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West Indies face battle for survival
Makhaya Ntini took three late wickets as South Africa pressed for victory on the fourth day of the first Test against the West Indies.
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini took three late wickets as South Africa pressed for victory on the fourth day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Wanderers Stadium Monday, despite a double century by West Indian captain Brian Lara.
Set an improbable 378 to win in 100 overs, the West Indies were 31 for three in their second innings at the close.
Lara started the day by completing his sixth Test double century, making 202, but was back at the crease before the close, needing to play another outstanding innings Tuesday to save his side from defeat.
He was not out on nought overnight.
Ntini, who took five for 94 in the first innings, his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests, ripped through the West Indies batting, taking three for 12, after the tourists were left to bat out the final 10 overs of the day.
He knocked the off-stump of Wavell Hinds out of the ground with a slanting delivery which had the left-hander playing down the wrong line, then produced a vicious in-swinger to bowl Vasbert Drakes, who was surprisingly sent in as a nightwatchman with 6.5 overs still left.
Ntini completed a notable day by trapping opening batsman Daren Ganga leg before wicket when Ganga went back on his stumps.
The West Indies had to bat for a second time in the day after South Africa pushed for quick runs in their second innings before declaring on 226 for six.
Ntini and fellow fast bowler Andre Nel took two wickets each as South Africa claimed the last four West Indian first innings wickets for 47 runs Monday. Nel finished with three for 78.
Lara, resuming on 178, saw Mervyn Dillon and Chris Gayle dismissed before he lashed Nel through the covers for four to raise his double century.
He tried to repeat the shot off the next ball but hit it straight to Martin van Jaarsveld at cover. He batted for 439 minutes, faced 274 balls and hit 32 fours and two sixes.
Gayle, normally an opening batsman, batted at number nine and was clearly handicapped by a torn left hamstring suffered in the field on the first day.
He batted with a runner but his footwork was severely restricted and he did not get his foot to the ball when he drove at Ntini and edged a low catch to Jacques Kallis at second slip. He again did not open the batting in the second innings.
In making his sixth Test double century, Lara joined Javed Miandad of Pakistan in third place on the all-time list of double centurions. Don Bradman of Australia made 12 and Wally Hammond of England seven.
Lara has already been on the losing side after making a double century. He hit 221 and 130 when the West Indies were beaten by Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2001/02. No player has suffered the fate twice.
South Africa made a sound start to their second innings, with Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs putting on 42 before Gibbs missed a hook against Drakes and was taken to hospital with a broken nose.
He will have an operation in Johannesburg on Wednesday to reset a nasal bone but is expected to be fit for the second Test in Durban starting December 26.
Smith slashed a catch to backward point off Drakes after making 44.
His dismissal heralded a slowdown in the scoring rate with Jacques Rudolph and Kallis adding only four runs in eight overs against Drakes and Corey Collymore before seven runs were scored in an over from Drakes.
After consolidating, however, the South Africans accelerated. They scored 138 in 29 overs after tea, with Kallis and Rudolph joining Smith in scoring 44 before losing their wickets trying to score quickly.
