Tony Becca, Senior Sport EditorST. JOHN'S, Antigua:
THE fourth Test between the West Indies and South Africa at the Antigua Recreation Ground moves into its third day today with the home team, one down with one to go and needing a victory to draw level, in desperate straits.
At stumps yesterday the West Indies, replying to South Africa's 247, were 130 for six with captain Carl Hooper on 16, Ridley Jacobs on one, and only Neil McGarrell, Dinanath Ramnarine and Courtney Walsh to come.
On a day when their bowlers did their job, the West Indies batsmen, particularly Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, slit their own throats and when play resumes this morning, their fate will be in the hands of Hooper and Jacobs.
With three days to go, the contest is far from over, but with South Africa leading by 117 runs, with the West Indies set to bat last, there were not many around the ARG who, despite keeping their fingers crossed and hoping for the best, did not believe the West Indies had batted themselves into a hole from which they can see no escape.
With South Africa resuming on 210 for seven with the dangerous Shaun Pollock on 36, Boje on 28, and Justin Kemp to come, the West Indies needed to strike early, and thanks to Walsh, they did.
Thirty-five minutes into the day's play, Walsh trapped Boje leg before for 36 at 223 for eight, and when Mervyn Dillon stepped up and bowled Kemp and Makhaya Ntini with successive deliveries, Pollock was left stranded on 48.
To the fans, that was a wonderful start in cool and windy conditions and when Christopher Gayle eased back and cut pacer Jacques Kallis for three and then smashed Pollock to the point boundary, the cheers rang around the ground.
Unfortunately for the fans, Gayle did not last long - and but for Chanderpaul and Sarwan who recovered from tentative starts and shared a promising fourth-wicket partnership of 38, neither did those who followed.
In another embarrassing display, the West Indies batsmen turned up, flashed their bats, reeled off a few lovely strokes and then went their way.
With sun now out in all its glory and the fans anticipating a batting treat, Gayle, driving off the back foot with only his bat moving towards the ball, edged Kallis high to Pollock at fourth slip to make it 13 for one in the 10th over.
Wavell Hinds, after two drives, one to long-off and one to long-on, attempted to square-drive Pollock off the back foot without getting close to the ball and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher to make it 21 for two in the 15th over.
While Brian Lara was unfortunate to make it 50 for three when he drove at pacer Kemp and Neil McKenzie came up with a brilliant catch diving to his left at extra-cover, such was his reckless strokeplay that his dismissal was not a surprise.
At that stage, it could have been worse. Chanderpaul, batting at No. 3, got away on zero when he edged Kallis between third slip and gully; and apart from when he edged a no-ball from Kemp straight to Darryl Cullinan at first slip before he had scored, Sarwan, batting at No. 5, got away on two when he pushed a short delivery from Ntini past Gary Kirsten at short-leg.
With Chanderpaul looking better and better with each delivery he faced, however, and with Sarwan also looking good and playing some handsome strokes, the West Indies rallied to 88 for four before Sarwan hooked Kallis for four, hooked again, and was caught by Boje at square-leg.
That was disappointing but no worse than when, with the score on 122 for four and stumps only a few overs away, Chanderpaul leaned forward, drove Kemp through the covers, eased forward again, attempted to drive again and edged a catch low to Cullinan at first slip.
