RARELY DID THE SUN break through the clouds yesterday at Warner Park. The West Indies cricket team had just as much difficulty against the South African batsmen.Graeme Smith made his seventh century against the Windies as his side reached 296 for three on the first day of this second Digicel Test match.But he and his teammates benefited from a ragged display in the field by the home team.Two catches were put down by the West Indies’ two most senior players, captain Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, on yet another day when wickets were hard to come by on a placid pitch.They were misses that proved costly and were guaranteed to leave the mood of the West Indian players as bleak as the Basseterre sky.Missed twiceSmith himself was missed twice.A jumping Chanderpaul at square leg could not hold on to a top-edged sweep in the second hour after lunch when Smith was 79. Then, after tea when Smith was 112, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin failed to hold on to an outside edge off Shane Shillingford’s bowling.In the first hour after lunch, Hashim Amla who eventually made 44, was put down at first slip by Gayle off Kemar Roach when he was 14. It was a miss that came at a time when the young fast bowler – back in the side after injury, replacing Nelon Pascal – was in the midst of a promising spell. Struggling from morning with no-ball problems, his effort could have been influenced for the better by that wicket.Misses like those from the team leaders have condemned the West Indies to defeat in the past. Such lapses sap morale. This side cannot afford any more depletion of confidence, not if they want to avoid losing the series here.But they seemed to be setting themselves up for just such an outcome yesterday.“It has been a tough day, and overall, we sort of expected that. “Looking at the wicket this morning and losing the toss, we knew we would have to come out and bowl with some accuracy and some patience and unfortunately we did not show that often enough,” noted West Indies coach Ottis Gibson after play.He also rued the dropped catches.“When things are going difficult, especially for the bowlers, the bowlers need the fielders to take hold of those chances. There were three dropped chances and a couple of half-chances with run-outs. We’re doing it in patches, but we’re not able to do it consistently at the minute.”It was no surprise that Smith chose to bat first after he won the toss. An easy-paced pitch gave the South Africans the opportunity to dictate the pace with a big first innings total.That they are well on their way to doing so, however, is no fault of Shillingford. While Roach had his problems, Ravi Rampaul was again ineffective and Dwayne Bravo there and there abouts, off-spinner Shillingford (31-1-91-2) was again a problem the South Africans couldn’t quite solve.He and orthodox left-armer Sulieman Benn were again the West Indies’ best bowlers. But Shillingford, in his second Test was to the fore yesterday.The South Africans tried not to let the spinners settle. Smith greeted Shillingford with a six over long-on in his first over and Alviro Petersen (52, three fours, two sixes) put him over the boundary in his second. Benn also conceded a six to Petersen in his first over, as the openers posted 99 for the first wicket.But having just got his 50, Petersen top-edged a sweep off Shillingford and Roach at deep backward square completed a well-judged two-handed catch diving forward.Again, Shillingford’s length was spot-on and while not a big turner, he turned the ball sufficiently that the batsmen were never able to dominate him.But Shillingford’s fielders did not support him. Both of Smith’s chances came against the Dominican. The South African skipper took advantage of the first chance to reach his 21st century in Tests, with three off Narsingh Deonarine, the fifth bowler used.In that period, Smith shared in a partnership of 112 with Amla. The latter, who failed in both innings in the first Test, never really looked settled. He could not capitalise on his left-off by Gayle, and ten runs after that escape, he edged Shillingford to Bravo at slip in what was the bowler’s first over of a new spell.South Africa went to tea in comfort at 237 for two. Jacques Kallis joined his captain before the break and quickly moved to 22 with two fours and a six.After tea, Smith eventually got up to 132 (nine fours, three sixes, 238 balls) before Roach had success, having the big left-hander playing onto his stumps as he attempted a pull shot.Smith and Kallis had added a further 72 for the third wicket.But South Africa’s progress in the final session was comparatively slow, hindered somewhat by poor light that trimmed four overs from the day.
TEST SCOREBOARD:
SOUTH AFRICA 1st innings*G. Smith b Roach 132A. Petersen c Roach b Shillingford 52H. Amla c Bravo b Shillingford 44J. Kallis not out 45A.B. de Villiers not out 7Extras (lb2, w2, nb12) 16 TOTAL (3 wkts – 86 overs) 296To bat: A. Prince, +M. Boucher, P. Harris, D. Steyn, M. Morkel, L. Tsotsobe. Fall of wickets: 1-99 (Petersen), 2-211 (Amla), 3-283 (Smith).Bowling: Roach 14-2-45-1, Rampaul 6-0-32-0, Benn 18-3-64-0, Bravo 14-2-42-0, Shillingford 31-1-91-2, Deonarine 3-0-20-0.WEST INDIES – C. Gayle (captain), T. Dowlin, B. Nash, S. Chanderpaul, N. Deonarine, D. Bravo, +D. Ramdin, S. Shillingford, S. Benn, K. Roach, R. Rampaul.Toss: South Africa.Umpires: Asad Rauf, Simon Taufel; TV – Simon Davis.Match referee: Jeff Crowe. (CMC)
