The West Indies made history at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday when they beat South Africa in the first Test by 128 runs with a day to spare.
It was their first Test victory in South Africa, and their first away win against a team ranked above them since they beat England in 2000. They outplayed the home side in all departments, and their joy when Makhaya Ntini’s wicket fell was unbounded.
From the start of the fourth day, the islanders continued to rub salt into South Africa’s wounds as they added 29 runs to their overnight score of 146-8 before being bowled out for 175 half an hour after the start of play.
South Africa had to make 389 to win — a target that was a hundred runs more than the highest fourth-innings total achieved at St George’s Park — and the Proteas never really looked as if they had any chance of pulling off a miracle.
The agony continued as South Africa lost three wickets before lunch for just 45 runs. Herschelle Gibbs made his second duck of the match when he was out leg before wicket to Powell in the third over. Amla was caught behind by Denesh Ramdin off Fidel Edwards for eight, and captain Graeme Smith was caught when an Edwards delivery looped off his bat to Daren Ganga at forward short leg.
When Ashwell Prince was caught in the slips by Chris Gayle off Jerome Taylor for 10 off the fourth ball after lunch, it appeared that all was lost.
However, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers shared a very good stand of 122 runs and South African hopes rose again. Kallis, who was out for a rare duck in the first innings, was superb. He showed the patience for which he is renowned, but put away the bad balls to good effect. His 46th Test 50 came up off 70 deliveries and took him just less than two hours.
The fifth-wicket half-century partnership came off 73 balls, and the century partnership off 167. Both batsmen appeared to be set, and supporters began to dream of an epic victory for the home side.
But when he was 15 runs short of what would have been his 30th Test century and his sixth in five Tests, Kallis tried to pull a short ball from Edwards and was given out caught behind, although replays showed the ball had come off his shoulder. His wicket marked the end of South Africa’s hopes.
De Villiers and Mark Boucher put on 26 runs together before Boucher was bowled by Taylor for 13. Harris was bowled by Dwayne Bravo, giving the West Indies vice captain his 50th Test wicket in his 24th Test.
De Villiers, who played a very mature and responsible innings, was out shortly afterwards. Gayle had spread the field wide in an attempt to get Andre Nel on strike, and De Villiers smashed a ball from Taylor straight to Marlon Samuels for 60.
Andre Nel and Dale Steyn gave the small crowd something to cheer about with a merry ninth-wicket partnership of 67. Their 50 partnership came up in 35 minutes off 45 balls and included six boundaries and two sixes.
It came to an end when Nel was caught behind off Darren Sammy for 34, including four fours and a six. The innings ended when Makhaya Ntini was caught by Powell off Samuels for one.
This was South Africa’s third successive defeat at St George’s Park. They lost to England in 2004 and to Pakistan last year. The Proteas have plenty of hard work to do if they are to win the series and retain their second place on the ICC test log.
The second Test starts at Newlands in Cape Town on New Year’s Day. — Sapa