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WI v SA : Day 3

Monday, December 15 2003

A determined effort by the South African bowlers found Brian Lara at his destructive best today, as the West Indies managing to keep themselves in the first Test. Shaun Pollock juggled and dropped a catch off Lara when he was on 15 and by the close of play the West Indies captain stood unbeaten on 178. In an epic knock, Lara found dispatched 28 fours and 2 sixes.

The penultimate over of the day, bowled by Peterson, was taken for a Test record 28 runs as Lara belted out a sequence of 4,6,6,4,4,4 and Graeme Smith bewildered with his field placement. Indeed, not a man was back on the boundary by the close of the over. With that performance, Lara took the West Indies to within a run of avoiding the follow-on, which Dillon handled in the final over of play.

At the start of the day, Ganga and Sarwan resumed the chase with the tourists still needing 275 runs to avoid the follow-on. Sarwan (21) added a run to his overnight total before Pollock produced an unplayable delivery to have him caught behind. Ganga managed to get to 50 off 107 balls as the pre-lunch scoring was extremely cautious.

Immediately upon resumption, Ganga was out to a top-edged pull off Ntini for a hard-fought 61 - 141/3 and 221 runs away from the follow-on target. In-form Shivnarine Chanderpaul came to the crease but struggled against some sharp pace bowling, playing and missing several times. Lara accelerated with 18 runs from his first 9 balls after lunch and reached his half-century from 74 balls.

Throughout to the afternoon, Lara looked in complete control, except for the odd discrepancy, including an over against Kallis where he went for three consecutive cut shots, missing two and being dropped off the third. It was a extremely difficult chance to a flying Peterson. The so-called 'Prince' batted on and reached the milestone of his first Test hundred against South Africa, and his fifth of the year, having faced only 142 balls.

Chanderpaul and Lara added 125 runs (a new 4th wicket record for WI against SA) before the former was bowled by an enthusiastic Ntini for 34 - 266/4. Wicketkeeper, Jacobs (4) hit a boundary but was out soon after as Ntini had him caught behind - 278/5. The West Indies showed all the signs of a collapse, so common on the last ill-fated tour to South Africa.

However, experience in the form of Vasbert Drakes joined Lara and the two added a crucial 46 runs before Drakes was trapped in front by a deserving Kallis. All day Kallis and the rest of the South African attack put in a huge effort bowling purposefully whilst toiling on a decisively dead wicket. Now, the West Indies still required 48 runs to make the home team bat again and South Africa settled squarely into control.

With a handful of overs remaining in play, however, Lara changed that, seemingly wanting to start the fourth day's play without the concern of potentially following-on. Another personal milestone - 150 - soon came up as he hit Pollock for consecutive boundaries. Then, the unfortunate Peterson was made to look helpless as Lara charged down the track and hit him with timing and brutal power to race from 150 to 178 in the space of 6 balls.

Dillon, who had been comprehensively beaten by a series of Kallis deliveries in the previous overs, successfully negotiated the final over taking a couple of runs off it. The West Indies will resume on day four trailing South Africa by 198 runs at 363/6. With Lara is Dillon on 6 not out, with Edwards, Collymore and possibly Gayle to come. Gayle, who sustained a torn hamstring on day one, may or may not be called to bat but is available to do so, as more than 5 wickets have fallen in the innings.

Makhaya Ntini (3/72) is thus far South Africa's most successful bowler of the match, with Pollock (1/65), Nel (1/58) and Kallis (1/53) also contributing with a wicket each. The part-time spinners, Smith (0/17) and Peterson (0/76) were comfortably dealt with, surrendering 93 runs in 17 overs.

Match Summary:
South Africa 1st innings 561 ao (148.4 overs)
(JH Kallis 158, GC Smith 132, M van Jaarsveld 73, HH Gibbs 60)
(WW Hinds 3/79, M Dillon 2/96, FH Edwards 2/102, CD Collymore 2/118)
West Indies 1st innings 363/6 (121 overs)
(BC Lara 178 not out, D Ganga 61, S Chanderpaul 34)
(M Ntini 3/72, JH Kallis 1/53, A Nel 1/58, SM Pollock 1/65)

Posted by Liam