominance – and West Indies' agony – in another emphatically one-sided day in the fourth Test at Centurion Park. After Herschelle Gibbs was eventually out for an authoritative 192, Jacques Kallis broke all sorts of records with a fourth consecutive century.

He remained unbeaten on 130 when Graeme Smith declared on a massive 604 for 6. West Indies held on to close at 7 for 0 before bad light stopped play.

Kallis's hundred broke countless records. He became the first South African to make four centuries in consecutive Tests, and he broke the record for the most runs in a four-Test series – beating Ricky Ponting's 706 in Australia's recent tussle against India.

He is also the first player to score hundreds in each Test of a series of more than three matches, and he joined an elite band of nine players to make it four in a row.

As usual, Kallis took his time to get a feel for the pitch, but he then exploded into life with a rasping hook for six off Fidel Edwards, and a pull for four the next ball. He cruised to his half-century from 82 balls, hitting five fours and that six along the way.

Most of his scoring shots came off the back foot through the legside, a good indication that the bowling was too short. As he approached three figures, he put away the big shots and instead ran the ones and twos with Mark Boucher. He was on 99 for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually square-drove Edwards for four to send Centurion Park into wild applause.

Kallis saluted the crowd and his team-mates with his bat aloft in one hand, and a bagful of records in the other. After his hundred, he cut loose, smacking Edwards for three boundaries in one Edwards over, and blitzing Dwayne Smith through the covers twice to take the total past 600.

In terms of the match though, Kallis's heroics provided the icing on South Africa's cake, which Gibbs provided the base of. He added 53 more runs to his overnight score with little fuss. He had fewer bad balls to play with than on day one, but he again latched on to anything short, cutting and pulling with authority.

However, as he approached his double-century, his hard-nosed innings came to the softest of endings. Ramnaresh Sarwan, bowling his part-time legspin, sent down a long-hop outside off stump which Gibbs guided to Daren Ganga at point (422 for 3).

Jacques Rudolph was also impressive, and coped well with the deliberate short-bowling from Edwards and Merv Dillon. He mixed solid defence with attack, hitting six boundaries. He had added 72 with Gibbs before Edwards gave his side something to shout about with the first breakthrough of the day.

Bowling round the wicket, he speared in an inswinging yorker which beat Rudolph's flat-footed defence and demolished the stumps (373 for 2).


Gary Kirsten was the only top-order batsman to miss out. Like Gibbs, he fell tamely to Sarwan. After he hammered a loose ball for six over deep midwicket, the next ball he patted back a full-toss straight to a delighted Sarwan (446 for 4).

Neil McKenzie took his time to get going, but then unveiled a string of classical drives in the V, as well as spanking Corey Collymore over deep square-leg for six. He continued to play well until Dillon got some reward for his efforts with his first success of the match. He got one to leave McKenzie off the pitch, and Brian Lara took a good catch low down at first slip (532 for 5).

Dwayne Smith also picked up his first wicket of the match – and of his Test career – when Boucher steered him to Edwards at fine leg for 13 (567 for 6). Boucher had kept Kallis good company, and he deserved to be there for the record-breaking moment, but instead he departed with Kallis on 99.

Graeme Smith declared with 13 overs remaining and the light becoming even gloomier. Ganga and Chris Gayle managed to survive for five overs before they went off for bad light, but it was another depressing day for West Indies. The attack at least managed to pick up five wickets today, and bowl tighter spells than yesterday, but they were still mostly unthreatening.

The floodlights were turned on as early as halfway through the morning session under the leaden skies as South Africa became only the second side in history to manage four consecutive first-innings totals of 500 or more. Lara will be hoping there's a light at the end of West Indies' dark tunnel.

[commonwombat]

WI 2/42 off 20 overs

Batsmen out.

Gayle c Kallis b Ntini 7 FOW 22; Sarwan b Ntini 13 FOW 37

Not out Gayle 10 and Lara 6. Ntini has 2/15 off 10 overs.

[Donny]

Gayle goes from 40 to 54 with 4 shots from 4 balls.

His partnership with Lara is 65 of which Lara has 19.

[commonwombat]

Lunch and WI are 3/139.

Lara was caught behind by Boucher off Nel for 34 in the last over before lunch. Gayle remains not out on 76 and Chanderpaul is yet to score.

Looks like a big survival mission is required.

[commonwombat]

Deeper in the fertiliser for the Windies.

Shortly after lunch, they lost their fourth wicket and the vital wicket of the well settled Gayle who gave up his wicket rather softly cutting straight to McKenzie giving Ntini his 3rd wicket. This was after Gayle had been given a life in the previous over when Kallis grassed him off Pollock's bowling.

Windies 4/147.

[Donny]

The Windies are 7/275 and battling to save the follow on. They still need 129.

Ntini (4/41) comes back on to warm up for the new ball and strikes, first ball. Drakes out for 35 and it's now 8/284

[commonwombat]

Stumps.

Windies all out 301. Gayle had top scored with 77. Ntini best figures 5/49.
Asked to follow on, they were 2/44 at the close.

Batsman out were Ganga for a duck and Lara for 6 (2nd time in 1 day to Nel's bowling, Ntini got Ganga). Ganyle is currently retired hurt. Not out batsmen are Sarwan on 7 and Chanderpaul on 12.

Of particular but sad news to CC would be a report on Cric-info of the dispute between Lara and chairman of selectors Sir Viv. This came to the head over the matter of Merv Dillon. Richards had not been impressed with Dillon's performances and figures on tour and he was not named in the side.

However Lara went out for the wicket inspection and at the toss, asked Graeme Smith for a pen, amended the team sheet then and there subbing Dillon in for Adam Sanford.

With this match looking increasingly down the spout, shit may not be the only substance hitting Windies fans post match.

[Donny]

West Indies stumble in follow-on

The Wisden Bulletin by Andrew Miller


Makhaya Ntini picked up his third five-wicket haul of the series, and Andre Nel began his honeymoon in fairytale fashion, as West Indies were forced to follow on in the fourth and final Test against South Africa at Newlands. By the close, they were slip-sliding to defeat, trailing by 259 runs and with Brian Lara back in the pavilion, after being dismissed by Nel for the second time in the day.

To make matters worse, Chris Gayle – the only batsman to carry the attack to South Africa with any success – was off the field after being struck by a rising delivery. West Indies' hopes rested with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had made 12, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was so chastised by a huge run-out chance when he had made 7, that he didn't dare add to his score before the close.

It was a day of almost unstinting success for South Africa. Ntini set the tone in the first hour of the day, after West Indies had resumed their first innings on 7 for 0. Daren Ganga squirted a sharp chance to Jacques Kallis at slip, and Sarwan played all round a full delivery to be bowled for 13, and at 37 for 2, the day had started ominously.

But Gayle, who galloped to a 78-ball hundred in the first innings at Cape Town, was again in a feisty mood, despite an uncannily quiet start to his innings. He was given his cue by Lara, who swatted Andre Nel over midwicket for six, and together they added 102 for the third wicket.

Gayle cracked three fours in an over from Andrew Hall, then repeated the dose with lunch approaching, as Kallis was sent whistling for three off the reel, in addition to the flick over the slips that Lara had already pulled off in the same over.

But that was as good as the partnership would get. Two balls later, and in the final over of the session, Lara nibbled at an off-stump delivery, for Mark Boucher to take a tumbling catch to his left. For the newly-married Nel, it was the most unusual, but most welcome, of wedding presents.

Their predicament got even worse straight after lunch. Gayle might have thought his luck was in when he was dropped in the first over of the resumption, but he immediately threw his wicket away with an airy waft off Ntini that flew at a comfortable height to Neil McKenzie at backward point (142 for 4). He had made 77 from 113 balls, and with him went West Indies' best hope of saving the follow-on.

Dwayne Smith flickered briefly. He took his time to get going, but the drinks interval singled a change of tempo. In particular, he enjoyed a fascinating duel with Kallis, who should have caught him at third slip when he had made just 9.

Smith flogged Kallis for consecutive fours in his seventh over, before rocking back to smear him over the midwicket boundary for six. Consecutive fours off Nel followed, and Smith looked to be up and away. But Kallis refused to lose his cool, and suckered Smith with a well-pitched up outswinger, and he couldn't help but nibble a simple catch through to Boucher for 39 (195 for 5).

Nel then returned to centre stage, as Chanderpaul was well caught by Shaun Pollock, low at second slip, and Jacobs waved an easy catch through to Boucher. Though Vasbert Drakes cracked the part-time bowlers for a belligerent 35 from 34 balls, he had no answer to the pace of Ntini. With the new ball imminent, he played around the perfect loosener, and snicked a thin inside-edge onto his stumps.

Two overs later, Ntini extracted Merv Dillon with one that kept disconcertingly low, and when Pollock wrapped up the innings by bowling Corey Collymore for a duck, Graeme Smith immediately enforced the follow-on, with South Africa still holding a commanding lead of 303.

Second-time around, West Indies batted like condemned men. In particular, Gayle had no stomach for a fight, and limped out of the action with an injury, after thumping two fours in his 14. His exit was immediately followed by Ganga's, who was bowled off the pads by Ntini for a seventh-ball duck. When Lara was trapped lbw by Nel, as he leapt across his stumps, West Indies were 32 for 2, and staring at a hefty defeat.

Although Sarwan and Chanderpaul carried them to the close without any more losses, a third defeat of the series should be a formality tomorrow.

[Donny]

Nel wrecks Lara's day

From correspondents in Centurion, South Africa - Fox

FAST bowler Makhaya Ntini claimed his third five-wicket haul of the series as South Africa took a major step towards victory on the third day of the fourth and final Test against the West Indies at Centurion Park.

Ntini took five for 49 and Andre Nel three for 64 as the West Indies were bowled out for 301, a deficit of 303.

Ntini also bowled Daren Ganga - his six wickets in the day took his total for the series to 27, a South African record for a four-Test series - and forced Chris Gayle to retire hurt at the start of the West Indian second innings.

Nel dismissed West Indian captain Brian Lara for the second time in the day.

The West Indies were 44 for two in their second innings at close of play, needing another 259 runs to make South Africa bat again. South Africa lead the series 2-0.

Gayle was struck a heavy blow on his abdominal protector when he missed an attempted leg-side shot against Ntini.

After lengthy treatment on the pitch he resumed batting only to call for more treatment in the next over from Shaun Pollock before leaving the field with his score on 14 and the total on 18.

In the following over, Ntini produced a vicious off-cutter to hit Ganga's off stump as the batsman went back in his crease to play a defensive stroke.

Nel replaced Ntini and for the second time claimed the prize wicket of Lara in the first over of a new spell when the West Indian star went across his stumps and failed to play a shot against a ball which cut back at him.

Ntini had the West Indies in early trouble in the first innings when he had Ganga caught at second slip and bowled Ramnaresh Sarwan to become the fifth South African to take 150 Test wickets.

Gayle and West Indian captain Brian Lara put on 102, the best partnership of the innings, before Nel had Lara caught behind for 34.

Gayle top-scored with 77 before being caught at backward point off Ntini. The tall left-hander, who made a century off 79 balls in the third Test, played a contrasting innings as he scored only 15 after facing 63 balls before the first drinks break of the day.

Then he went on the attack, adding another 62 runs off 50 balls. His innings included 14 fours and an off-driven six against Nel.

Nel featured on the front pages of local newspapers after dashing from Centurion to nearby Benoni after play on Saturday to marry Deanne Weitz.

The ceremony, planned last year, was put back by two hours to enable Nel to play in the Test.

Nel has dismissed Lara five times in the series, including the last four innings in succession.

Nel was unimpressive in his first spell of the day, conceding 33 runs in six overs, but was brought back for the last over before lunch and Lara, playing back, edged the second delivery low to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Nel later had Ridley Jacobs caught behind and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made second highest score of 42, caught at first slip by Shaun Pollock.

Dwayne Smith, who made a century on his debut in the third Test in Cape Town, was beaten frequently by Pollock but went on to hit 39, with eight fours, a six and a single, before edging a drive against Kallis to be caught behind.

Lower order batsmen Vasbert Drakes (35) and Mervyn Dillon (30) batted defiantly before being bowled by Ntini, Drakes in the last over with the old ball and Dillon in the second over with the second new ball.

[commonwombat]

Maybe the Windies raindance is paqying off or they did find a friendly witchdoctor.

Only 7 overs have been bowled so far today before rain stopped play. Currently it appears that the rain is settling in for quite a while and more rain is forecast for today and tomorrow (the scheduled last day).

[Donny]

It's 3/122 after 41 overs with Sarwan on 47 n.o. and Gayle, 28.

Chanderpaul made 27.

[Donny]

3/200 with Sarwan on 79 n.o. and Gayle , 71 n.o.

They are 100 behind and could yet make something happen.