West Indies forced to follow on

Monday, January 19, 2004

CENTURION, South Africa (AFP): Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, with substantial assistance from newly-married Andre Nel, claimed his third five-wicket haul of the series as South Africa took a major step towards victory on the third day of the fourth and final Test against the West Indies at Centurion Park here on Sunday.

Ntini took five for 49 and Nel three for 64 as the West Indies were bowled out for 301, a deficit of 303.

Then Ntini bowled Daren Ganga - his six wickets in the day took his total for the series to 27, a South African record for a four-Test series - and forced Chris Gayle to retire hurt at the start of the West Indian second innings.

Nel dismissed West Indian captain Brian Lara for the second time in the day.

The West Indies were 44 for two in their second innings at close of play, needing another 259 runs to make South Africa bat again. South Africa lead the series 2-0.

Gayle was struck a heavy blow on his abdominal protector when he missed an attempted leg-side shot against Ntini.

After lengthy treatment on the pitch he resumed batting only to call for more treatment in the next over from Shaun Pollock before leaving the field with his score on 14 and the total on 18. 

In the following over, Ntini produced a vicious off-cutter to hit Ganga's off stump as the batsman went back in his crease to play a defensive stroke.

Nel replaced Ntini and for the second time claimed the prize wicket of Lara in the first over of a new spell when the West Indian star went across his stumps and failed to play a shot against a ball which cut back at him.

Ntini had the West Indies in early trouble in the first innings when he had Ganga caught at second slip and bowled Ramnaresh Sarwan to become the fifth South African to take 150 Test wickets.

Gayle and West Indian captain Brian Lara put on 102, the best partnership of the innings, before Nel had Lara caught behind for 34.

Gayle top-scored with 77 before being caught at backward point off Ntini. The tall left-hander, who made a century off 79 balls in the third Test, played a contrasting innings as he scored only 15 after facing 63 balls before the first drinks break of the day.

Then he went on the attack, adding another 62 runs off 50 balls. His innings included 14 fours and an off-driven six against Nel.

Nel featured on the front pages of local newspapers after dashing from Centurion to nearby Benoni after play on Saturday to marry Deanne Weitz.

The ceremony, planned last year, was put back by two hours to enable Nel to play in the Test.

Nel has dismissed Lara five times in the series, including the last four innings in succession.

Nel was unimpressive in his first spell of the day, conceding 33 runs in six overs, but was brought back for the last over before lunch and Lara, playing back, edged the second delivery low to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Nel later had Ridley Jacobs caught behind and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made second highest score of 42, caught at first slip by Shaun Pollock.

Dwayne Smith, who made a century on his debut in the third Test in Cape Town, was beaten frequently by Pollock but went on to hit 39, with eight fours, a six and a single, before edging a drive against Kallis to be caught behind.

Lower order batsmen Vasbert Drakes (35) and Mervyn Dillon (30) batted defiantly before being bowled by Ntini, Drakes in the last over with the old ball and Dillon in the second over with the second new ball.

Scoreboard at close of play on the third day:

South Africa, first innings, 604-6 dec

West Indies, first innings
(overnight 7-0)
C Gayle c McKenzie b Ntini 77
D Ganga c Kallis b Ntini 7
R Sarwan b Ntini 13
B Lara c Boucher b Nel 34
S Chanderpaul c Pollock b Nel 42
D Smith c Boucher b Kallis 39
R Jacobs c Boucher b Nel 8
V Drakes b Ntini 35
M Dillon b Ntini 30
C Collymore b Pollock 4
F Edwards not out 0
Extras (lb7, nb5) 12
Total (82.2 overs) 301

Falls: 1-22, 2-37, 3-139, 4-142, 5-195, 6-224, 7-241, 8-280, 9-301 Bowling: Pollock 16.2-6-46-1 (4nb), Ntini 20-7-49-5 (1nb), Nel 18-6-64-3, Hall 11-0-65-0, Kallis 12-4-46-1, Smith 3-1-7-0, Rudolph 2-0-17-0. 

West Indies, second innings
C Gayle retired hurt 14
D Ganga b Ntini 0
R Sarwan not out 7
B Lara lbw b Nel 6
S Chanderpaul not out 12
Extras (b4, lb1) 5
Total (2 wkts, 16 overs) 44

Falls: 1-18, 2-32
Bowling: Pollock 6-3-13-0, Ntini 5-0-14-1, Nel 3-0-12-1, Kallis 2-2-0-0

Umpires: David Shepherd (ENG) and Srinivas Venkataraghavan (IND)
Television umpire: Brian Jerling (RSA). 
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI) 

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