- DellmarGayle... scored 81.
BRIDGETOWN, CANA:
YOUNG opener Chris Gayle hit an enterprising 81 but a late batting collapse by the West Indies gave South Africa the upperhand on the opening day of the first Cable and Wireless cricket Test of the 2001 home series at Bourda yesterday.
At the close, the reshaped West Indies side, who won the toss and batted, were 232 for seven with new captain Carl Hooper on his return to the Test arena, not out on 12 and leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine on four.
Gayle, a tall, 21-year-old left-hander, batted with bold aggression as he belted 14 fours off 157 balls in 217 minutes at the crease but a series of rash shots by the Windies' batsmen spoiled the day for the Caribbean cricketers.
Veteran pacer Allan Donald inspired a spirited fightback by South Africa with a telling double strike late in the day when he removed Ramnaresh Sarwan and new West Indies vice- captain Ridley Jacobs with consecutive balls.
Donald's two-wicket burst followed the careless dismissal of star batsman Brian Lara for a fluent 47 in 129 minutes off 107 balls and virtually wiped away the Windies' hopes of a total well in excess of 300 runs.
The turning point came just after the Windies had passed the 200-mark with only three wickets down when Lara attempted an injudicious lofted shot at the miserly medium pacer Lance Klusener and spooned a catch to Donald, moving in from mid-off.
Before Lara's demise, Gayle and the Windies' top order batsmen had held sway, reeling off boundaries in their typical cavalier manner off the South African predominately pace attack.
The in form Gayle, who was recalled to the West Indies team after being excluded from the preceding tour of the Australia because of problems with his attitude, got into groove almost immediately.
Fresh from amassing 945 runs in nine Busta Cup Series matches this year, Gayle, in only his fifth Test, batted with confidence as he launched the Windies innings in fine style.
The slimly-built six-footer delighted the crowd of around 9,000 with a number of classic cover drives and spanking shots off the back foot in a 43-run first-wicket partnership with fellow Jamaican left-hander Wavell Hinds.
After Hinds fell for 13, driving a simple catch to Nicky Boje at short extra cover off South Africa's captain Shaun Pollock, Gayle and the stylish 20-year-old right-hander Marlon Samuels, featured in a rousing second-wicket stand of 88 runs in 109 minutes.
The two young Jamaicans, displaying both elegance and poise, carried the score to 101 for one at lunch with Gayle lashing both Donald and young pacer Makhaya Ntini out of the attack.
Gayle, who made his Test debut in last year's home series against Zimbabwe, disdainfully hooked Donald off front-foot and punched him off the back-foot for fours off consecutive deliveries.
When Ntini replaced Donald, he treated him with scant respect, smashing him through the off-side for four boundaries in two overs.
But after the promising lunch-time position, the Windies' decline began in mid-afternoon when they lost the wickets of both Samuels, who batted solidly for 40 and Gayle while adding 72 runs off 31 overs.
Samuels, in his first Test in the Caribbean after a promising debut on the wretched tour of Australia, played across a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Nicky Boje and was bowled.
He batted for 109 minutes and struck six fours off the 77 balls he faced.
Gayle, who was 48 at lunch, reached his maiden Test fifty, which contained eight boundaries in 136 minutes off 96 balls by steering Donald between thirdman and backward point for two.
Afterwards, Gayle hit a further six boundaries, including two streaky ones through the slips, before he gifted his wicket, attempting a loose drive to a wide delivery from fast medium bowler Jacques Kallis and edging a low catch to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.
At his dismissal, Sarwan, the talented 20-year-old Guyanese right-hander, playing his first Test on home soil joined Lara and the pair quietly took the West Indies to 173 for three at tea.
On resumption, Lara showed glimpses of brilliance with a couple of delightful boundaries but had a rush of blood after lifting Klusener over mid-on for his fifth four.
The next delivery was pitched up again and Lara, aiming to go over the top, got a leading edge.
His departure started the lower order slide as four wickets fell for 22 runs in 13.4 overs.
Donald, recalled for his third spell of the day, ended Sarwan's 83-ball vigil in which he scraped seven runs in 104 minutes, with a well directed off-stump yorker.
The next ball was full and Jacobs, shaping to play through the leg-side, missed and was palpably leg before wicket, leaving the West Indies on 221 for six.
Nixon McLean avoided the hat-trick but managed only six before he was bowled off the inside edge by Klusener, who maintained an immaculate length in his 26 overs which yielded just 31 runs for two wickets.
Donald also had the identical figures in 16 overs.
It is now left to Hooper to eke out as many runs he can with the last three tail-end batsmen while his opposite number Pollock, will be hoping to polish off the innings very quickly on the second day.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies first innings
W.Hinds c Boje b Pollock 13
C.Gayle c Boucher b Kallis 81
M.Samuels b Boje 40
B.Lara c Donald b Klusener 47
R.Sarwan b Donald 7
C.Hooper not out 12
R.Jacobs lbw b Donald 0
N.McLean b Klusener 6
D.Ramnarine not out 4
Extras (b-2, lb-12, w-2, nb-6) 22
Total (for seven wickets) 232
Fall: 1-43, 2-131, 3-165, 4-206, 5-221, 6-221, 7-228.
To bat: M.Dillon, C.Walsh.
Bowling: Donald 16-7-31-2 (1w), Pollock 12-2-37-1 (3nb), Ntini 10-2-45-0 (1nb), Kallis 12-2-25-1 (1nb, 1w), Klusener 26-11-31-2 (1nb), Boje 14-4-49-1
