West Indies batsman Brian Lara celebrates reaching his century during the third day of the first Test match against South Africa at Wanderers cricket stadium in Johannesburg, yesterday. - Reuters JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, CMC:
A SPECTACULAR world record assault in the day's penultimate over put an emphatic seal on Brian Lara's first Test century against South Africa. His unbeaten 178 guided the West Indies past the follow-on on the third day of the first Test in Johannesburg yesterday.
In smashing 28 runs off hapless left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, Lara erased the previous standard for the most runs of a six-ball over in Test cricket of 26 set by New Zealander Craig McMillan against Pakistan's Younis Khan.
More importantly, however, the memorable burst of scoring lifted the tourists to 363 for six at stumps, ensuring that the South Africans will have to bat a second time after they amassed 561 in their first innings.
There is still considerable work to be done on the fourth day as the deficit remains a daunting 198 runs, but given the character shown so far and indications that the injured Chris Gayle will bat next with a runner, the signs for a competitive series are encouraging.
His 23rd Test hundred was not completely vintage Lara for he struggled against the pace and aggression of Makhaya Ntini, who should have claimed his wicket when the tourists' captain had reached only 15 in the morning session.
Getting an outside edge to a searing, full-length delivery from the fast bowler, he looked back to see Shaun Pollock juggle and then drop a regulation chance at first slip.
It proved a costly lapse and could have cost South Africa the chance of taking the early lead in the four-Test series.
Indeed, Lara spent the rest of the day making Pollock and his team-mates regret the missed opportunity, hammering 28 fours and two sixes in an innings spanning over five hours and 239 deliveries.
Those sixes, hoisted over wide long-on, came in the midst of his demolition of Peterson.
They were preceded by a straight driven four and were followed by two more lofted boundaries before he cut the last delivery to the backward-point boundary ropes to break the old mark.
Lara was not aware at the time that he had achieved a world record, being more concerned about getting past the follow-on before the close of play.
"That follow-on mark was there, and-I played each ball on its merit," he said in reflecting on the effort after the day's play.
"The field was in and the majority of the balls went over the top. It wasn't deliberate. I just played it on merit, but I suppose, also taking into consideration the field that was set as well."
Yet Lara acknowledged that he was lucky to be there at the end, having offered the chance and taking a couple painful blows on the wrist from his greatest threat on the day.
"The most critical time was facing Ntini," he explained.
"When I survived that period when I was dropped, I felt very comfortable. I was surprised that he only bowled five overs in that spell and so I was able to take a breather from him. There and then I felt good."
He also paid tribute to team-mates Daren Ganga and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for helping to shepherd him through difficult periods in his innings on a pitch still offering assistance to the fast bowlers.
"Batting with guys like Daren Ganga, reminds of me of batting with Jimmy Adams, guys who don't ever try to compete with you and whenever you are uncomfortable with a situation, they are there for you," Lara said.
Ganga's 60 was a laborious effort in the main, yet despite only adding 11 runs to his overnight score before falling to a mistimed pull off Ntini in the first over after lunch, the opener blunted the threat of the rejuvenated South African pacers firing in with the second new ball.
If his effort lacked conviction, it did not detract from its significance after he lost overnight partner Ramnaresh Sarwan, caught at the wicket for 21 off the persistent Pollock.
Chanderpaul, who has recently unveiled a more aggressive outlook to batting, reverted to the dour defiance for which he is well known, playing the sheet-anchor role with an innings of 34 in a fourth-wicket partnership of 125 with Lara before playing on to Ntini.
By then Lara was in full stride, reaching his hundred with a single to third man off Pollock, an achievement that was greeted with rapturous acclaim by many of the thousands at The Wanderers keen to see the best of the West Indian maestro.
A late order collapse seemed imminent when Ntini swiftly dispatched Ridley Jacobs to another catch by his opposite number, Mark Boucher, for his third wicket. But Vasbert Drakes contributed a gritty 21 in adding 36 for the sixth wicket before walking too far across his stumps and being trapped LBW by Jacques Kallis.
Infused by the determination and defiance of the previous two days, Mervyn Dillon stuck it out with his captain to stumps, contributing just six in a 49-run partnership, and had the best viewing position in the house as Lara waded into Peterson to satisfy even the most demanding fan of the mercurial left-hander.
