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| December 27, 2002 | Friday | Shawwal 22, 1423 |
Kallis hits century as Saqlain claims 200th Test wicket
DURBAN (South Africa), Dec 26: Jacques Kallis made his 11th Test century as South Africa fought back after a poor start on the first day of the first Test against Pakistan at Kingsmead on Thursday.
Kallis scored 104 not out as South Africa, who were sent in to bat in heavily overcast conditions, reached 250 for five when bad light stopped play 14.3 overs early.
Kallis and Gary Kirsten (56) put on 122 for the third wicket after both opening batsmen, Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs, were dismissed cheaply.
Kirsten and Kallis, South Africa’s most accomplished players, salvaged the cause with solid batting and Pakistan captain Waqar Younis must have started to wonder whether the decision to go into the match with only four bowlers was wise.
Only off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq were picked to back up the two opening bowlers.
Saqlain made an important breakthrough, however, when Kirsten was out in bizarre fashion.
One ball after being caught at slip off a Saqlain no-ball, the off-spinner sent down an identical delivery which spun enough to catch the edge of the left-hander’s bat and again went into the hands of Younis Khan at slip.
Kallis, who played some sparkling strokes early in his innings, settled in to play a typically obdurate innings.
After reaching his half-century off 93 balls, with six fours and a soaring six over mid-wicket, he went to his century off 207 deliveries, adding five more boundaries. He gave no chances and seldom looked in trouble.
Kirsten batted for 172 minutes, faced 118 balls and hit nine fours.
Saqlain, who carried a heavy load bowling 29 of the 75.3 overs bowled, took his 200th Test wicket in his 46th Test when Boeta Dippenaar was caught behind for a single soon after Kirsten’s dismissal.
Neil McKenzie helped Kallis add 55 for the fifth wicket before Mark Boucher shared an unbeaten 36-run stand with Kallis before bad light stopped play.
Waqar and new ball partner Mohammad Sami both claimed an early wicket after rain delayed the start by 40 minutes.
Despite the overcast conditions, however, the pitch did not help the fast bowlers as much as Waqar would have hoped.
It was a mystery that Pakistan did not pick fast bowler Mohammad Zahid, who took five wickets in a warm-up match and seemed set to return to Test cricket after a four-year break because of back trouble.
Smith and Gibbs both started confidently, scoring 27 off the first five overs before Smith drove at a full-pitched ball from Sami without moving his feet, edging a catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.
Gibbs was out to a loose shot, attempting to force Waqar to the off-side but hitting a straightforward catch off a thick outside edge to Faisal Iqbal at backward point.
South Africa recalled left-arm spinner Nicky Boje for his first appearance since the first Test against Australia last season. All-rounder Andrew Hall was left out.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings):
G.C. Smith c Kamran b Sami 16
H.H. Gibbs c Faisal b Waqar 11
G. Kirsten c Younis Khan b Saqlain 56
J.H. Kallis not out 104
H.H. Dippenaar c Kamran b Saqlain 1
N.D. McKenzie b Waqar 24
M.V. Boucher not out 13
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-3, NB-18) 25
TOTAL (for five wkts, 75.3 overs) 250
FALL OF WKTS: 1-27, 2-33, 3-155, 4-159, 5-214.
TO BAT: S.M. Pollock, N. Boje, M. Ntini, M. Hayward.
BOWLING (to-date): Waqar Younis 17-3-54-2; Mohammad Sami 17-3-59-1 (8nb); Abdul Razzaq 12.3-1-43-0 (2nb); Saqlain Mushtaq 29-2-87-2 (8nb).
PAKISTAN: Taufiq Umar, Salim Elahi, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami.
UMPIRES: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and S. Venkataraghavan (India).
TV UMPIRE: I.L. Howell (South Africa).
MATCH REFEREE: G.R. Viswanath (India). —AFP
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