THE 1 000-ODD spectators scattered in the Greenidge and Haynes, 3Ws and Party stands rekindled memories of the boycotted Test between West Indies and South Africa in 1992.But the West Indies batsmen hardly gave the die-hard fans who came to Kensington Oval yesterday to watch the start of the third Digicel Test, instead of staying at home and viewing World Cup football, anything to cheer.Batting first on winning the toss, after making a last-ditch scramble to field a team by hastily summoning Guyanese fast bowler Brandon Bess from the High Performance Centre at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies to the historic ground just before play started, West Indies rallied to an unsatisfactory first innings total of 231.
Strike backAt the close, the West Indies’ bowlers – with Kemar Roach and Sulieman Benn removing Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla respectively – had reduced South Africa to 46 for two with captain Graeme Smith not out on 35.Whereas Dwayne Bravo hit the top score of 61, which contained four fours and a six off 104 balls in 147 minutes, and Narsingh Deonarine contributed 46 laced with seven fours while occupying the crease for the same length of time, key batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and captain Chris Gayle didn’t carry on after reaching 22 and 20, respectively.The day started in dramatic fashion with the lanky Bess being rushed from his base at the 3Ws Oval, about three miles from the venue, to replace fellow pacer Nelon Pascal, who was expected to play but strained a neck muscle during the warm-ups prior to the start.
Disastrous startThe Windies started disastrously when recalled opener Dale Richards, playing his first Test on home turf, was trapped in front as he played slightly across a delivery from fast bowler Morne Morkel for a “duck”.Gayle played a couple of elegant drives off Dale Steyn but three runs short of 6 000 runs in his 88th Test, tried to cut a ball too close to him and chopped it onto his stumps.Chanderpaul and Deonarine carefully took the score to 76 for two at lunch but on resumption, the bent-elbowed off-spinner Johan Botha, who joined left-armer Paul Harris as the second spinner in the South African attack, made a telling triple strike to leave the West Indies on 105 for five.Botha, who ended with his best Test figures of four for 56, removed Chanderpaul through a stupendous, low left-handed catch by Jacques Kallis in the first over after lunch.In his next over, he won a controversial leg before wicket verdict against Brendan Nash, which was initially turned down by standing umpire Simon Taufel. South Africa challenged the decision and referred it to television umpire Asad Rauf, who convinced Taufel that he should reverse the decision. Nash was once again dismissed through the referral system.
Classic drivesDeonarine, who started to grow in confidence with some classic cover drives, moved to within four runs of a half-century when he swung across a delivery from Botha and was bowled.Bravo and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin revived the innings somewhat with a 76-run sixth-wicket stand during which the South African bowlers, particularly Kallis and Steyn, peppered the pair with bouncers.Ramdin, who made 27 off 71 balls with four boundaries, eventually fell to the trap as he couldn’t resist the temptation and miscued a hook off the slippery Kallis to long leg where Steyn held a low catch.Shane Shillingford then steered another lifting ball from Kallis straight to Botha in the gully, while Benn, who should be batting ahead of Shillingford, was greeted by a barrage of bouncers from Kallis.
More bouncersBenn hooked the second ball he faced over midwicket for six, only for Kallis to follow up with two more bouncers to end the over.When Steyn replaced Kallis, he immediately had Bravo caught at first slip by Smith, essaying a loose drive at a stage where he needed to shepherd the lower order.Roach followed three runs later, giving Steyn his third wicket with a snick to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher. Debutant Bess added 24 runs with Benn for the last wicket.Bess brought the crowd to life when he smashed Botha for a straight six and worked Steyn off his legs for four, while Benn lifted Botha for a four over extra cover and hoisted the same bowler for a six over long off. But, like most of his top-order teammates who lacked judgment with their shot selection, he injudiciously attempted a reverse paddle sweep and gloved the ball to Amla at short leg.With 14 overs left, the pacy Roach induced Petersen to sky a pull after Bess, who conceded 13 runs in his first over, was removed from the attack. Benn also struck with his first delivery as Amla cut him straight into Nash’s hands at point, but night watchman Harris survived to the close alongside his skipper.
