Tony BeccaWHEN THE curtain comes down on the Cable and Wireless Test series between the West Indies and South Africa at Sabina Park, the Windies, with a little luck, may well be the winners.
After three matches, the score is, South Africa one, the West Indies nil, and with two to go, the Windies still have a chance. Pipe dream or not, the home team could recover, win both matches, and take the series 2-1.
It could easily, however, have been 2-0 to South Africa, the West Indies only hope then would have been a draw, and if the West Indies really recover, if they do beat the odds and win the series, they will have to thank their lucky stars.
After sharing the honours in the drawn first Test, after looking good going into the final day and then losing the second Test, the West Indies ended the third Test on Monday hanging on for a draw.
In the second Test at Queen's Park Oval, the West Indies entered the final day needing 200 runs to win with nine wickets in hand and lost by 69 with time to spare.
In the third Test at Kensington Oval, they entered the final day with the match heading for a draw, they went to bat with 80 minutes plus 15 overs remaining, the target was out of their reach, and they ended up at 88 for seven with Merv Dillon and Dinanath Ramnarine, in an embarrassing display of time wasting, pulling out all the tricks in a desperate fight for survival.
Apart from thanking their lucky stars, the West Indies should also thank South Africa for delaying their declaration and leaving themselves with so little time, so few overs in which to win the match.
Is it that South Africa did not believe they could have won the match or is it that, like India in Nagpur in 1994, they were afraid of Brian Lara and Carl Hooper?
After winning the first Test in Bombay (now Mumbai), India declared their second innings minutes before lunch on the final day and set the West Indies 327 runs to win in 65 overs. The West Indies, 18 for three at one stage, ended up at 132 for five off 63 overs and won the third and final Test to share the series.
Both things are possible. Although the South Africans are not known as cowards, even though they certainly do not play like cowards, it could have been one or the other.
It is also possible, however, that they looked at the Windies batting line-up, looked at the batting order, and figured they had enough time, enough overs to win the match.
Despite the West Indies performance in their first innings when their top batsmen, the experienced Lara and Hooper, rescued them with help from Ridley Jacobs, South Africa probably looked at the four inexperienced youngsters at the top of the order and said to themselves: if we knock these guys off early the pressure will be too much for Lara, who is obviously out of touch, and Hooper, whose history is one of buckling under pressure, and we can win the game.
Whatever it was, and although Christopher Gayle top scored with 48, all four youngsters - Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan - went quickly, so too did Hooper and Lara, and with only Cameron Cuffy and Courtney Walsh to come when the excitement was over, captain Shaun Pollock must have kicked himself for his lack of confidence in his bowlers.
Can the West Indies win at the Antigua Recreation Ground, win at
Sabina Park and snatch the series? Although the odds are overwhelmingly against it, it is possible.
For them to win even one, however, the West Indies have to put in Lara at No. 3, Hooper at No. 4, and hope that they come good.
Had Lara and Hooper batted in those positions in the first innings when they played so well, it would have been easier for Samuels and Sarwan, the pressure would not have been on them, the ball would have been older, and who to tell, they may have performed; and had they batted in those positions in the second innings, the pressure on them to save the game after the loss of Hinds, Samuels, Gayle and Sarwan may not have been so much, they may have been more relaxed and the West Indies may have earned a honourable draw.
The only way Lara should be allowed to bat at No. 4 and not at No. 3 in the fourth Test, the only way Hooper should be allowed to bat at No. 6 is if, as expected, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is recalled and put in at No. 3.
