Steyn (5-29), Morkel (4-19) decimate woeful Windies

Jun 12, 2010 Sports

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Smith weighs in with unbeaten 79

By Sean Devers in Trinidad
In association with Igloo Ice-cream & Ultra Water, Camp Street.

Fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel put South Africa in firm control yesterday at the Queens Park Oval after a horrendous West Indies batting performance on day three of the opening Test.
Steyn (5-29) snatched 5-16 from 6 overs after lunch after Morkel (4-19) had reduced the hosts to 12-3 inside the first hours’ play.
Replying to South Africa’s 352, West Indies catapulted from 71-3 to 102 all out in the second session in what must be one of the worst batting displays in a session of Test cricket.
The Visitors, led by an unbeaten 79 from Skipper Graeme Smith and 40 not out from Jacque Kallis, are 155-2 in their second innings and although rain, which was forecast for Friday and yesterday but did not appear, is again forecast for today, South Africa are firmly placed to win their 3rd consecutive Test at this venue following wins on their previous outing here in 2001 and 2005.
With a lead of 250, South Africa opted not to enforce the follow-on but to give their bowlers some rest and enjoy an overall lead of 405 going into today’s penultimate day.
On a day blessed with glorious sunshine, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (26) joined Narsingh Deonarine (29) with West Indies on 12-3 and the pair remained together until 19 minutes after lunch when Chanderpaul departed to start the sensational collapse.
Although the 59-run fourth wicket partnership by the Guyanese halted the slide after Morkel’s opening burst, it did little to prevent the hosts from losing their last 7 wickets for 26 runs. A shot-filled unbeaten 25 from Denish Ramdin helped the Caribbean side attain a three-figure total.

With just two wins from 10 Test against South Africa in the Caribbean, it seems only rain or breath-taking 2nd innings batting performance can prevent the West Indies from their eighth consecutive defeat against South Africa in this series. Those who have followed West Indies cricket for the past decade will be banking on the rain.
Travis Dowlin (4), Brendon Nash (1) and Skipper Chris Gayle (6) fell in quick succession to Morkel after play resumed at 09:30hrs as West Indies continued its pathetic showing on a slow pitch on which their new ball bowlers went wicket-less.
If the first hour was a horrific period for new Coach Otis Gibson and his struggling charges, what transpired in the first hour after lunch would have been even worse as the light at the end of what is becoming a longer tunnel, get dimmer with each defeat.
From 71-3 at 19 minutes after lunch, the West Indies catapulted to 75-9 as 6 wickets fell for just a run in eight minutes of a dramatic display of on-target fast bowling and spineless batting and those calling for Daren Bravo to be given a chance at this level have again raised their voices.
Four wickets, including both Chanderpaul and Deonarine tumbled for a run after Lunch as the home team continued to depress the few die-hard fans that showed up on a day when the World Cup football easily took precedence over this game, even for sections of the International Media covering the series, including the BCC.
West Indies began their reply needing to bat out the day to insure they could not lose and Gayle and Dowlin were barely able to put bat and ball against Morkel and Steyn and the first 30 minutes produced just 3 runs.
Dowlin, who never suggested permanence, was sent flat on his back as he evaded a bouncer from Morkel and was soon taken at slip at 7-1.
Nash did not last long, although not entirely due to his fault. The left-hander was adjudged caught behind at 9-2 after the referral was requested. The TV Umpire’s decision was a strange one since TV replays proved inconclusive and suggested that the on-field Umpire’s ‘not-out’ verdict was correct.
Gayle’s run of failures continued when he was bowled to leave the Regional side, with just 3 wins from 22 Tests between the sides since victory in their inaugural Test 18 years ago, in dire straits.
The vocal Gayle has been chiding his teammates for under-performance throughout the limited overs series and his complaints could now turn to his own form; both as batsman and Captain, as another defeat looms.
There was a brief period of West Indian joy before lunch before the reality that most in this group are out of their league at this level struck home.
A majestic cover-driven boundary off left-arm spinner Paul Harris by Deonarine showed his class while a swept four off Harris by Chanderpaul brought the few fans to life and the Digicel and Carib Girls were dancing in the Trini Posse stand in ‘stiff’ competition. Their energized gyrations proved the only real bright spot for many.
A pull and an exquisite square-cut for consecutive boundaries by Deonarine off Harris, three overs later, would have made Brian Lara proud. But while Deonarine’s elegance kept hope alive, he again flattered to deceive.
West Indies progressed to 65-3 by lunch before Steyn struck. Chanderpaul fended at a nasty bouncer and gloved a lobbed catch to the keeper to leave the score on 71-4.   His dismissal started 28 minutes of torture from Steyn, who captured his 200th Test scalp when he bowled Suleiman Benn.
When Dwayne Bravo (1) took his eyes off a short ball from Morkel and left his glove in the way to be caught behind at 72-5, the fragile West Indies line-up was again being exposed.
Deonarine inexplicable left a ball from Steyn to crash into his stumps as he played not shot at 72-6 while without addition to the score, Shane Shillingford (0) was LBW to the first ball he faced in Test cricket.
Although he was denied his hat-trick, Steyn rocked back the stumps of Suleiman Benn (0) and Ravi Rampaul (0) and the West Indies were 75-9. Jacques Kallis removed Nelon Pascal (2) to end the 27-run last wicket partnership.
Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen (22) attacked when South Africa began their second innings with Petersen hitting Benn for two fours and a six in one over before he was LBW to the left-arm spinner at 56-1.
Hasim Amla (5) fell to Shillingford at 79-2 but Smith and Kallis continued to hunt quick runs with Smith ending the day  21 short of his 21st Test ton.
With rain expected and the victory target already 13 away from the World record 418 which the West Indies got to beat Australia in Antigua in 2003, only Smith’s hope of a century could delay the declaration.

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