Skipper Smith hit by bouncer in nets

SOUTH AFRICAN captain Graeme Smith is very doubtful for today’s second Digicel Test at the Queen’s Park Oval. He was struck on the chin by a bouncer during a net session yesterday and was rushed to the hospital for treatment, and received stitches. Both teams are expected to announce their final starting eleven this morning shortly before the start. West Indies will be at full strength for this vital game, and will be aiming to beat the South Africans and take the lead in the four-Test series. Having secured a mammoth first innings advantage and had the over-confident South Africans fighting for all they were worth to avoid defeat in the First Test at Bourda, revealed the intensity and determination that newly-appointed captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul and coach Bennett King has instilled in the West Indiand players as they strove to restore pride among all West Indian peoples and supporters of West Indies cricket.

The South Africans would have gained significantly from the drawn match and their confidence should be soaring. But with the return of seasoned West Indian campaigners Christopher Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo and multi-world record holder Brian Lara to the team would definitely add more substance, experience and class to the batting line-up which established a new record innings total of 543 for six wickets declared. Skipper Chanderpaul and attacking opener Wavell Hinds displayed tremendous powers of concentration and grit as they dominated the South Africans bowlers and shared in a new record fourth wicket partnership worth 284 worth. Hinds played with such authority and boldness and smashed the red cherry for 34 blistering fours and two huge sixes in his new highest individual Test career score while skipper Chanderpaul did likewise and entered his name indelibly into the record books with the first ever unbeaten double century by a debutant captain.

Chanderpaul recorded an unbeaten 203, his 12th Test triple-figure and he then marshalled his limited bowling resources to limit South Africa to 188 in their first and had it not been for those dropped catches, the visitors might have entered this Test being one down. However, they escaped the ignominy of defeat to a weakened West Indies team and it was their ever reliable world class batsman Jacques Kallis who rode his luck and took capital advantage to register his 21st Test century. He was crucially dropped at 22 by wicketkeeper Courtney Browne off the unused leg-spin bowling of skipper Chanderpaul who appeared to deceive both Kallis and Browne with the generous bounce and turn that he extracted in his first try to break the threatening partnership.

Both teams will be energised as they enter a new contest and on a pitch which has been conducive to outright results. The big question is which team will take full advantage of the conditions and the opportunities during the different phases of what should be an enthralling battle for superiority. Both teams return with some familiar and established players from the 2001 encounter at the Oval where the visitors rallied on the last day and snatched a series leading victory by 69 runs. Hinds, Gayle, Lara and Sarwan were members of that West Indies team while South Africa returns with Herchelle Gibbs, Kallis, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje and Makaya Ntini. WI will depend on quickies Pedro Collins, Daren Powell, Reon King and Dwayne Bravo coupled with Gayle’s off-spinners to gain victory.

Teams:
WEST INDIES (from): Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Courtney Browne , Wavell Hinds, Christopher Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Donovan Pagon, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Powell, Pedro Collins, Reon King and Dwight Washington.
SOUTH AFRICA (from): Graeme Smith (capt), Nicky Boje, Abraham de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Herchelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Andrew Hall, Boet Dippenaar, Andre Nel, Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini and Monde Zondeki.
Umpires: David Shepherd (England), Aleem Dar Pakistan). TV replays: Billy Doctrove. Reserve: Terrence Birbal (TT).
Match referee: Jeff Crowe.