South Africa v West Indies - Fourth Test

Kingsmead, Durban

SAF: BA Richards, EJ Barlow, B Mitchell, RG Pollock, AD Nourse, *WJ Cronje, +DT Lindsay, PM Pollock, HJ Tayfield, NBF Mann, NAT Adcock.
WI: CC Hunte, DL Haynes, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, LR Gibbs, CA Walsh.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: S Kishen (IND) & BL Aldridge (NZL)
Toss: West Indies

South Africa made four changes to the side which lost in Cape Town, Cullinan, Procter and Donald all receiving the axe, whilst West Indies recalled Gibbs and the fit again Marshall at the expense of Ambrose and Garner. Sobers elected to take first use of what looked to be a poor pitch upon winning the toss, and it took a fourth wicket partnership of 95 between Kanhai and Lloyd to steady the innings after Adcock and Peter Pollock had reduced the score to 36-3. Lloyd peppered the boundary on the way to his first fifty of the series but both he and Kanhai fell in quick succession in the afternoon, and despite yet another fifty partnership between Sobers and Dujon, their fifth of the series, the scoreboard read 203-8 shortly after tea and South Africa were very much on top. Sobers was still there though, and he now threw caution to the wind as he flayed the Proteas' attack all around Kingsmead.

Garry Sobers has been in unstoppable
form with the bat in this series

77 runs were added for the last two wickets, with Gibbs and Walsh contributing just 4 between them as Sobers audaciously butchered his way to his third century of the series. He was greeted with a standing ovation when West Indies were finally bowled out for 282, and his undefeated 129 will go down as one of the great counter-attacking innings in the ATG annals. Indeed, Sobers' efforts were put into even clearer perspective on an incredible second day that saw seventeen wickets tumble as oppressively humid conditions made batting even more difficult than it had been on day one.

South Africa did well to lose just two wickets in the morning session, but from 100-2 the innings collapsed like a house of cards in the afternoon, and by tea they had been bowled out for a sorry 158 and a first innings deficit of 124. Barry Richards made a hard earned fifty, a very different innings to the one he played in Cape Town, but there was precious little else to speak of as excessive movement both in the air and off the pitch allowed West Indies' pace attack to run riot. However, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and in the evening session the tourists' batting completely fell apart as the ball continued to dart about alarmingly.

Eddie Barlow swung the ball prodigiously on the second evening

Hunte and Haynes began reasonably confidently, but after a half hour stoppage for rain Eddie Barlow knocked over the top four as a career best bowling performance helped reduce West Indies to 104-7 by the time stumps were drawn. With only two days played a result was now a certainty, but West Indies remained favourites despite their second innings collapse; a last wicket stand of 21 between Gibbs and Walsh helped extend the score to 144, and South Africa now needed 269 to claim a consolation victory and avoid being blanked in the series. It would be a very tough target in the context of the match, but overhead conditions were far more batsman friendly on day three, and another fifty from Barry Richards got the chase off to a good start.

Graeme Pollock also looked in good touch, but on 18 he was trapped lbw by Gibbs on the stroke of tea, and at 88-3 the innings hung in the balance. The recalled pairing of Mitchell and Nourse dug in though, and a stand of 92 gave the hosts renewed hope. Batting was now far easier than it had been on the first two days, and the target was reduced to double digits as South Africa inched their way onwards. Mitchell finally went for 53, and with the hopelessly out of form Cronje also departing before the close for just 9, South Africa entered day four on 203-5, still 66 runs short of the winning post. Nourse was looking immovable though, and with Peter Pollock contributing a very useful 22 from number eight he was able to shepherd his side to victory shortly before lunch, finishing undefeated on 91 after almost five hours at the crease. South African celebrations were muted though with the series already having gone to West Indies, and Garry Sobers' team continue to reign supreme as the number one side in the ATG world.

Hansie Cronje's poor form with the bat must
now put his place in the side in jeopardy

Score Summary
WI 1st Inns 282 (Sobers 129*, Lloyd 56, Kanhai 43)
SAF 1st Inns 158 (BA Richards 54)
WI 2nd Inns 144 (Barlow 4-37)
SAF 2nd Inns 272-7 (Nourse 91*, Mitchell 53, BA Richards 50)

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 3 WICKETS

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

Close of play
Day 1 - South Africa 1st innings 24-0 (BA Richards 12*, Barlow 12*; 10 ov)
Day 2 - West Indies 2nd innings 104-7 (Dujon 4*; 36 ov)
Day 3 - South Africa 2nd innings 203-5 (Nourse 56*, Lindsay 1*; 65 ov)
Day 4 - South Africa 2nd innings 272-7 (90.1 ov) - end of match

Notes
▪ Sobers made 129 of the last 151 runs of West Indies' first innings
▪ West Indies have now won six successive series

Man of the Match: AD Nourse