Sport

Tourists fighting to avoid defeat

West Indies players celebrating the fall of a South African wicket during the first Test at Bourda Oval in Guyana. - © DELLMAR

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA (AP):

SOUTH AFRICA LABOURED to 85 for two in its follow-on second innings yesterday, battling to save the opening Test against the West Indies as day four at Bourda drew to a close.

The tourists, overnight 130 for six in their first innings, were bowled out just before lunch for 188.

Pacers Pedro Collins (three for 39), Reon King (three for 48) and Daren Powell (three for 61) led the way as South Africa conceded a lead of 355.

South Africa's batsmen, who had a number of indisciplined strokes in their modest first innings, opted for an ultra-defensive mode in their second knock.

Captain Graeme Smith and A.B. de Villiers added 46 for the first wicket before both fell in the final session to energise the biggest crowd of the match, estimated at 10,000.

Undefeated

Smith scored 34 and de Villiers made 20 before Collins and King made breakthroughs.

Collins ended with one for 12 while King took one for 18.

Jacques Rudolph reached the close undefeated on 19. The normally fluent Jacques Kallis laboured through 44 deliveries and scored one not out.

The West Indies trio of fast bowlers maintained their supremacy in the morning session to complete their destruction of the South African first innings.

Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and Nicky Boje stalled the home team for the opening hour. The pair carried their seventh wicket partnership to 63 before King broke through with a fine delivery.

Cheap wicket

Boje counted five fours in 34 before he was bowled through the gate by an inswinger. The left-hander faced 81 balls in 108 minutes.

The innings faded quickly after Boje's dismissal with the last four wickets falling for 30.

Powell claimed Makhaya Ntini leg before as he played across the line.

Boucher, who batted just short of four hours for a joint top score of 41, eventually chased a wide outswinger from Collins and edged to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at first slip. The right-hander struck five fours from 157 deliveries.

South Africa's last pair of Charl Langeveldt and Andre Nel stood firm for half hour before the debutante Narsingh Deonarine claimed a cheap wicket with his off-spin.

Langeveldt, who scored 10, swatted a full toss low to short extra cover to bring the innings to a close just before lunch.

Smith and de Villiers brought a defiant approach to the visitors' second innings and dulled the home attack for three overs before the interval and the entire second session.