Windies collapse against South Africa pacemen

South Africa's pacemen bowled their side to a 69-run victory over West Indies in the second Test on Wednesday as Brian Lara was out for a duck in an early collapse.

West Indies, needing 232 to win, were dismissed for 162 in the final session on the fifth and last day to give the touring team a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.

It was the West Indians' ninth defeat in their last 11 Test matches.

Resuming at the overnight 32 for one they twice collapsed, slumping to 51 for five and then, after a sixth wicket stand of 92 between captain Carl Hooper and Ramnaresh Sarwan, losing their last five wickets for 19.

Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini, who accounted for Lara, made the early inroads, and Jacques Kallis took three of the last five wickets to end with four for 40.

West Indies plunged into early trouble when, with three runs added to the overnight score, nightwatchman Dinanath Ramnarine went for 11, caught by Kallis at slip off Donald.

Marlon Samuels hit handsome fours in successive overs as West Indies moved to 50 before three wickets tumbled for one run.

Samuels went for nine when he was caught by Kallis off Donald, then Gayle was out for 23 without a run added when he got a thin edge to a Pollock delivery and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher took a low catch.

Lara, who faced 11 balls, was given out lbw to Ntini with the total 51. It was the third time in the series that Ntini had dismissed Lara.

Hooper and Sarwan rekindled West Indies' hopes but the conTest turned back South Africa's way when Sarwan was out just before tea.

Kallis, having been hit through the covers several times by Sarwan, had his revenge when the Guyana batsman hooked him to square leg where Nicky Boje took a running catch.

Shortly after the interval, Ridley Jacobs was run out by Herschelle Gibbs for four. This dismissal of Hooper's last reliable ally effectively ended West Indies hopes of snatching victory.

Jacobs and Hooper went for a leg bye but the ball was picked up by Gibbs, probably the quickest fielder in the side, and he hit the stumps from 10 yards.

Kallis, who was on the wrong end of cricket history when he became Courtney Walsh's 500th Test wicket on Monday, now came into his own by completing a spell of three for nine.

Having already dispatched Sarwan, he had Nixon McLean caught behind by Mark Boucher for two and, three balls later, had Mervyn Dillon lbw for three.

Skipper Pollock finished the home team off when he bowled Walsh for his 43rd Test duck, leaving Hooper unbeaten on 54 after 226 minutes of resistance in which he hit five fours.

Mail Cricket Editor