WI make solid reply to SA 561

JOHANNESBURG: The West Indies cricketers made a solid start in reply to South Africa’s massive first-innings total of 561 at the end of the second day of the First Test at the Wanderers yesterday. The tourists were 87 for one at stumps, 474 behind. Opener Daren Ganga was not out on 49 and Ramnaresh Sarwan unbeaten on 20. The West Indies’ immediate objective today will be to overhaul the follow-on target of 362. Earlier, Jacques Kallis completed his 12th Test century with 158 off 297 balls. His and captain Graeme Smith’s 132 on Friday were the backbone of South Africa’s first innings. South Africa had resumed on yet another sunny day on their overnight score of 368 for three, with Kallis on 87 and Martin van Jaarsveld on 69. It seemed South Africa would continue where they left off on Friday, when Van Jaarsveld clipped the fourth ball of the day from Mervyn Dillon through mid-wicket for four.

Just two balls later though, he failed to offer a shot to a fairly straight delivery from the same bowler and Australian umpire Darrell Hair had little hesitation in giving him out for 73, off 113 balls, and including 13 boundaries. Neil McKenzie joined Kallis, but, like his provincial teammate Jacques Rudolph on Friday, he failed to impress. He scratched around for most of his stay at the crease and it took him 19 deliveries to get off the mark. It came as no surprise, when after an hour of batting, he got a thin top edge while attempting to pull Fidel Edwards, giving wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs an easy catch to be out for just eight. South Africa lost their last five wickets in the second session. Mark Boucher was the sixth South African wicket, out for 27 thanks to a brilliant catch by Daren Ganga, who dived down low and to his right in the gully. Meanwhile, Kallis 12th Test hundred was another typically patient knock, which included ten fours and a six.

He surpassed 150 for the fourth time in his Test career, but could add just eight more runs before he bottom-edged a delivery from Dillon onto his stumps, having spent nearly seven hours at the crease. Pollock was out three overs later when he edged Wavell Hinds to Jacobs, and Andre Nel was bowled by Hinds next ball for a golden duck. A spirited last-wicket stand of 41 followed between Robin Peterson and Makhaya Ntini, with the latter hitting two fours and one massive straight six off Hinds in one over. But medium-pacer Hinds, who had been largely ineffectual for most of the innings, had the last word as he claimed the last South African wicket of Peterson for 25 to another catch by Jacobs. Ntini was not out on 22. Hinds proved to be the most successful of the West Indian attack, ending with three wickets for 79 in 17.4 overs, while Edwards, Dillon and Corey Collymore picked up two apiece. South Africa’s only success with the ball came in the 16th over of the West Indies innings when fast bowler Andre Nel found the thick outside edge of Hinds’ bat, with the catch flying at a comfortable height to Peterson at point. Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan eased the West Indies through to the close, with an unbeaten second-wicket partnership of 44. Neither looked too troubled, with Ganga surviving a leg before wicket appeal by Pollock when he had ten.