South Africa v West Indies - Tour Match

South African Invitation XI v West Indians
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
3 Day Game
Umpires: FW Grey & AG Laver
Toss: West Indians

SAI XI: DJ McGlew, G Kirsten, *A Bacher, AW Nourse, RA McLean, BL Irvine, +WW Wade, CR Matthews, RO Schwarz, PHJ Trimborn, BN Schultz.
WI: CC Hunte, DL Haynes, RB Kanhai, IVA Richards, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MA Holding, J Garner, CEL Ambrose, CA Walsh.

Following their dramatic victory in the second Test, West Indies' tour itinerary took them to Johannesburg for a three day engagement with a South African Invitation XI, and the tourists' batsmen picked up from where they left off in Centurion, dishing out some tremendous punishment on what was another good pitch for batting.

Conrad Hunte took full advantage of
the benign conditions at The Wanderers

Conrad Hunte dominated proceedings on the first day, sharing in consecutive hundred partnerships with Haynes, Kanhai and Richards as the total approached the 400 mark with only two wickets down. Hunte eventually fell late in the day having completed a marvellous double century, and on the second morning Richards and Sobers went berserk, piling on 123 runs in the first hour and leaving Ali Bacher's bowlers with no place to hide. Sobers hit Pat Trimborn to the boundary five times in one over, and then spanked Brett Schultz for three consecutive sixes before Richards holed out later in the same over as he attempted to reach his hundred in the grand manner.

Sobers declared upon Richards' dismissal, but in the face of a 502 run mountain the South Africans responded well, with the adhesive McGlew piloting the score to 192-3 come stumps on day two, having earlier shared in an attractive 112 run stand for the second wicket with Bacher, who made 67. McGlew completed a richly deserved century on the final morning, but a burst of 3-5 in nine balls from Walsh promptly derailed the innings and the hosts lost their last seven wickets for just 39 as Garner joined in the demolition job.

Courtney Walsh sparked into life on the final morning

A total of 270 allowed Sobers to enforce the follow-on, and with McGlew departing for a second ball duck this time round the South Africans were now very much up against it. Kirsten and Bacher managed to steady the ship however, and a tea time score of 72-2 suggested that the draw was still very much on the cards. Sobers got to work with his spin in the final session though, and in the end it was left to Matthews and Schultz to see out the final over to secure a hard earned draw. West Indies' bowlers had captured an incredible sixteen wickets on the final day, and although it wasn't quite enough to secure victory in the end, the tourists will now enter the third Test with all departments of the team seemingly firing on all cylinders.

Score Summary
WI 1st Inns 502-5 dec. (Hunte 236, Richards 99, Sobers 62*, Kanhai 53, Haynes 40)
SAI XI 1st Inns 270 (McGlew 116, Bacher 67, McLean 45; Walsh 5-75)
SAI XI 2nd Inns 161-9 (Kirsten 48; Sobers 4-34)

MATCH DRAWN

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

Close of Play

Day 1 - West Indians 1st innings 379-4 (Richards 38*, Sobers 0*; 89 ov)
Day 2 - SA Invitation XI 1st innings 192-3 (McGlew 86*, McLean 22*; 60 ov)
Day 3 - SA Invitation XI 2nd innings 161-9 (57 ov) - end of match