Lara looks for runs; Walsh, for 500th wicket

Brian Homewood

Brian Lara will be looking for a big score, Courtney Walsh his 500th Test wicket and West Indies their first Test win in ten outings in the second Test against South Africa starting on Saturday.

The home team ended a losing streak of seven successive losses when the first Test ended in a draw in Georgetown last Tuesday.

On Saturday, their confidence boosted by a much-improved display under new captain Carl Hooper, they will hope to go one better on one of their favourite hunting grounds.

"Myself apart when I dropped a catch, we looked like a good fielding side and we looked like a good batting side," said Hooper.

"Apart from Wavell Hinds, we have had all six batsmen getting scores of 30 and (Dinananth) Ramnarine bowling well, so there are a number of positive things which we take into this game.

"We are optimistic we can do well but we are not overconfident and we are conscious that we are playing a very good South African side."

Hooper seemed especially impressed with Ramnarine, who pestered the South African batsman throughout the first Test.

"Ramnarine is probably the first West Indian leg spinner for a long time to bowl long spells. I can't remember a West Indian spinner playing back to back Test matches in the Caribbean," he said.

He is also expecting great things of 20-year-old batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, a fellow Guyanese, who was run out nine runs short of his maiden Test century in Georgetown.

"I'm also excited about him, he is probably waiting for a chance to prove his worth. I'm sure that come the end of the series, he will be one of the outstanding young players," he said.

West Indies' last Test victory was the first of the series against England last year. After that, they drew one and lost three against England, lost all five in Australia and then drew with South Africa.

Much of their hopes will be pinned on Lara, who will playing on his home ground, finally getting a big score.

After resigning the captaincy and taking four months off, Lara returned against England last year and -- although he has often batted well -- he has struggled to make the big scores for which he is famous.

In Guyana, he hit 47 and 45 and on both occasions was out just as he seemed to be getting into his majestic stride.

"I suppose it is a bit disappointing but the positive sign is that he looks as if he is getting his touch back and perhaps he will get a three-figure score in (the second test in) Trinidad," said Hooper.

Many eyes will also be on Walsh, who took two wickets in Guyana and needs only four more to become the first to take 500 in Test cricket.

Some wonder, however, whether the looming target is distracting the 38-year-old from his bowling.

Hooper warned that conditions would be very different to Georgetown's slow batting pitch and said he believed a result -- one way or the other -- was likely.

"This wicket is totally different, the conditions are totally different, this is normally a ground where a result is produced," he said

Hooper, who recalled getting a duck in his first test appearance at the Oval against Pakistan, said he was happy batting down the order at number six to guide the tail-enders.

"Our tail is still long, but we need to have somebody with some degree of experience to hang around at the tail and I think I am the man to do that job."

The match will be the 50th at the Queen's Park Oval, which will become only the seventh ground in the world the reach the half century mark.

Mail Cricket Editor