OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Tuesday 1.00pm.
SOUTH Africa crushed the demoralised West Indian team by nine wickets on the fourth day of the third Test on Tuesda,y to wrap up a series victory.
Needing only 146 to win the first full series between the two sides, South Africa cruised home after a free-scoring opening stand of 97 between Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs. After Gibbs was out for 49, Kirsten and Jacques Kallis put on 50 at a run a minute, with Kirsten finishing unbeaten on 71.
Leading West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh bowled only four overs before being carried to the dressing room on a stretcher. He injured his left hamstring while chasing a ball in the outfield. Trainer Dennis Waight said Walsh is a doubtful starter for the fourth Test which starts at Newlands, Cape Town, on Saturday.
For Hansie Cronje’s team, the series was one of the high points since South Africa’s return to international cricket in 1991. Cronje said the team’s triumph was the result of ”good planning and hard work”. He said the bowlers had done well to justify his decision to send the West Indies in, the batting had been solid and the fielding had been outstanding.
The West Indian performance in defending a small target on Tuesday was that of a beaten team. Veteran Curtly Ambrose, who started his 83rd Test needing one wicket to become the ninth bowler to take 350 Test wickets, had a dismal match and failed to achieve the landmark. He bowled only four lacklustre overs on Tuesday after missing the end of the first innings because of a knee strain. With Courtney Walsh, who has taken 391 Test wickets, possibly out of action for the rest of the series, one of the great fast bowling pairings of all time may be nearing the end of the road.
One positive sign for the West Indies was the bowling of Franklyn Rose (26) who took seven for 84 in the first innings.
Opening batsmen Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs were not troubled by the West Indian fast bowlers as they posted their second half-century partnership of the match, although both were lucky to survive against legspinner Rawl Lewis. Kirsten survived a confident lbw appeal by Lewis when he was on 27 and the total 53. Gibbs, after hitting a sweetly-timed six over mid-off against Lewis, was dropped in the over before lunch with his score on 31 when he skied the ball to midwicket. Kirsten had scored 40 at lunch and Gibbs 32.
The West Indies lost their last two wickets for 13 runs to the South African pace pair of Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald after resuming at 246 for eight on Tuesday morning. Pollock had Curtly Ambrose caught at deep mid-on by Hansie Cronje for five and finished with figures of five for 83, his third five-wicket haul of the series. Donald uprooted Walsh’s off-stump for three. Wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, who batted at number seven, was left stranded on 15 not out. It was another poor batting performance by the tourists, with 160 of their second innings runs scored in a third wicket partnership between captain Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. — AFP
Final scoreboard on the fourth day of the third Test between South Africa and West Indies at Kingsmead:
West Indies 1st innings 198 (B.C. Lara 51, J.H. Kallis 3-18, W.J. Cronje 3-19).
South Africa 1st innings 312 (D.J. Cullinan 40, J.N. Rhodes 87, F.A. Rose 7-84).
West Indies 2nd innings:
P.A. Wallace c Boucher b Donald 1
J.R. Murray c Gibbs b Kallis 29
S. Chanderpaul c and b Pollock 75
B.C. Lara c Gibbs b Terbrugge 79
C.L. Hooper c Boucher b Pollock 2
D. Ganga c Gibbs b Pollock 5
R.D. Jacobs not out 15
R.N. Lewis c Boucher b Donald 0
F.A. Rose c Gibbs b Pollock 22
C.E.L. Ambrose c Cronje b Pollock 5
C.A. Walsh b Donald 3
Extras (lb12, w2, nb9) 23
Total (82.2 overs) 259
Fall of wkts: 1-17, 2-41, 3-201, 4-201, 5-204, 6-213, 7-214, 8-245, 9-252.
Bowling: Donald 20.2-4-62-3, Pollock 27-6-83-5 (9nb), Terbrugge 13-4-28-1, Kallis 10-1-31-1, Symcox 12-3-43-0 (2w).
South Africa 2nd innings:
G. Kirsten not out 71
H.H. Gibbs lbw b Hooper 49
J.H. Kallis not out 23
Extras (lb1, nb3) 4
Total (1 wkt, 48.4 overs) 147
Fall of wkt: 1-97.
Bowling: Rose 9-0-31-0, Ambrose 4-0-16-0 (3nb), Walsh 4-1-6-0, Hooper 19-4-50-1, Lewis 12.4-0-43-0.
Result: South Africa won by 9 wickets.
Man of the Match: Jonty Rhodes.
South Africa take winning 3-0 lead in series.
Remaining Tests: Cape Town, January 2-6; Centurion, January 15-19.