da pinnacle： A calculated, counter-attacking captain’s knock of 81 from Shaun Pollocksaved South Africa from embarrassment on day one of their three-day matchagainst a strong West Indies Cricket Board XI at the Kensington Oval
Neil Manthorp – MWP24-Mar-2001A calculated, counter-attacking captain’s knock of 81 from Shaun Pollocksaved South Africa from embarrassment on day one of their three-day matchagainst a strong West Indies Cricket Board XI at the Kensington Oval.Pollock, batting at number eight, turned a tide flowing alarmingly againsthis side when he arrived at the wicket with the score at 132 for six. SouthAfrica were eventually dismissed for 271.The Board XI faced just four overs before stumps which Daren Gangaand Leon Garrick negotiated confidently to close on 17 without loss.With Neil McKenzie grafting a painstaking 50, there was more than justthe captain’s knock for the South Africans to enthuse about. But takenothing away from a determined and competitive Board XI, for whomCameron Cuffy was outstanding. His three wickets were bought cheaply and maywell have purchased a place in the West Indian side for the Third Test whichstarts here next Thursday. A pat on the back too for Colin Stuart, who waswild at times, but finished with 4/56.While Pollock batted like a free spirit before bottom-edging a pull offStuart on to his stumps when looking for runs at the death, McKenzie wasalways studied, never free-flowing. His first and only boundary – a six overmid-on off left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed – came after two hours and72 balls. His fifty took a minute over three hours, but no one will careless about his slow progress than the batsman himself. To fall to a raredelivery which kept horribly low was rough justice indeed.After losing four wickets in the first session, the South Africans thensaw both Justin Kemp and Mark Boucher dismissed cheaply after lunch. Kemp(13) had seemed in glorious touch, swatting the first ball after the breakthrough the covers for four, but his confidence got the better of him whenhe attempted to slog-sweep Mohammed and top-edged a dolly of a catch toStuart at mid-on.Boucher looked as though he was setting himself for a big score, ekingeight runs from 33 balls until Cuffy got one to rise off a length and allthe batsman could do was fend it to gulley. The delivery was a good exampleof the extra pace and bounce in the pitch after the slow and low experiencethe Caribbean has been for the tourists thus far. The Kensington Oval promises to be a different experience.As well as Cuffy, Reon King and Stuart bowled in the morning session,all four South African batsmen to be dismissed would have had good cause toquestion their judgment. Gary Kirsten (16) shouldered arms to one fromCuffy that cut back to hit off stump and Boeta Dippenaar(1) did the same toa straight delivery from King the following over and was lock, stock andbarrel leg-before.Herschelle Gibbs (15) wasted a solid start with a swish across the lineto be bowled by Stuart, who then picked up his second wicket just beforelunch when Klusener (22) struck him straight to mid-on. An angry Klusenerturned and swatted leg stump with his bat in disgust – in a higher profilegame he might just have landed himself in trouble.