New captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Wavell Hinds both completed maiden double centuries Friday and the West Indies amassed a formidable 543 for five declared against South Africa at stumps Friday, the second day of the first Test at Bourda.
Chanderpaul reached an unbeaten 203 to follow Hinds’ 213 as the West Indies seemed unbothered by the absence of seven key players due to a sponsorship dispute with the West Indies board.
South Africa only had to survive two balls, reaching two without loss before murky light play ended with more than 15 overs still remaining.
Hometown hero Chanderpaul and Hinds withstood a South Africa surge with the second new ball in a morning session, which started one hour late because of a soggy outfield sodden by overnight rain.
Having resumed their fourth-wicket partnership at 241, the pair added 39 more before lunch to take the West Indies to 386 for three. They stretched their record partnership to 284 before Hinds fell 20 minutes after the interval.
The 28-year-old, whose unbeaten 188 highlighted day one, flashed at Charl Langeveldt and edged to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher. Hinds’ career-best stand lasted seven hours and 20 minutes, spanned 297 deliveries and included 34 fours and two sixes.
He and fellow left-hander Chanderpaul’s marathon stand was the best at Bourda, eclipsing the 251 between Australians Graeme Wood and Craig Serjeant against the West Indies in 1978.
Hinds’ dismissal was reward for a more disciplined South African attack, but the West Indies maintained their advantage throughout the day despite a slower scoring rate.
Chanderpaul, who started the day on 102, found another solid partner in Ryan Hinds and the two stalled the visitors in a century fifth-wicket stand that carried the home team to 490 for four at tea.
The 30-year-old Chanderpaul had breezed past his previous highest Test score of 140 by then, registering his 150 off 265 balls midway through the second session.
Ryan Hinds, who hit six boundaries, was in sight of a half century when he perished soon after tea to the left-arm spin of Nicky Boje. Hinds edged a drive to Jacques Kallis at slip after scoring 48 in just under 2 1/2 hours.
Chanderpaul neared his double century in overcast conditions to the delight of 8 000 Guyanese fans, and he eclipsed the mark with on-drive through midwicket which brought a 23rd boundary off his 369th delivery.
The milestone, achieved in 8 1/2 hours, made him only the second player to mark his debut Test as captain with a double century. He joined New Zealand’s Graham Dowling, who achieved the feat with 239 against India in Christchurch in 1968.
Chanderpaul declared even as he was completing his celebrations as he sought to allow his bowlers about 45 minutes at the weary South Africans.
But the skies were already darkening and after two balls from left-armer Pedro Collins, the umpires offered light to South African captain Graeme Smith and he had no hesitation in going off. – Sapa-AP