South Africa in driver's seat by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Warner Park, Basseterre
Scorecard:	West Indies v South Africa
Player:	JH Kallis, AB de Villiers
Event:	South Africa in West Indies 2010

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DateLine: 20th June 2010

 

The pitch showed that it was dead as a dodo as the Windies batsmen batted with little discomfort. This was after the South African side posted a massive total of 543 for the loss of 6 wickets. The home side were 457 runs behind with nine wickets in hand when bad light stopped play for the day. Captain Chris Gayle led the run chase with an unbeaten 42 while Narsingh Deonarine, promoted to the number three position was the other not-out batsman on 33.

 

Resuming on 296-3, the tourists continued to establish a dominant position over the hosts. Kallis brought up his 50 soon after resumption. After a brief stoppage for a St Kitts' shower, the Proteas seemed invigorated with De Villiers immediately pulling the new ball to the boundary when Kemar Roach dropped short.

 

Roach and Ravi Rampaul briefly kept things tight as the batsmen looked to see off the new ball, but it was not long before the pair started to up the rate. Kallis found the boundary with regularity and de Villiers joined in the fun with some brutal hitting off Roach and a six off one Shillingford over which went for 16. Kallis brought up his century after the lunch interval but he was out for 110 as Rampaul held a good catch off Shillingford in the deep. Ashwell Prince then announced himself with a straight six off Shillingford but pulled Benn straight to Chris Gayle soon after.

 

De Villiers really upped the pace off the spinners, and claimed his 10th Test century as he danced down the pitch to Benn and smashed another straight six. Mark Boucher was run out and De Villiers endured a nervous moment when another big hit only just evaded the grasp of Benn on the boundary. de Villiers, accompanied by Dale Steyn continued his assault after lunch - including two maximums off one Shillingford over - taking the Proteas to their declaration total.

 

Things looked ominous for the hosts when they lost Dowlin as he edged a lifting delivery from Morne Morkel to third slip, where De Villiers took a good diving catch. But Gayle and Deonarine settled in and, with the former for the most part unusually subdued.