Bess becomes 2nd Berbician Test pacer, but Windies’ struggles continue

Jun 27, 2010 Sports

Brandon Bess is welcomed to international cricket

By Sean Devers
In association with Caribbean Airlines

South Africa were 46-2 replying to West Indies’ 231 after the opening day of the 3rd Digicel Test at the Kensington Oval here yesterday on another day dominated by the tourist in the final match of what has been a one-sided series.
Skipper Graeme Smith, who scored 90 in the first test in Trinidad and a century in St Kitts, is already looking ominous on 35 while night watchman Paul Harris is unbeaten on two.
West Indies encountered problems even before a ball was bowled yesterday. Injury has dismantled the West Indies seam attack and with Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Ravi Rampaul, Daren Sammy and Nelon Pascal all on the injured list, Brandon Bess, the 22-year-old fast bowler from Rosignol in West Bank Berbice, joined John Trim as the Berbician fast bowlers to play Test cricket.
With 30 wickets from 18 First-Class games and no First-Class cricket since his match against Zimbabwe for the Windies ‘A’ team in Grenada in April, Bess arrived at the ground after being awoken at the High Performance Centre with the news of his selection. He arrived minutes before the game began to replace Pascal, who collapsed 5 minutes before the toss with a strained neck muscle and was taken to hospital by Ambulance.
With Sammy pulling out a day before the final Test began due to a thigh strain, the home team, with just a single victory here in seven years (they beat Pakistan in 2005) were further affected by Pascal’s injury and the late call-up of Bess could have influenced Gayle’s decision to bat first.
On a pitch with some bounce, the Regional side were in early trouble when Dale Richards, who replaced Travis Dowlin, failed to make a difference to the West Indies fortunes at the top of the order when he was leg before to Morne Morkel for a duck at 12-1.

Johan Botha troubled West Indies after lunch

Gayle smashed Dale Steyn to the cover boundary but was soon bowled by the fast bowler for 20 as West Indies, who have not beaten South Africa at any level in 17 matches since their Test win in 2007 in St Elizabeth, slipped to 21-2.
The Guyanese pair of Shiv Chanderpaul and Narsingh Deonarine joined forces in glorious sunshine to see their team to 76-2 by Lunch with Chanderpaul on 22 and Deonarine on 28 and their partnership worth 55.
Off-spinner Johan Botha, who finished with 4-56, struck with the 4th ball after the interval when Kallis held a one-handed catch at slip to remove Chanderpaul without addition to the Lunch time score. Brendon Nash, who like Chanderpaul scored a century in the drawn 2nd Test in St Kitts, did not last long. He was adjudged leg before to Botha at 90-4 after a ridiculously long 6-minute delay after the South Africans referred the ‘not out’ on-field decision.
An impetuous pull to a ball too close to him resulted in Deonarine being bowled by Botha when 4 away from consecutive fifties as West Indies slipped to 105-5.
With rain, like most of the West Indian fans, nowhere to be seen at Kensington yesterday, the South Africans must have been at that time harbouring hopes of a second four-day win in the series.
Ramdin, struggling for form and confidence, joined his countryman Bravo to take their team, trashed by 163 runs in Trinidad in the opening Test, to 159-5 by Tea.
Bravo reached his 13th Test half-century 16 minutes into the finals session.
With the interest for the Football World Cup much higher than for this Test match, even at the ground, West Indies, who had not lost a single Test here between 1948 and 1993, progressed to 181 after the break before South Africa, who hammered them by an innings and 86 runs in their last Test here in 2005, made the break through. With the partnership worth 76, Bravo looking set and Ramdin (27) surely batting for his place, Ramdin’s reckless hook at a bouncer he was never in control of told the story of the mental ineptitude and the consistently poor shot selection generally displayed by most present West Indies batsmen.
Ramdin’s hook was taken at long-leg after Kallis, on a slow pitch, had him ducking and hooking at the same time off the previous delivery. Shane Shillingford, who took his eye off a bouncer and was hit, was soon taken at gully for a duck as Kallis struck again to leave the score on 187-7.
Suleiman Benn pulled Kallis for a savage six and the pacer responded with three consecutive shorts balls as the over ended with a verbal confrontation between Benn and Kallis.
When Steyn removed Bravo, who hit four fours and a six in his 147-minute 61 at 204-8, South Africa were in the driver’s seat. Steyn had Roach (2) caught behind at 207-9 and greeted Bess with nasty bouncer first ball, before the debutant smashed Botha for a thumping straight six and after not exactly getting behind Steyn’s short balls, flicked him for four when he pitched up, to reach double figures in Test cricket.
Benn clobbered Botha over cover for four and dumped him for six off consecutive balls but a shocking attempt at a reverse sweep next ball emphasized the nonsensical approach to representing their country shown by most West Indies Cricketers as Benn was caught at bat/pad for 24 leaving Bess unbeaten on 11.
When South Africa replied, Bess’ first over cost 13 runs including three fours although the third boundary was a moral victory for the Guyanese, as it sneaked past the off stump off the under edge to fine leg.
Roach struck in his 2nd over when Alviro Petersen (1) was taken at short mid-wicket off a good bouncer to leave the score on 17-1. Shillingford replaced Bess after just 2 overs and Benn got rid of Hasim Amla (5) with his first ball at 41-2.
Harris survived some anxious moments towards the close and the pressure will be on the hosts to make further inroads today as South Africa only need a draw to maintain their 18-year unbeaten record in a series against the West Indies.
Scores: South Africa 46 for 2 (Smith 35*) trail West Indies 231 (Bravo 61, Botha 4-56, Steyn 3-37) by 185 runs.