South Africa strike bowler Makhaya Ntini celebrates as he claims another in his career-best 13-wicket haul in the second Test against the West Indies in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. - REUTERS
PORT-OF-SPAIN (Reuters):
SOUTH AFRICA'S man of the match Makhaya Ntini revealed he had foreseen his own success in the second Test against the West Indies in Port-of-Spain.
The strike bowler Ntini took a career-best seven for 37 in the second innings and a South African record of 13 for 132 for the match to set up the eight-wicket win.
"On the first day, before I left my hotel room, I said: 'This is going to be my Test'," Ntini told a news conference.
"Everybody who bowls in a Test for South Africa is going to want to do better than that now."
The touring side lead the four-match series 1-0.
Ntini said he had not been despondent after South Africa struggled to draw the first Test in Georgetown.
"It's all about dedication, I knew things could turn around," he said.
TWO OF A KIND
The only other South African to claim 13 wickets in a Test was off-spinner Hugh Tayfield, who took 13 for 165 against Australia in Melbourne in 1952-53, and 13 for 192 against England in Johannesburg in 1956-57.
South African captain Graeme Smith was satisfied with his team's response to their performance in Georgetown, where they were dismissed for 188 in the first innings.
"We let ourselves down on the first three days in Guyana, and it's great to be able to fight back and get something out of it," Smith said.
"It's been a hard-working Test, even behind the scenes, and it's a great feeling to come out of it victorious.
"We didn't have huge partnerships, but the guys put runs on the board and we were very aggressive with the ball."
MOTIVATION
South Africa start a two-day tour match against a University of the West Indies vice-chancellor's XI in Port of Spain on Saturday before resuming the Test series in Bridgetown on April 21.
"The guys will be motivated to do well, we want to win this series badly," Smith added.
West Indies coach Bennett King has plenty to work on, not least the 67 no-balls his team bowled in the two Test matches.
Fast bowler Reon King was denied the wickets of AB de Villiers and Smith in South Africa's second innings because the deliveries that 'dismissed' them were no-balls.
"There were a cluster of things that made us not perform as well as we could have," King told a news conference.
"The no-balls certainly cost us in this match. We didn't bowl one no-ball in training, but what we've seen in the match is the result of changes in rhythm and tempo.
"There were also two or three shots the players probably wish they had not played."
King added: "The West Indies side has plenty of skill, and we need to combine that with better fitness."
