West Indies collapse but hold out for draw
The West Indies suffered a batting collapse but held out for a draw in the third Test against South African on Monday.
After reaching tea in no apparent danger at 16 without loss, chasing an impossible 265 to win, the final session turned into a nightmare for Carl Hooper's team who finished on an embarrassing 86 for seven wickets.
Left arm spinner Nicky Boje started the slide with two deliveries that found the edge and carried to first slip to remove opener Wavell Hinds (8) and Marlon Samuels (3) and thereafter it was all downhill.
Chris Gayle's carefree cameo of 48 from 38 balls was ended by Jacques Kallis who found the edge while Brian Lara (8) was yorked by a flighted off-cutter from Lance Klusener.
Carl Hooper (5) edged yet another delivery to the wicketkeeper and Ridley Jacobs (1) was brilliantly snapped up at short leg by Neil McKenzie.
When the compulsory final 15 overs were completed in a remarkable 40 minutes by the South Africans the West Indies still had to survive a further 20 minutes. There were just three overs bowled in that time.
Dinanath Ramnarine was given an official warning for time wasting by umpire Steve Bucknor but that did not stop him walking away as far as 20 metres between deliveries, even when Boje was bowling.
He even called trainer Ronald Rogers on to the field and lay in apparent agony as the trainer sprayed pain-killer on to his shoe.
EXTRAORDINARY VICTORY
The home side had entertained genuine hopes of forcing an extraordinary victory themselves earlier in the day when they claimed three wickets for just 17 runs in the morning session to reduce the tourists to 97 for six wickets and an overall lead of just 164.
But Pollock and Daryll Cullinan added 70 runs for the seventh wicket to ensure the match was made safe and South Africa would start the fourth Test in Antigua on Friday with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Hooper's decision to open the bowling at the start of play with his off spin and Ramnarine's leg spin did not pay immediate dividends as Kallis and Cullinan took the score from 52 for three to 80 for three but both bowlers then claimed wickets.
Kallis (20) edged Hooper to short leg, Klusener (4) drove Ramnarine to mid off and Boucher (0) edged the same bowler to wicketkeeper Jacobs as the nerves set in.
Cullinan, however, counter attacked along with Pollock as both men continued the form that brought them centuries in the first innings.
Pollock (40) eventually fell to Courtney Walsh with the second new ball, edging an away swinger to slip. Cullinan moved to within 18 runs of a second century before bottom-edging a slog-sweep against Ramnarine to slip where Lara held a remarkable catch just centimetres from the ground.
