Great Christmas gift as Windies register historic win in S/Africa (Part 16)

Sep 29, 2016 Sports

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By Sean Devers
With just two Tests wins in five years and not a single ‘away’ victory against any opponent ranked higher than them in almost eight years, the West Indies were not expected to put up a challenge to Number two ranked South Africa when the three-Test series began on Boxing Day 2007 in South Africa.
While the return of Lloyd as Manager was expected to inspire the team, Australian John Dyson was making his debut as West Indies Coach, Gayle (standing in for injured Sarwan) was captaining the team for the first time in a Test and the West Indies had just been beaten inside three days by South Africa ‘A’ in their only two innings match preceding the first Test.
On their two previous tours to South Africa, West Indies were mauled 5-0 in 1998/99 and only a debut ton from Dwayne Smith saved them from seven consecutive defeats when they drew the third test on the 2003 four-Test tour which they lost 3-nil. Prospects of a revival looked bleak.
A belligerent 66 from Gayle, a responsible 94 from Samuels and another diligent performance from the dependable Chanderpaul, West Indies reached 408.
Chanderpaul continued from where he left off in the English series with his 17th Test hundred and joined former West Indies great Sir Everton Weeks and Andy Flower of Zimbabwe as the only batmen to register seven successive Test scores of over 50.West Indies dismissed the host for 195 as Bravo (4-24), Taylor (3-46) and Powell (3-58) rocked the South Africans.
Opting not to enforce the follow-on, West Indies fell cheaply in their second innings giving South Africa a victory target of 389 runs.
Despite fifties from Kallis and AB DeVilliers, the home team lost by 127 runs with a day to spare as another consistent and united display gave the Caribbean side a historic win and their fans a great Christmas gift. It was their first Test victory in 31 months.
The Caribbean unit began 2008 in horrendous fashion, losing the 2nd Test by seven wickets to South Africa although Samuels made a half century and Chanderpaul scored an unbeaten 65 and followed it up with 70 not out in the second innings. In the 3rd and final Test, Windies suffered a crushing innings & 100 runs defeat to the host despite a second innings ton from Samuels.
Sri Lanka journeyed to the West Indies in March 2008 and the home team lost the opening Test, in Guyana by 112 runs when Providence made its debut as a Test venue.
Centuries from Malinda Warnapura and Mahela Jayawardene powered the Asians to an imposing 476-8 declared in their first innings to set up the win despite classy fifties in both innings from Sarwan.
Dwayne Bravo opened the innings in place of Chris Gayle who batted at number four in the second innings after repeated failures against left arm pacer Chuminda Vass and both batsmen registered second innings 50s in a losing cause.
West Indies leveled the 2-Test series in Trinidad with a 6-wicket win as Sarwan led the fight with a half century in the first innings and 102 in the 2nd when Chanderpaul notched up an unbeaten 86.
When Australia visited the West Indies in May 2008 they began with a 95-run win with Ricky Ponting scoring a first innings ton.
Chanderpaul responded with 118 in the first innings but nobody else reached double figures in the second innings as the host crashed to defeat in Jamaica.
The 2nd Test in Antigua was drawn with Chanderpaul scoring an undefeated century in the first innings and Sarwan hitting a second innings 128.
The final Test in Barbados saw the Aussies taking the series 2-nil when they inflicted an 87-run victory over the hosts, despite another unbeaten 79 from Man-of-the-series Chanderpaul, (not dismissed until the last day of the series for 50). He had batted for over 1,000 minutes without being dismissed.
West Indies travelled to New Zealand for their final Test series in 2008 and pacer Jerome Taylor hit a blistering 107-ball 106 to earn the Caribbean team a draw in the first Test.
Chanderpaul with an unbeaten 126 in the first innings and Gayle’s pugnacious 197 in the 2nd ensured a second Test draw in the last match for the year. The 2-Test series was drawn.
West Indies began 2009 with the first Test in Jamaica against England in February and home team give the fans in the Region a tremendous New Year’s gift with an emphatic innings and 23 runs victory.
Taylor captured eight wickets in the match including a five-wicket haul in the second innings, while Benn had two four-wicket hauls. Sarwan and Gayle scored high class hundreds in the West Indies’ only innings.
The second Test in Antigua was condemned to a draw because of a substandard outfield at the Sir Vivian Richards ground and the third Test was shifted to the ARG, also in Antigua. Sarwan made 94 in the first innings in the drawn match.
The fourth Test in Barbados produced a runs feast with England amassing 600-6 declared, while West Indies responded with 749-9 declared. Sarwan fashioned an elegant 291 and Ramdin supported with 166. Not surprisingly the game ended in a draw.
The fifth Test was drawn in Trinidad with Gayle, Nash and Chanderpaul getting tons in the same innings as West Indies won 1-nil.
Due to an increased tour fee for the WICB, a reciprocal tour to England was agreed in May at a time when few teams would tour England.
In testing conditions England mauled the visitors by 10 wickets. West Indies feared even worst in the next match being trashed by an innings and 83 runs despite a first innings hundred from Sarwan.

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