Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan powered their way to individual hundreds and a record, unbroken second wicket stand against South Africa on the third day of the fourth and final Test on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Gayle was undefeated on 184 and the 24-year-old Sarwan was unbeaten on 103 to carry West Indies to 299 for one, replying to South Africa’s formidable first innings total of 588 for six declared, when stumps were drawn.
Before a sizeable Sunday crowd, Gayle completed a pulsating seventh Test hundred, and Sarwan reached a gritty eighth Test hundred that brought West Indies back into the match after South Africa spent a little over two days batting.
Gayle and Sarwan have added 285, unbroken, to establish a new record for the second wicket at the Antigua Recreation Ground, following the early dismissal of left-handed opener Wavell Hinds.
It eclipsed the 200 that India’s Anshuman Gaekwad and Mohinder Armanath shared 22 years ago against Clive Lloyd’s West Indies.
It is also the highest partnership for West Indies against South Africa, eliminating the 284 that Hinds and West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul added at Georgetown in the first Test of this series.
The left-handed Gayle turned a short-of-a-length delivery from Monde Zondeki to mid-wicket for a single to reach his hundred, the 50th Test at the ARG that’s hosting its 20th Test.
Right-hander Sarwan flicked an over-pitched delivery on leg-stump from part-time medium-paced bowler AB de Villiers to long leg for a single to reach his second hundred for the series, following his undefeated 107 in the second Test at Port of Spain.
Gayle has hit 26 fours and three sixes from 257 balls, and Sarwan has struck 10 fours and two sixes from 232 balls.
The two batsmen helped West Indies shake off the early loss of Hinds with the kind of responsible batting that was sadly lacking in the two previous Test.
Hinds was condemned to a first-ball duck, when he offered a return catch to Makhaya Ntini off the first ball of the second over of the innings.
But Gayle and Sarwan kept their composure and used their good fortune to lead a fightback against the South Africa, who have already wrapped up the series, on the hard and notoriously docile ARG pitch.
Twice before reaching his landmark, Gayle had looked a little suspect though.
On 77, he inside edged a cross-batted stroke that bounced dangerously close to his off-stump, and on 80, South Africa captain Graeme Smith muffed a chance at first slip off Jacques Kallis.
Sarwan was the perfect the foil for Gayle.
He inched along with the occasional boundary in between periods of resolute batting.
On 23, Boeta Dippenaar dropped him at square leg when he pulled Ntini, who had softened him up with a succession of short-pitched deliveries.
Before lunch, Gayle had quietly brought up his 50 off 34 balls when he drove Zondeki to mid-off for a single.
This was one of the calmest moments in his innings, since the pyrotechnics had started as early as the first over of the innings, delivered by Shaun Pollock, in which he collected three off-side boundaries, two slashed over the slip cordon and the other a genuine off-drive.
Later, Zondeki felt the weight of Gayle’s bat, when he struck five fours and one of two sixes — over wide long off — off the young South African fast bowler’s three overs before the interval.
Earlier, the visitors resumed on their overnight position of 525 for four, with century-makers Kallis, who has become his country’s top Test run maker, and Ashwell Prince at the crease.
The tempo changed however, when they were dismissed within three balls of each other, to bring the curtain down on their record fifth-wicket partnership of 267.
Kallis had struck 14 fours and one six from six and a half hours of batting, when he top-edged a pull at a short ball from Daren Powell and was caught at mid-on for the top score of 147 after 40 minutes.
Next over, the left-handed Prince tried to steer his 254th ball to third man and top-edged a regulation catch to the keeper off Dwayne Bravo after he had spent a little over five and a quarter hours at the crease for his 131.
The two hundreds from Kallis and Prince had carried the South African count in the innings to four, following innings of 126 from captain Graeme Smith and 114 from fellow opener AB de Villiers.
It was the first time that many batsmen had scored hundreds for South Africa in a Test innings, the 11th time that it has happened in Tests, and the second time against West Indies.
South Africa lead the four-Test series 2-0, after winning the second Test at Port of Spain by eight wickets, and the third Test at Bridgetown by an innings and 86 runs.
The first Test at Georgetown ended in a draw.
Smith’s side is also chasing two other bits of history. They are looking to give South Africa their 100th Test win, and their first hat-trick of victories on a road trip. – Sapa-AFP