South Africa v West Indies - Second Test

Centurion Park

SAF: BA Richards, EJ Barlow, DJ Cullinan, RG Pollock, *WJ Cronje, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, PM Pollock, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.
WI: CC Hunte, RC Fredericks, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MA Holding, CEL Ambrose, LR Gibbs, CA Walsh.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: CJ Egar (AUS) & HD Bird (ENG)
Toss: South Africa

There were changes to both sides coming into the second Test, South Africa opting for the extra bowler and bringing in Peter Pollock in place of Jonty Rhodes, whilst West Indies welcomed back the fit again Rohan Kanhai but lost both Des Haynes and Malcolm Marshall to injury. Garry Sobers' incorrect call at the toss allowed South Africa to have first use of a very flat strip at Centurion Park, and a second successive century from Graeme Pollock helped give the hosts the early advantage before a clutch of late wickets on day one brought West Indies right back into the game.

However, from an overnight score of 311-7 an inspired Denis Lindsay propelled the total beyond 500 as the last three wickets put on an incredible 200 runs. Lindsay blitzed seventeen fours and five sixes in a career high innings of 171*, adding 71 for the eighth wicket with Mann and a national record 85 for the last wicket with an unusually stubborn Adcock, whose 12 runs received almost as much applause as Lindsay's memorable century.

Denis Lindsay's second day blitz gave
South Africa early control of the Test

None of West Indies' bowlers impressed, and just as in the first Test the batsmen now needed to bail the team out of trouble. The top order were not able to impose themselves though, save for Kanhai's 72, and in the face of some excellent pace bowling from Donald and Adcock, the innings had reached a crossroads at 174-5 when Jeffrey Dujon joined Garry Sobers for what turned out to be perhaps the pivotal partnership in the match.

Together the pair piled on 202 runs, a partnership that broke their own national record for the sixth wicket, Garry Sobers saving the follow-on with a straight six off Donald as he emulated Graeme Pollock by making his way to his second century of the series. It was Dujon's innings that really caught the imagination though, full of sweetly timed drives and cuts, and although West Indies' final total of 405 still gave South Africa a 106 run lead, the draw was now seen as the favoured result.

Dujon's graceful century helped keep West Indies in the game

South Africa batted with purpose for the remainder of day four though, and led by Barlow's third century in four Tests since his recall and an undefeated 74 from the inevitable Pollock, a total of 242-2 gave Cronje the confidence to declare shortly before the close with a lead of 348, a move that gave both sides the possibility of victory on the final day. West Indies set off with attacking intent, but both Fredericks and Hunte were back in the pavilion with 58 on the board when Viv Richards joined Rohan Kanhai at the crease. Richards has endured a very poor run of form of late but on this day he was back to his very best, and with Kanhai matching him virtually stroke for stroke the West Indies took control of the chase.

Cronje rotated his bowlers to no avail, and what had appeared to be an unlikely West Indian victory at the start of the day was now looking like a reality. Richards raised his first century in ten Tests off just 107 balls, Kanhai followed suit soon after, and the pair had added 221 runs at almost a run a ball by the time Richards was finally dismissed. 70 runs were now needed to win with 32 overs still remaining, and although the wickets of Kanhai and Lloyd wobbled the final stages of the chase, Sobers and Dujon saw West Indies through to a famous victory with seven overs and five wickets to spare.

Viv Richards was simply awesome on the final day

South Africa had contrived to lose the game after scoring over 500 runs in their first innings and losing just twelve wickets in the match, and questions will now have to be asked before the teams reconvene in Cape Town for the third Test. Given his record up to this point it would be unfair to say that Hansie Cronje now faces a crisis of captaincy, but all eyes will now be firmly trained on Newlands as South Africa attempt to bounce back from what was a truly devastating defeat.

Score Summary
SAF 1st Inns 511 (Lindsay 171*, RG Pollock 124, BA Richards 46)
WI 1st Inns 405 (Dujon 111, Sobers 110, Kanhai 72; Donald 5-99)
SAF 2nd Inns 242-2 dec. (Barlow 121*, RG Pollock 74*)
WI 2nd Inns 349-5 (Kanhai 130, IVA Richards 121)

WEST INDIES WON BY 5 WICKETS

1st & 2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Close of play
Day 1 - South Africa 1st innings 311-7 (Lindsay 35*; 90 ov)
Day 2 - West Indies 1st innings 89-1 (Fredericks 31*, Kanhai 55*; 27 ov)
Day 3 - West Indies 1st innings 393-7 (Dujon 111*, Ambrose 2*; 109 ov)
Day 4 - West Indies 2nd innings 9-0 (Hunte 4*, Fredericks 5*; 3 ov)
Day 5 - West Indies 2nd innings 349-5 (85.2 ov) - end of match

Notes
▪ Lindsay passed 2000 career runs
▪ Lindsay and Adcock's partnership of 85 is the highest tenth wicket stand for South Africa
▪ Sobers and Dujon's partnership of 202 is the highest sixth wicket stand for West Indies
▪ West Indies' total of 349-5 is the third highest ever made to win a Test in the fourth innings
▪ South Africa become just the second side to lose a Test after scoring over 500 runs in an innings

Man of the Match: IVA Richards