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A bizarre performance by the West Indies handed South
Africa their second win in as many Tests at the
Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, and with it,
the series. The first Test was drawn, and South
Africa won the next two to make the fourth and final
Test a 'dead' affair. Apart from Brian Lara's hundred
in the first innings, there was no real attempt by
the home team to level the series. The people of the
Caribbean are understandably livid with their cricketers.
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South Africa struck early through Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini to have the West Indies on the back foot right on the morning of the first day. Lara and skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul found themselves having to lead the fightback as early as the seventh over as West Indies were quickly reduced to twelve for three. The 138-run partnership for the fourth wicket remained the sole effort of note for the home team before Chanderpaul perished after a vital half-century to Monde Zondeki. If Nel led the early charge, it was Zondeki who came up with the laurels at the end with four wickets as well. West Indies lost as many as five wickets for only ten runs either side of dusk on day one and the early morning of day two to bring the innings to an abrupt end. Lara's 176 stood out as a lone effort.
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Graeme Smith led from the front with a 104 in the
first innings. |
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The manner in which West Indies succumbed without a
semblance of a fight in both innings puts Lara's
magnificence in perspective. The loss of the
captaincy after the sponsorship row has failed to
extinguish the fire in his belly. Lara brought up
his twenty-eighth Test century and his second
successive one of the series. While the other
batsmen had little to offer by way of resistance,
Lara was exuberance and confidence personified as he
played the cuts and pulls with a splendour akin only
to him. His flamboyance was a complete contrast to
the tame defence that his teammates had to offer. To
South Africa's credit, the bowlers stuck to their
plan, worked out the batsmen's weakness and were
rewarded with some injudicious stroke-play from the
West Indies top-order, who have flair, but lack
application. |
While the tame surrender in the first innings
meant that the West Indies shortchanged themselves
for only 296, faces in the stands turned morose as
the South African openers piled on the runs, albeit
in comparatively sedate fashion. Paying heed to the
notion of sticking to the crease resolutely, AB de
Villiers and skipper Graeme Smith were largely
undisturbed as they looked to rub salt into the
wounds. That effort yielded dividends despite fiery
spells from Fidel Edwards who sadly lacked an able
bowling partner. The South African duo piled on a
mammoth 191 run partnership. While Smith notched his
tenth Test century, it was the twenty-one year old de
Villiers who stood out for his majestic 178, which
was cut short by a dubious caught-behind decision
when play got underway on day three.
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From 253 for one on day two, South Africa piled on
the pressure with a fine comeback seventy-one from
Boeta Dippenaar who replaced an indifferent Jacques
Rudolph and a typically determined knock of
seventy-eight by Jacques Kallis. Day four proved to
be disastrous for the West Indies. Smith declared
at 548 for nine, 152 ahead.
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The home team went out without a fight as Ntini dismissed Chris Gayle and
Ramnaresh Sarwan off successive deliveries and waited for a potential hat-trick
while Nel sent Wavell Hinds on his way. West Indies never recovered from a
catastrophic nineteen for three. They lost Lara and Chanderpaul after lunch to
struggle at seventy-one for six.
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Courtney Browne tried to inject some fight into the innings, but the final
wicket fell at 166, courtesy Nel's praiseworthy spell of six fro thirty-two.
South Africa won by an innings and eighty-six runs to take an unassailable 2-0
lead in the series.
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