PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa), Dec 29: The West Indies gained their most significant Test win away from home in seven years when they beat South Africa by 128 runs on the fourth day of the first Test at St George’s Park here on Saturday.
Set 389 to win, South Africa succumbed to consistent pressure from the West Indian fast bowlers and were bowled out for 260 with Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor taking three wickets each as the delirious West Indians celebrated their first Test win in South Africa.
South Africa were never in contention after slumping to 45 for four, although Jacques Kallis (85) and A.B. de Villiers (60) provided resistance in a fifth wicket stand of 112, while Andre Nel (34) and Dale Steyn (33 not out) delayed the end with a hard-hitting ninth wicket partnership of 67.
It was the first away Test win for the West Indies, other than against minnows Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, since they beat England by an innings and 93 runs at Edgbaston in June 2000.
South Africa’s troubles started early when Daren Powell dismissed Herschelle Gibbs for his second duck of the match.
Fellow fast bowler Edwards built up impressive pace to claim the wickets of Hashim Amla and South African captain Graeme Smith as South Africa slumped to 20 for three.
Kallis and Ashwell Prince survived until lunch but Prince fell to Jerome Taylor four balls after the interval, edging a low catch to West Indian captain Chris Gayle at first slip.
Earlier the West Indies scored 29 runs before losing their last two wickets to be all out for 175. Taylor made a hard-hit 22 before he was last man out.
Left-arm spinner Paul Harris took both wickets to finish with four for 35.
South Africa, seeking to better their highest winning fourth innings total of 340 for five against Australia in 2001-02, made a bad start when Gibbs padded up to Powell in the third over.
The ball was only marginally outside his off stump, angling in to the stumps, and umpire Aleem Dar had no hesitation in giving Gibbs out.
Edwards, who did not take a wicket in the first innings, had Amla caught behind with the batsman getting a faint edge to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin as he pushed at the ball outside off stump.
Edwards had Smith jumping when he bowled a bouncer. He repeated the delivery and Smith was caught by short leg fielder Daren Ganga as the ball looped off the handle of his bat, with Ganga making good ground to take the ball in front of the batsman.
Kallis, who was out without scoring in the first innings, made a shaky start but soon settled down to play some fine strokes, hitting seven boundaries in reaching his half-century off 70 balls.
He was unlucky to be given out after a 126-ball innings when an attempted hook against Edwards deflected off his shoulder to Ramdin.
De Villiers was eighth man out when he drove Taylor to mid-on.
When the final wicket fell, the West Indians gathered with arms linked and danced in the middle of the field.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 408 (S. Chanderpaul 104, M.N. Samuels 94, C.H. Gayle 66).
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 195 (A.B. de Villiers 59; D.J. Bravo 4-24).
WEST INDIES (2nd Innings, overnight 146-8):
C.H. Gayle c Boucher b Ntini 29
D. Ganga run out 45
R.S. Morton lbw b Kallis 5
M.N. Samuels b Steyn 40
S. Chanderpaul c Kallis b Steyn 8
D.J. Bravo c Gibbs b Harris 10
D. Ramdin c Gibbs b Steyn 0
D.J.G. Sammy lbw b Harris 3
J.E. Taylor c Nel b Harris 22
D.B.L. Powell b Harris 6
F.H. Edwards not out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, W-1, NB-5) 7
TOTAL (all out, 57.4 overs) 175
FALL OF WKTS: 1-32, 2-57, 3-122, 4-123, 5-141, 6-141, 7-144, 8-144, 9-160.
BOWLING: Steyn 17-3-67-3 (5nb, 1w); Ntini 11-3-35-1; Nel 7-1-21-0; Kallis 7-1-16-1; Harris 15.4-5-35-4.
SOUTH AFRICA (2nd Innings):
H.H. Gibbs lbw b Powell 0
G.C. Smith c Ganga b Edwards 11
H.M. Amla c Ramdin b Edwards 8
J.H. Kallis c Ramdin b Edwards 85
A.G. Prince c Gayle b Taylor 10
A.B. de Villiers c Samuels b Taylor 60
M.V. Boucher b Taylor 13
P.L. Harris b Bravo 0
A. Nel c Ramdin b Sammy 34
D.W. Steyn not out 33
M. Ntini c Powell b Samuels 1
EXTRAS (LB-4, W-1) 5
TOTAL (all out, 74.5 overs) 260
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-17, 3-20, 4-45, 5-157, 6-183, 7-190, 8-192, 9-259.
BOWLING: Powell 14-2-47-1 (1w); Edwards 13-3-37-3; Taylor 18-1-66-3; Bravo 16-2-63-1; Sammy 7-1-29-1; Samuels 6.5-1-14-1.
RESULT: West Indies won by 128 runs.
UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).
TV UMPIRE: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa).
MATCH REFEREE: R Mahanama (Sri Lanka).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Marlon Samuels.
SECOND TEST: Cape Town, Jan 2-6.
THIRD TEST: Durban, Jan 10-14.—AFP
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