Kallis plunders 4th straight

CENTURION: Jacques Kallis made it four hundreds in four successive Tests as South Africa piled up 604 for six wickets before declaring on day two against West Indies at Centurion. Kallis hit an unbeaten 130 to set a new scoring record for a four-Test cricket series with his 712 runs at an average of 178, beating Australian Ricky Ponting’s 706. His innings followed a brilliant 192 by Herschelle Gibbs, the highest score by a South African against West Indies. West Indies negotiated five overs to reach 7-0 before bad light ended play. The premature finish enabled South African Andre Nel to head off for his wedding in Johannesburg, scheduled to take place an hour later. The home side began the day on 302 for one with Gibbs on 139 and he progressed smoothly to 150, which he reached after just under six hours at the crease.

The sole success for West Indies during the morning came when Jacques Rudolph (37) was beaten by a beautiful delivery of near yorker length from Fidel Edwards which swung in and uprooted the middle stump. But the wicket failed to disturb Gibbs’ composure and an effortless pick-up for six off Merv Dillon was the shot of the pre-lunch session. Kallis began his innings with the confident air of a man with three centuries already behind him in the series, although he was comprehensively beaten by a magnificent leg-cutter from Corey Collymore. His response was to clear the ropes with a pull off Edwards before glancing the next ball fine for four. Gibbs had a double century in his sights when he played a casual stroke to a wide ball from
Ramnaresh Sarwan with the total on 422, and Daren Ganga took a good catch moving to his right. Gary Kirsten’s appearance in the middle was brief and he departed for ten after playing too soon at a ball from leg-spinner Sarwan and giving a comfortable return catch. Neil McKenzie was caught off Merv Dillon for 40 after putting on 86 with Kallis and Mark Boucher (13) pulled a short ball straight to fine leg as he became Dwayne Smith’s first victim in Test cricket. But the stage belonged to Kallis, who reached three figures by square driving Edwards for his ninth four and added five more before Graeme Smith called a halt.

SOUTH AFRICA VS WEST INDIES
South Africa 1st Innings
(Overnight 302-1)

G.Smith c Jacobs b Collymore 139
H.Gibbs c Ganga b Sarwan 192
J.Rudolph b Edwards 37
J.Kallis not out 130
G.Kirsten c and b Sarwan 10
N.McKenzie c Lara b Dillon 40
M.Boucher c Edwards b Smith 13
S.Pollock not out 1
EXTRAS (B1, LB17, W12, NB12) 42
TOTAL (For 6 wickets dec — 158 overs) 604
Fall of wickets: 301, 373,-422, 446, 532,-567.
Did not bat: A.Hall, A.Nel, M.Ntini
BOWLING: Dillon 31-6-109-1 (NB1), Edwards 24-2-128-1 (NB2, W4), Drakes 33-5-101-0 (NB4, W1), Collymore 26-5-91-1 (NB1, W1), Gayle 7-0-39-0 (NB2), Sarwan 14-0-55-2 (W1), Smith 13-1-42-1 (NB2, W5), Ganga 10-0-21-0.
West Indies 1st Innings
 C.Gayle not out 4
 D.Ganga not out 2
EXTRAS (NB1) 1
TOTAL (For no loss — 5 overs) 7
To bat: R.Sarwan, B.Lara, S.Chanderpaul, D.Smith, R.Jacobs, C.Collymore, V.Drakes, M.Dillon, F.Edwards.
 BOWLING : Pollock 3-7-5-0 (NB1), Ntini 2-1-2-0.