da luck： Just when they were being written off
Marcus Prior20-Apr-2001Just when they were being written off. It has not been an easy time to be aWest Indian cricketer, but on Friday in the fifth Test against South AfricaCarl Hooper’s men finally came good. Pumped up and purposeful, theydismissed the tourists for 141 – South Africa’s lowest ever total againstthe West Indies – and took an 84-run first innings lead.By stumps the home side were 34 without loss, a healthy lead of 118.Leon Garrick’s first innings golden duck on debut was a distant memory as hefinished unbeaten on 21 with opening partner Chris Gayle 10.Perhaps it was the desire to give Courtney Walsh the send-off hedeserves, possibly the fear of the fines system now in place in the WestIndian camp, or maybe just sheer bloody-mindedness brought on by a desire tobring a depressing winless run to an end. There is of course still a longway to go in this match, but for the first time in the series, the WestIndies have made themselves genuine favourites to win.After finishing off the West Indies first innings for 225, the SouthAfrican reply did not start well, Gary Kirsten looking to force Walsh awayoff the back foot and edging to Gayle at third slip. It was his thirdduck in five Test innings, and he has now scored just 86 runs in his eightknocks since the century in Guyana.Cameron Cuffy, who was unfortunate to be dropped after an impressive butluckless performance in the third Test in Barbados, struck in the first overafter lunch. It was a beast of a delivery – climbing steeply past the noseof Herschelle Gibbs (18), taking the edge and well caught by Ridley Jacobswith the gloves above his head.Daryll Cullinan (6) has been the scourge of the West Indies bowlers allseries, but he was not to inflict any great damage this time. After pullingCuffy emphatically through mid-wicket for four, he flashed loosely in hisnext over and Brian Lara took a very good low catch at first slip.The score had moved to 51 when Jacques Kallis (15) departed, the bigright-hander getting an inside-edge onto the pad as he looked to forcethrough the on-side, the ball ballooning back to bowler Dillon who pocketeda straightforward, if rather unusual, return chance.Dinanath Ramnarine bowled tidily before seeing Lance Klusener rifle himover mid-on for six, the left-hander’s struggle for form then coming undoneon 13 when he played all around a straight delivery from Walsh whichclattered into his off-stump.Walsh then extended his world record again in spectacular style. MarkBoucher worked hard to reach 13 and must have thought he had picked up fourwhen he met a short delivry with a full-blooded pull, but Garrick somehowclung on to a magnificent two-handed catch diving low to his left atsquare-leg.Shaun Pollock (24) and Neil McKenzie (45) then set about repairing adistinctly perilous position of 97-6, but after McKenzie survived a catchreferred to the television umpire on 41, Pollock fell trying to glide Dillondown to third man.It was not before the South African captain had become just the eighthall-rounder, and the fifth fastest, to reach the rare double of 2 000 runsand 200 wickets in Tests. Playing in his 56th Test, Pollock reached thedouble in glorious style with a six pulled over the longest boundary of theground off Cuffy.Pollock’s departure spelled the end for South Africa as four wickets fellin 21 balls for the addition of just four more runs. McKenzie was leg-beforesweeping at Ramnarine, Justin Kemp spooned Dillon to mid-on to be out for aduck and Paul Adams edged to second slip to give Carl Hooper his hundredthTest catch and Dillon his fourth wicket of the innings.It seemed an age since the South Africans needed a further six overs andfive balls to prize out the final West Indies wicket at the start of the morning session.Resuming on 214-9, Walsh and Ramnarine took the score to 225 before Walshdrove uppishly at captain Pollock and Adams took a superb runningand then diving catch at mid-on.