CENTURIES from Jacques Kallis (110) and A.B. de Villiers (135) have put South Africa firmly in control of this second Digicel Test match at Warner Park.
There was no collapse by the South Africans on Day 2 yesterday, and no spirited fightback by the West Indies bowlers. But by the time gloomy light ended play at 5:28 p.m, the home team had responded positively to a big run chase.
Captain Chris Gayle [42, seven fours] and Narsingh Deonarine [33, two fours, one six] batted through the last hour and a half of play as West Indies, replying to South Africa’s first innings of 543 for six declared, finished at 86 for one.
The challenging light and Dale Steyn’s searching short deliveries near the end did not shift a fully concentrated Gayle. His team could not afford the loss of another wicket with Travis Dowlin already a casualty.
The makeshift opener tried to be positive against his first Test nemesis Morne Morkel, pulling him for a boundary. But he was only ten and the total 13 when, as in Trinidad, Dowlin pushed at a delivery which was edged into the slip region, de Villiers at third slip holding the catch.
Deonarine was preferred to Brendan Nash at No. 3 this time and he has done the job so far, contributing two fours and a straight six off Paul Harris as he and Gayle raised the Windies 50 inside 12 overs. The partnership is now worth 75. But the job is far from done.
For most of the day, the barest consolation for Gayle’s side was not toiling under a sparkling sun. They felt the heat nevertheless.
In equal degrees of comfort, Kallis and de Villiers compiled their eighth and fourth centuries, respectively, against West Indies. These are opponents they know well and evidently enjoy playing against.
With conditions cool and the pitch accommodatingly placid, the pair snuffed out any hopes the fielding team may have had of getting a grip on the game with their fourth-wicket partnership of 138.It was a case of advantage, really. Kallis had 34 previous Test hundreds to prove his class and know-how. And resuming yesterday with a smoothly compiled 44 already to his name, a century was there for the taking.
Psychologically, it was going to take a quick couple of breakthroughs to get the West Indies into a more intense, purposeful mode. But Kallis and de Villiers made sure that did not happen. Gayle started with his most effective pair, Shane Shillingford and Sulieman Benn. But employing the sweep, Kallis the reverse as well, the pair saw them off in eight overs.
No way throughRavi Rampaul and Kemar Roach replaced them. But they could find no way through against batsmen who had set themselves to bat a long time.
Kallis and de Villiers batted through to lunch at 398 for three. With Kallis on 99 and de Villiers on 49, significant landmarks were in the offing after the break.
However, Kallis was kept waiting for two overs by Shillingford, the off-spinner delivering two maidens. But in the fifth over after lunch, Kallis got to the other end and stroked Benn to the backward point boundary to reach three figures.
However, the big man, having stroked 12 fours and hit one six in a knock that lasted 227 balls, did not go much further. Rampaul, at deep backward square, kept his eyes on the ball and held on to a swirling catch as Kallis top-edged a sweep at Shillingford. That left the total on 421 for four.
At that stage, South Africa’s top order had produced two century stands and two partnerships over 50. Yet Gayle, who used seven bowlers in all, never once tried himself.The fifth wicket, however, fell relatively cheaply when left-hander Ashwell Prince was caught at short midwicket by Gayle off Benn after a further 21 had been added.
Sharp workWicketkeeper Mark Boucher also did not last too long, as he was run out by Nash’s direct throw as he ran to the striker’s end on de Villiers’ run. It was sharp work from a cricketer who rarely lets himself down in the field, no matter the state of play.
Boucher had stayed long enough, however, to see his partner get to his century. A four and six off Benn took A.B. to his tenth Test ton.
It was an innings distinguished by pleasant footwork against the spinners. There was much cricket eye-food to savour as de Villiers won the battle against Shillingford, raising South Africa’s 500 with a six off him, and collecting another in the same over off a no-ball.
Only a toilet break that had de Villiers rushing from the field, and tea time slowed him down. While de Villiers was indisposed, Gayle sat on the turf waiting for the opposition’s next move. Eventually, his skipper Graeme Smith halted the innings with de Villiers on 135 (13 fours, six sixes).
West Indies were left with a minimum of 32 overs on the second afternoon to begin hauling in that mammoth total. They got through 24.
But Shillingford, 52 overs already under his belt in this match, does not see himself getting back into action soon.
“Given the way the wicket is playing, we as a team just need to go out there and bat and occupy the crease,” he said after play.At least, that is his hope.
