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[Affiliate Program]
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Test #1534 West Indies vs South Africa at Guyana. Report by Timothy Myers. West Indies vs. South Africa 1st Test Windies, Outwitted, Outplayed, Outlasted A busy and bustling crowd greeted the tourists to the Guyana in pure Windies fashion. Colour. life and excitement overflowed as Guyana’s favourite son, Carl Hooper, walked out for the toss of the coin, with foe Shaun Pollock. Thirty-Four year-old Hooper had not played international cricket in three years but was put in the selection mix after completing a combination of centuries, half-centuries and double-centuries. Hooper won the toss and sent the Proteas to field, chancing his arm with his recently feeble batting line-up on a juicy track which looked jam-packed of runs. A passionate Shaun Pollock had a point to prove and set about a rampaging set of deliveries, finally removing dashing, young batsmen Chris Gayle with his uninterrupted line and length, Boucher taking the outside edge. Donald, not to be outdone, took advantage of Wavell Hinds’s lack of footwork, the promising opener not picking the Donald slower ball trapped in front and West Indies were teetering at 2/3. Bringing the West Indies idol, Brian Charles Lara to the stage… Lara and his partner youthful all-rounder Marlon Samuels set off repairing the damage caused by the initial onslaught. After a sluggish leisurely start Lara and Samuels got to business after Pollock was unlucky to collect a Leg-Before decision on Samuels. They began to create singles, a turn singles to doubles, bringing on Makhya Ntini and Lance Klusener to bowl, but they managed to safely construct a fifty run partnership before Lunch. Samuels and Lara continued to dab the odd single away, as veteran Kallis, aggressive Klusener and bouncy off-spinner Boje wavered in line and length, giving West Indies batsmen easy runs. Eventually after many dropped catches and close LBW shouts Boje had his man, Lara, caught and bowled Boje for 72, part of a 121 run partnership with Samuels. Soon Samuels departed for 45, slashing at a moving ball outside off-stump, giving Boucher his second catch. That brought out the local hero Carl Hooper with his protégé Ramnerish Sarwan, but soon Boucher had a third man out swiping and Sarwan’s blasting inning was over for 23, bringing a premature tea. After the interval Hooper plastered Ntini while quiet Jacobs, the soft ball pass. Jacobs survived a close shout, as he and Hooper entrenched themselves ready for the new ball. Pollock and Donald were back for the new ball, first Hooper misread a ball from Pollock, through to Boucher for his fourth, gone for 38. Then Jacobs, lobbed one back to Donald and was dismissed for a defensive 25. The onslaught continued as McLean (12), Remnarie (0), and Dillon (4) were all dismissed, to the pace duo, until stumps. Third ball on the second day Walsh was out and Hooper’s men found themselves defending a paltry 242, the last five falling for 17. Walsh and Dillon held nothing back Gibbs dismissed on his first delivery. Kallis and Kirsten built a solid foundation, when Kallis (30) skyed one to Dillion, Gary Kirsten saw the rest of the side crumbled around him. Cullinan (4), McKensie (10), Boucher (7), Klusener (12) falling to the line, length and pace of the trio, Walsh, McLean and Dillon. That bought Nicky Boje to the crease to join the left-handed Kirsten on 43 and things on dire straits as South Africa slumped to 6/111. Boje and Kirsten attacked Remenarie, also playing in his first test in quite sometime, but Boje came unstuck on 32 playing all around a delivery from McLean, the umpire outrageously turned down the appeal and Boje’s onslaught continued. The fifty partnership was completed with Boje completing 35 himself. At tea South Africa had stealthfully crept ahead in the test and had two accomplished batsmen at the crease, at 6/170 things looked almost level. Masses of attack were disposed of by Boje, the attacking all-rounder scoring 73 of the 100 run partnership. Just after that McLean dropped the danger-man Boje, punished several balls later by a punishing cover-drive, the highlight of his innings. Boje’s array of elegant stroke play and perfected timing diverted attention away from Gary Kirsten’s sterling defence keeping out the aggressive McLean and Walsh. Soon after the 150 partnership was posted the Windies took the new-ball hoping for wickets, all they found was an even more determined Boje turning over 100 and an even more defensive Kirsten who failed to complete his 100 before stumps, occupying the 90’s for over one and half hours. New day, same story Boje slapping Walsh for a first ball four the same treatment for his third. Quarter of an hour into the day Boje had raced to 119 and Kirsten had posted his long-awaited ton (off 250 deliveries). Kirsten then took over the aggression role three fours in an over to bring up the 200 run partnership and to place South Africa in a commanding position. Soon it would pay Kirsten trying to caress a short ball but mistimed it finishing in the hands of Jacobs, completing his great innings of 118 (274 balls and 11 4’s). Walsh pinned Boje and Pollock down, but eventually a very awkward 50 run partnership was produced by the two all-rounders. Pollock wound up and started to attack before lunch, luckily escaping a Gayle dropped catch. What a difference a day makes 5/81 morphed into 7/411. The tempo of the game had changed the Proteas wanted to only bat once, yesterday, the West Indies were thinking about that. Another hundred partnership up Pollock and Boje this time, and it almost ended soon after but McLean dropped another Boje chance this time a real dolly, McLean scoffed by the Guyana crowd. Scoring only three runs in over half an hour Boje snapped poking his outside off-stump giving Wavell Hinds a diving chance to his left, glasped in one hand Hinds raised his hands triumphantly, Boje’s great inning over, 183 of only 301 deliveries, divine strokes, caressing drives this inning had it all, it grabbed the Proteas by the scruff of the neck and dragged them home. Donald was dropped early and he hand his bowling partner Pollock stumbled there way through to tea. A total of thirteen overs lost to rain, and that time playing cards in the dressing room didn’t help Pollock (61) dismissed 5th ball back. Donald fell soon after for 8, all out for 447. Chasing 215 to make the Stokke-Bokke bat again. Gayle (5) trapped in front by Donald. Hinds (1) joined him back in the pavilion, placing the demands on Samuels and Lara yet again. Lara faced 13 deliveries before he got a scorcher from Pollock, edging through to Boucher, giving Pollock his 7th wicket and Boucher his 6th dismissal. Samuels in his dogged form again batted out the day with Sarwan. Windies at 3/36 struggling to get back on level terms, South Africa ready to pounce. Pollock and Donald tied West Indies with line and length, an hour into the day Pollock was certain he had Samuels LBW, but the umpire turned him down yet again. Sarwan (13) fell to Boje, and Samuels (45) gave Kallis his 7th dismissal of Kallis, just before lunch. With Hooper scoring the runs at one end, Jacobs awkwardly stonewalled, but the inevitable happened, Pollock caught him in front. McLean (12) sought to emulated Nicky Boje and was aggressive until dismissed, bowled Pollock. Somehow the Windies defend until tea, Hooper on 49. Hooper had, unlike his teammates, been on top of the ball, but the new ball had him unstuck. Hooper (53) caught Boucher (8th dismissal) off the bowling of Donald. West Indies had played their last card. McLean and Walsh attempted in vain to make 40 runs required to avoid the follow on, to no avail. A great victory to South Africa. Although Marlon Samuels and Carl Hooper can hold their heads up high. Pollock, Boje, Kirsten and Boucher killed the Windies in one of the greatest games for South Africa. 3 PTS : Nicky Boje |
Revised:
Saturday, 16 March 2013. |
