3rd Test: West Indies v South Africa at Barbados, 29 Mar

3rd Test: West Indies v South Africa at Barbados, 29 Mar - 2 Apr 2001
MWP

South Africa 1st innings: Lunch - Day 2, Tea - Day 2,
Live Reports from previous days

SA NINTH WICKET PAIR FRUSTRATE WEST INDIES

South Africa's lower order frustrated the West Indies on day two of the third test at the Kensington Oval as the tourists reached tea on 371-8 in their first innings with captain Shaun Pollock (45 not out) and Allan Donald (19 not out) sharing an unbroken partnership of 56 for the ninth wicket.

It did not take the West Indians long to make further inroads into the South African batting as Courtney Walsh removed Lance Klusener's middle stump with a brilliant yorker in the third over after lunch. Klusener had faced 19 balls and scored just a single.

Before Klusener's departure, captain Shaun Pollck had smashed two boundaries off a Mervyn Dillon over, the first hauled from well outside off-stump, high over mid-on, the second clipped away off his legs to the square-leg fence. With Allan Donald alongside Pollock, however, West Indies skipper Carl Hooper immediately set defensive fields in an attempt to keep the new batsman on strike.

Donald is no rabbit with the bat as his test average of 11 proves, and had little trouble keeping his captain company. The only mistake Pollock may have made is not to have take the runs on offer, in the process playing his own part in a tedious stalemate.

Before lunch, overnight centurion Daryll Cullinan and Nicky Boje took their partnership for the sixth wicket to 76 before Cullinan was brilliantly caught by Mervyn Dillon off his own bowling, the big man stooping low to send Cullinan on his way for 134, scored in a little over six hours off 292 balls and including 14 boundaries.

Boje had looked completely unruffled throughout the morning session until two balls before lunch he chased a wide half-volley from Dillon and smashed it straight to Dinanath Ramnarine at cover. Boje gone for 34 made off 108 balls with three fours.

DILLON STRIKES TWICE BEFORE LUNCH TO BOOST WEST INDIES

The West Indies finally removed overnight centurion Daryll Cullinan late in the morning session and then followed up almost immediately with the wicket of nightwatchman Nicky Boje to turn the morning session of the third test against South Africa completely on its head.

Cullinan and Boje had batted with great composure and growing confidence to add 76 for the sixth wicket, before Cullinan fell to a sharp return catch by Mervyn Dillon to depart for 134. He had batted for a little over six hours, facing 272 balls and striking 14 boundaries.

Then, two balls before lunch, Nicky Boje chased a wide one from Dillon, smashing it straight to Dinanath Ramnarine at cover. His 34 runs came off 108 balls and included three fours. Lunch was taken on the fall of his wicket with South Africa 307-7, Lance Kluser on 1 not out.

Cullinan should have been dismissed on 122, when he pulled across the line at Carl Hooper, but as the crowd celebrated a routine catch at deep mid-wicket, Brian Lara somehow contrived to spill the chance. After Hooper had spoken of his frustration at dropped catches at close of play on Thursday, a clanger of clangers from Lara was the last thing West Indies morale needed. And the batting maestro knew it, too. His relief at seeing Cullinan out will only be slight - it was the most embarrasing of misses.

For much of the opening hour and a half the West Indian bowling was very ordinary and Cullinan and Boje cashed in. Left-handed Boje struck first with two delightful boundaries off Cameron Cuffy, a punch back past the bowler followed by a crunching drive through extra-cover.

Cullinan took longer to find his timing but has begun to play some typically stylish strokes - making Lara's drop look all the more critical. One on-drive off Dillon, in particular, raced away to the longest boundary at the Oval with the most sumptuous of timing.