Windies keep series alive with high-scoring draw

Jun 23, 2010 Sports

By Sean Devers

When South Africa declared for the second time in the match mid-way into the final session of the 5th and final day yesterday, both captains agreed to call off the 2nd Digicel Test at Warner Park in St Kitts to leave the visitors leading 1-nil and the West Indies in a must-win situation in the final Test to draw the series in Barbados.

Resuming on 23-0, South Africa lost two quick wickets just before lunch but batted without much bother on the type of pitch that could condemn Test matches to boring, high-scoring draws, before declaring at 235-3.

First innings centurions Jacque Kallis (unbeaten on 62) and AB deVilliers (31 not out) batted out the entire 2nd session in an unfinished 104-run partnership in the drawn match which produced 1,324 runs and 19 wickets.

On a final day track still almost perfect for batting, overnight batsman Graeme Smith pulled Roach for four and on-drove him for another boundary while Alviro Petersen pulled the pacer for six as the visitors began the day with bright stroke-play in contrast to the West Indians, who batted cautiously for most of the 4th day.

With an unfit looking Ravi Rampaul joining Jerome Taylor and Ramnaresh Sarwan on the injured list, the West Indies were a bowler short yesterday and Smith brought up his team’s 50 with a savage cut for four off Shane Shillingford.

The Dominican off-spinner, however, got his revenge when the left-handed South African Captain, with scores of 90 in Trinidad and 132 in the first innings here, was caught behind by Denish Ramdin for 46 to leave with the score on 74-1.

Hasim Amla, who had an outstanding limited overs series, got his innings going with 3 delightful fours; two off consecutive balls from left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn behind point before Dwayne Bravo floored a ‘sitter’ at slip off Benn to let Amla (20) off at 102-1.

Watched by a handful of spectators in glorious sunshine, Petersen (39) and Amla (41) fell in the last two overs before lunch with the score on 131.

Amla was well taken at backward short-leg by substitute Daren Sammy off Shillingford, who continues to impress while Petersen was bowled by a perfect Yorker from Bravo, to leave the visitors on 131-3 at the interval.

After lunch, Jacque Kallis and AB deVilliers batted without much bother on a pitch which batsmen would love to carry around the world with them and bowlers would get nightmares dreaming about. By tea the tourists were 214-3 with Kallis on 50 and deVilliers on 22.

With the game going ‘nowhere’ in the final session, South Africa declared with less than an hour to go and both Captains agreed to call the game off denying Guyana’s Travis Dowlin the opportunity of batting a second time in what could be his last Test match.

Shillingford (2-80), in only his 2nd Test, was again impressive after taking 3 wickets in the first innings while Shiv Chanderpaul who converted his 22nd Test century into a valuable 166 on the penultimate day, was named Man-of-the-Match.

The final Test starts on Saturday at the Kensington Oval and on track which should produce pace and bounce, the contest between bat and ball is not likely to be as one-sided as it was here.