Proteas battle to restrict Windies
Paul Mitchell
Morne Morkel continued to impress, as South Africa restricted West
Indies to a three-run, first innings lead in the second Test on Monday.
Morkel finished with four wickets for 116 runs from 34.1 overs, as
West Indies were dismissed for 546 about 45 minutes before the
rescheduled close, replying to the South Africans' first innings total
of 543 for six declared.
Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen then batted through the remaining
time to carry the Proteas to 23 without loss at the close on the fourth
day at Warner Park.
Morkel had removed the first two West Indies wickets, and returned to
mop-up the tail, when he removed Ravi Rampaul caught behind for 31 to
give wicketkeeper Mark Boucher his 500th victim in Tests, and Sulieman
Benn caught at second slip for 26.
The lanky fast bowler's intervention was not swift enough however,
after Rampaul and Benn endured a one-and-a-half hour break delay after
tea to complete a 59-run stand for the ninth wicket to further frustrate
South Africa.
Before lunch, the South Africans were made to endure the slow grind
from Chanderpaul and Bravo, which was interrupted by a 16-minute break
for rain.
The Proteas' bowlers endured a fruitless toil, as West Indies reached
463 for four at lunch, after they continued from their overnight total
of 424 for four.
South Africa's bowlers were hamstrung by the docile pitch, and
Chanderpaul and Bravo showed no great urgency in gathering runs.
The closest the South Africans came to buying a wicket came in the
first half-hour, when Bravo edged a delivery from Dale Steyn between
slip and gully for his second boundary. But the Proteas snared four
wickets - two to left-arm spinner Paul Harris - to bring the Test back
to life before tea.
South Africa hit a rich vein, as West Indies slipped to 502 for eight
at the break.
Harris struck, when he held a return catch to dismiss Shivnarine
Chanderpaul for the top score of 166, then had Dwayne Bravo caught
behind for 53 to finish with two for 165 runs from 62 overs. BASSETERRE,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Tuesday, AFP
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