S/Africa destroy WI, keep Viv Richards Trophy

BRIDGETOWN: Fast bowler Andre Nel grabbed career-best figures of six for 32 to fire South Africa to a resounding win by an innings and 86 runs over West Indies, and with it the retention of the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy with more than a day to spare in the third Test yesterday. The South Africans took a 2-0 win in the four-match series after the home side, facing a deficit of 252, were bowled out for 166 in 54.2 overs, just under an hour after tea on the fourth day at Kensington Oval. The innings lasted four hours. Man-of-the-Match Nel, a tall, strong 27-year-old from Easterns in his 15th Test, jolted the batsmen with pace and accuracy on a pitch that remained good for batting.

Operating from the Joel Garner End at the north, he combined with new ball partner Makhaya Ntini to break the back of the early batting as West Indies limped to 17 for three. His victims included veteran left-handers Brian Lara (13) and captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul (31), whose fourth wicket partnership of 37 was the best of the innings. Fittingly, Nel ended the match by having Courtney Browne, who top-scored with an aggressive, career-best 68, caught at deep square-leg by Boeta Dippenaar to complete a match tally of ten for 88. It was the first time he had claimed ten wickets in a Test.

Browne’s only half-century in his 17th Test included four sixes and six fours. He batted for 110 minutes and faced 75 balls.  Earlier, South Africa carried their overnight 521 for eight to 548 for nine declared after extending the innings for 39 minutes. It was the seventh time including six in the last 11 years and four in succession that West Indies were beaten in 42 Tests at a ground where they have won 20 times dating back 70 years. Chanderpaul, in his third Test as captain since taking over from Lara at the start of the series, blamed the batting and inconsistent bowling for the defeat. “It was a fairly good wicket but we didn’t apply ourselves well enough. (There were) some bad shot selections,” Chanderpaul said. “Our bowlers were not consistent enough, putting the ball in the right areas.

Looking at the South Africans, they were on the areas there, creating uncertainty.” South Africa’s declaration came as soon as pacer Fidel Edwards struck Nel on the helmet with a bouncer. Daren Powell had removed Ntini, whose skied stroke to backward point was brilliantly caught by Dwayne Bravo sprinting from gully, after the No 10 batsman had added nine to his overnight seven. Nicky Boje scored 20 not out after starting the day on eight. West Indies’ second innings woes started in the sixth over when Chris Gayle edged Ntini to Smith at first slip after scoring five. It was his fourth consecutive score under ten for the series, leaving him with a wretched 12 runs at an average of 3.0.

Ramnaresh Sarwan badly misjudged the very next ball as he ducked while taking his eyes off and provided third slip in Herschelle Gibbs with a sharp catch. Then in the second ball of the next over, Wavell Hinds (11) was snapped up by Gibbs, again at third slip, as he pushed uncertainly at Nel. As was the case in the first innings, the focus turned to Lara and Chanderpaul in the hope that they would perform a rescue act.  The pair managed to take the score to 36 for three off 17 overs by lunch with Lara on five and Chanderpaul 13.

Chanderpaul twice cut Ntini for boundaries shortly after lunch and Lara soon brought the crowd to life with a drive to the mid-off boundary off Nel, followed by a spanking back foot cover drive in the next over from Ntini. But a probing Nel quickly sent a hush across the ground when he pierced Lara’s defence with the batsman shuffling across and umpire Billy Bowden adjudged him leg before wicket after a stay of 74 minutes during which he faced 46 balls. Lara fell in the fourth ball of Nel’s ninth over, and if only by sheer co-incidence, the fourth ball of his next over accounted for Chanderpaul, also leg before wicket, as he went back to one that kept  low. Chanderpaul batted for 83 minutes, 61 balls and struck six boundaries.