West Indies v South Africa - Fourth Test

Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's

WI: CG Greenidge, DL Haynes, GA Headley, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *G StA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, J Garner, CA Walsh.
SAF: BA Richards, *TL Goddard, B Mitchell, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, HJ Tayfield, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: DM Archer & LH Barker
Toss: West Indies

With South Africa's professional performance in Barbados having breathed new life into the series, the teams reconvened in Antigua with all to play for, and expectations were high for some entertaining, competitive cricket. However, no-one was prepared for the events that unfolded in St John's, and the game's history-making denouement will be talked about for as long as Test cricket continues to be played.

Proceedings began in typical Antiguan fashion though; Garry Sobers won his first toss of the series, and West Indies spent the first two days racking up an imposing total on a flat and true ARG wicket. Greenidge's aggressive 69 got the innings off to a rocket start, then Headley and Richards set about constructing an enormous third wicket stand that, at its conclusion, just about put South Africa out of the game.

To label Viv Richards' form of late as 'awesome' would be a gross understatement, and on his home ground he pummelled the tourists' attack to the tune of 146 runs, made off 193 balls in a little under five hours of glorious strokeplay. This was Richards' 17th ATG hundred, and the fact that he now lies just one century behind Bradman only goes to further illustrate the level of his prowess. George Headley was very much the sleeping partner in what was eventually a 243 run partnership, but once Allan Donald had ended Richards' innings with a well-judged boundary catch off Tayfield, he took over and guided West Indies into an impregnable position.

From a score of 396-3 upon Richards' departure, Headley's stewardship allowed the total to swell to 549 when his own dismissal prompted the declaration early on the third morning; Headley's share after nine and a half hours at the crease was 197, and after chalking up just 40 runs in his previous five innings in the series, it was a welcome return to form for the Jamaican. South Africa's bowlers had all been made to toil - 549 is the largest total conceded by the Springboks in ATG cricket - and their batsmen would now have to knuckle down in order to prevent a defeat that would give West Indies the series.

Their cause was helped when Marshall hobbled off the field at the end of just his seventh over, and a commanding stand of 138 for the fourth wicket between Pollock and Nourse took the tourists to a healthy 242-3 shortly before stumps on day three. Nourse fell to Garner for 69 before the close though, and despite Pollock powering on to his century on a rain-shortened fourth morning, South Africa's innings was now on the slide as Holding, Walsh and Garner all bowled well on a pitch that was now offering up some uneven bounce. A late flurry from Tayfield (28) and Donald (20*) almost saved the follow-on, but when Adcock fell first ball to a smart catch from Sobers off Holding, South Africa were all out for 332, and a deficit of 217 runs saw them invited to bat again with half an hour remaining before tea.

Excellent catches from Sobers and Lloyd removed both Richards and Goddard before the break to leave the Springboks a shaky 6-2 when the teams left the field, and when play resumed it was West Indies all the way as the tourists capitulated in truly spectacular fashion. It was 6-3 when Pollock was run out for just 1 by a brilliant piece of reaction fielding from the irreproachable Sobers, and once Mitchell and Rhodes had both departed for ducks, South Africa were incredibly 9-5 and it was panic stations in the visitors' dressing room.

Despite such scenes, the consensus around the ground was that the Springboks' lengthy batting line-up would surely allow for some sort of recovery, but just as in the first two Tests the tourists did not seem up for a fight, and with Marshall now recovered and restored to the attack there was simply nowhere to hide. Jeffrey Dujon was given catching practice as a supine lower order prodded and poked in a wretched attempt at defence, and the increasingly delirious home crowd could barely believe what they were seeing. 9-5 became 13-6, then 16-7, then 21-8, then 29-9, and when Hugh Tayfield compliantly edged Joel Garner into the hands of Garry Sobers the innings was all over, and South Africa were a shocking 30 all out, the lowest total ever recorded in ATG history.

Whilst the pitch was most certainly wearing, it was still a belter compared to the minefield we had in Trinidad, and it has to be said that the majority of the South African batsmen simply didn't appear to have the technique to deal with the barrage of unremitting pace. The South Africans had lost an incredible 17 wickets for just 120 runs since tea on the third day and their failure to avoid the follow-on had ultimately cost them the game.West Indies had won by the massive margin of an innings and 187 runs with a day to spare and at 3-1 the series was now secure with one Test still to play. South Africa's victory in Barbados had proved to be a false dawn, and there will only be pride at stake when the teams meet for the final Test in Jamaica next week.

Scores
WI 1st Inns 549-8 dec. (Headley 197, Richards 146, Greenidge 69, Haynes 46)
SAF 1st Inns 332 (Pollock 121, Nourse 69; Holding 4-75)
SAF 2nd Inns 30

WEST INDIES WON BY AN INNINGS & 187 RUNS

Man of the Match: IVA Richards