da wazamba： Courtney Walsh could dare we say should have his wish after all
Tony Cozier21-Apr-2001Courtney Walsh could dare we say should have his wish after all. Ifhis batsmen allow it, the great fast bowler can even have the chanceto spearhead the victory he cherishes in his farewell Test matchbefore his ardent countrymen at Sabina Park.It will mean nothing to the series, already secured by South Africa,but it would end the depressing sequence of 11 winless Tests and givethe West Indies’ most admired cricketer a fitting send-off.Walsh has already played a significant role in compensating for thefirst day failings of the batting.With the telling support from his fast bowling accomplices, MervDillon and Cameron Cuffy, that he has often lacked, the West Indiesbowled South Africa out for 141 in 61.1 overs on the second day of thefifth and final Test.It was their lowest total in 11 Tests between the teams and secured alead of 87 for the West Indies. Only a second innings capitulationwill allow this opportunity to slip and, while there have been enoughof those of late to temper optimism, the way Leon Garrick and ChrisGayle confidently batted through the last 17 overs to add 24 yesterdaywas encouraging.The situation is that the West Indies are 118 to the good on anessentially true pitch, offering some bounce and movement to thefaster bowlers but nothing extravagant.The only West Indian century-maker in the 11 Tests against SouthAfrica is Ridley Jacobs. It is time others add their name to the listand there is no more appropriate time.Even though Walsh delighted the small gathering in the morning with adelicate flick for three of Alan Donald and he and Dinanath Ramnarineadded a further 11 to the total before Walsh spooned a catch to midonfor Shaun Pollock’s fifth wicket, 225 seemed wholly inadequate.For once, Cuffy and Dillon followed Walsh’s example of unwaveringpersistency and reaped the rewards.The South Africans could not recover from a shaky start in which theylost their first four wickets for 51.The only threatening partnership of the innings was 40 for the seventhwicket between the solid topscorer Neil McKenzie and captain ShaunPollock. But once Pollock was the second of Dillon’s four victims,fending an edge to the keeper, the last four wickets tumbled for fourruns off 21 balls. The West Indies were doing unto South Africa whatothers so often do to them.Clearly enjoying himself for the last time, Walsh started SouthAfrica’s problems in the seventh over when left-handed opener GaryKirsten deflected a catch to third slip from a forcing backfoot shotfor his third 0 of the series.Kirsten began the series with 150 in the first innings of the firstTest. In eight innings since, he has managed 86.The giant Cuffy supported Walsh with an accurate opening spell thatyielded six from six overs. He and Dillon took up the attack afterlunch and inflicted the telling blows to the heart of the SouthAfrican batting.Cuffy dispatched Herschelle Gibbs with a leaping outswinger that wouldhave done justice to Walsh himself. It was too good for Gibbs, aquality batsman in good form. Jacobs lept to haul in an overheadcatch.Soon the overconfident Daryll Cullinan, the leading scorer in theseries, flashed a cut at Cuffy and Brian Lara snaffled the catch lowdown at first slip.Quarter-hour later, Jacques Kallis got such a thick inside edge intohis pad that Dillon had time to veer to his right on follow-throughand accept the return catch.Cornered at 51 for four, McKenzie and the out-of-touch Lance Klusenerset about to rebuild the innings so carefully that they eeked out nineruns from nine overs, seven maiden.At 13, McKenzie edged Cuffy a yard in front of Carl Hooper at secondslip for the first of his four fours but he and Pollock were the onlyones who seemed likely to baulk the West Indies.Klusener has had a horrid series with the bat and the only evidence ofhis hard-hitting reputation was a six over longon off Ramnarine’s legbreak. He was in for an hour and 42 balls for 15 when Walsh pluckedout his middle stump minutes prior to a break for rain and an earlytea.Twenty runs on resumption, Walsh claimed his third wicket throughGarrick’s spectacular tumble at square-leg that intercepted MarkBoucher’s pull shot.South Africa were 97 for six but they had been there before andrecovered.As McKenzie and Pollock built their stand, Pollock pulling Cuffy forsix in an over that cost 14, West Indian fears surfaced again. Theyevaporated in a jiffy.Pollock touched a good one from Dillon to Jacobs, McKenzie was lbwsweeping at a straight ball from Ramnarine, Justin Kemp spooned acatch to midon from Dillon who then finished it off through Hooper’s100th Test catch, low down at second slip off Paul Adams.It left Garrick and Gayle 17 overs to see out the day. Given Garrick’sfirst ball, first innings experience on debut, they were worryingtimes.But Garrick showed spunk in taking the first ball again. He let it go,drove the second for three and, apart from some verbal jousts with theopposition and a couple of injudicious hooks, had few problems.Neither did Gayle. It is up to them and the other batsmen to put thematch beyond South Africa.