Kallis breaks new ground as South Africa dominate
West Indies 7 for 0 trail South Africa 604 for 6 dec (Gibbs 192, Smith 139, Kallis 130*) by 597 runs
Scorecard
Herschelle Gibbs: provided the platform © Getty Images |
South Africa continued their dominance – and West Indies’ agony – in another emphatically one-sided day in the fourth Test at Centurion Park. After Herschelle Gibbs was eventually out for an authoritative 192, Jacques Kallis broke all sorts of records with a fourth consecutive century. He remained unbeaten on 130 when Graeme Smith declared on a massive 604 for 6. West Indies held on to close at 7 for 0 before bad light stopped play.Kallis’s hundred broke countless records. He became the first South African to make four centuries in consecutive Tests, and he broke the record for the most runs in a four-Test series – beating Ricky Ponting’s 706 in Australia’s recent tussle against India. He is also the first player to score hundreds in each Test of a series of more than three matches, and he joined an elite band of nine players to make it four in a row.As usual, Kallis took his time to get a feel for the pitch, but he then exploded into life with a rasping hook for six off Fidel Edwards, and a pull for four the next ball. He cruised to his half-century from 82 balls, hitting five fours and that six along the way. Most of his scoring shots came off the back foot through the legside, a good indication that the bowling was too short. As he approached three figures, he put away the big shots and instead ran the ones and twos with Mark Boucher. He was on 99 for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually square-drove Edwards for four to send Centurion Park into wild applause.Kallis saluted the crowd and his team-mates with his bat aloft in one hand, and a bagful of records in the other. After his hundred, he cut loose, smacking Edwards for three boundaries in one Edwards over, and blitzing Dwayne Smith through the covers twice to take the total past 600.In terms of the match though, Kallis’s heroics provided the icing on South Africa’s cake, which Gibbs provided the base of. He added 53 more runs to his overnight score with little fuss. He had fewer bad balls to play with than on day one, but he again latched on to anything short, cutting and pulling with authority. However, as he approached his double-century, his hard-nosed innings came to the softest of endings. Ramnaresh Sarwan, bowling his part-time legspin, sent down a long-hop outside off stump which Gibbs guided to Daren Ganga at point (422 for 3).Jacques Rudolph was also impressive, and coped well with the deliberate short-bowling from Edwards and Merv Dillon. He mixed solid defence with attack, hitting six boundaries. He had added 72 with Gibbs before Edwards gave his side something to shout about with the first breakthrough of the day. Bowling round the wicket, he speared in an inswinging yorker which beat Rudolph’s flat-footed defence and demolished the stumps (373 for 2).
Fidel Edwards: took the wicket of Jacques Rudolph, but had little else to smile about © Getty Images |
Gary Kirsten was the only top-order batsman to miss out. Like Gibbs, he fell tamely to Sarwan. After he hammered a loose ball for six over deep midwicket, the next ball he patted back a full-toss straight to a delighted Sarwan (446 for 4).Neil McKenzie took his time to get going, but then unveiled a string of classical drives in the V, as well as spanking Corey Collymore over deep square-leg for six.He continued to play well until Dillon got some reward for his efforts with his first success of the match. He got one to leave McKenzie off the pitch, and Brian Lara took a good catch low down at first slip (532 for 5).Dwayne Smith also picked up his first wicket of the match – and of his Test career – when Boucher steered him to Edwards at fine leg for 13 (567 for 6). Boucher had kept Kallis good company, and he deserved to be there for the record-breaking moment, but instead he departed with Kallis on 99.Graeme Smith declared with 13 overs remaining and the light becoming even gloomier. Ganga and Chris Gayle managed to survive for five overs before they went off for bad light, but it was another depressing day for West Indies. The attack at least managed to pick up five wickets today, and bowl tighter spells than yesterday, but they were still mostly unthreatening.The floodlights were turned on as early as halfway through the morning session under the leaden skies as South Africa became only the second side in history to manage four consecutive first-innings totals of 500 or more. Lara will be hoping there’s a light at the end of West Indies’ dark tunnel.