‘Tadpole’ strikes double blow

CAPE TOWN: Dave Mohammed shook off the embarrassment of an early error and struck two decisive blows as South Africa suffered a mini-collapse in the closing minutes to leave honours almost even after the first day of the third cricket Test against West Indies at Newlands yesterday.

Making his debut along with Barbadian batsman Dwayne Smith in a team beset by injuries and inconsistency, the left-arm wrist-spinner trapped century-maker Jacques Rudolph leg before wicket and then bowled Neil McKenzie off the inside-edge for 76 in successive overs to claim his first wickets in Tests. Those successes, coming either side of Fidel Edwards’ dismissal of intended nightwatchman Paul Adams for a duck, saw the hosts slide from the comfort of 304 for three to 308 for six at stumps.

Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock will resume on the second day with Brian Lara expected to call for the second new ball, if this experienced pair of batsmen thwart Mohammed. The hosts remain hopeful of a total in excess of 400 to justify Graeme Smith’s decision to bat first as Jacques Kallis, who retired hurt on 23 after taking a painful blow on the right forearm off Edwards, will resume his innings at the fall of the next wicket as an x-ray revealed severe bruising, but no fracture.

The first bowler of his type to play for the West Indies since fellow Trinidadian, the late Inshan Ali, played his last Test in 1977, Mohammed needed courage and determination to keep his spirits up after he dropped a straightforward catch when Herschelle Gibbs, then on 22, guided a delivery from Edwards straight to gully. Fortunately, unlike in the Second Test in Durban, the error did not prove expensive as Gibbs had advanced by just another 11 runs when he edged Adam Sanford to the wicketkeeper to break an opening partnership of 70 with his captain.

The Dominican-born fast bowler’s retention in the side at the expense of Mervyn Dillon was further justified when he also removed Smith 20 runs later, the South African skipper’s fallibility outside the off-stump once again exposed with an indecisive push giving Lara the catch at first slip to end his innings at 42. Mohammed and Chris Gayle, back in the team despite not fully recovering from a left hamstring tear, offered a different challenge to the South Africans on a pitch that is expected to be at its best for batting over the first two days before anticipated deterioration gives the spinners greater influence. So often a quiet, sometimes nervous starter, Kallis’ first five scoring shots were boundaries, but an attempted hook at Edwards resulted in the injury that forced him to leave the field after first receiving lengthy treatment.

Rudolph, who had been advised by chairman of selectors Omar Henry at the start of the series that he was being given the chance to cement the number three spot in the order, was working assiduously towards that objective at the other end. Playing with greater assurance and fluency, the 22-year-old left-hander from Pretoria added another 42 runs for the third wicket with Gary Kirsten before the veteran of 97 Tests slashed at a short delivery from Edwards and Sanford held the catch on the third man boundary. At 162 for three in mid-afternoon, the West Indies were in the contest, only to fade as the fourth-wicket pair of Rudolph and McKenzie added 142 runs with increasing confidence. The Northerns teammates hardly ever looked troubled by any of the bowlers, and such was Rudolph’s determination to carry on after reaching three figures that he barely acknowledged the rousing ovation of the 17,000-plus crowd after a single off Sanford took him to his second Test century in 236 minutes off 196 deliveries.

Having taken two fearful blows on the helmet from the fiery Edwards and almost being run out on 99, Rudolph fell short of his next immediate goal of reaching the close unbeaten. A missed attempt at swinging Mohammed over square-leg for a 14th boundary brought about his demise, triggering the slide. In a move that appeared puzzling in light of South Africa’s still healthy position, Adams was sent in but lasted only four deliveries before being bowled by a searing yorker from Edwards. When McKenzie, whose 165-minute innings was highlighted by ten fours and a straight six off Mohammed, played on to the same bowler in the next over, West Indies were jubilant. They will need to maintain that enthusiasm on the second morning to further restrict South Africa’s progress as the absence of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who could not recover sufficiently from a thigh strain, has left the visitors’ batting line-up without one of its more solid and consistent contributors.