Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
West Indies opener Chris Gayle, plays an on-drive yesterday during his magnificent triple century against South Africa on the fourth day of the fourth Test against South Africa in the Digicel series - DELLMAR
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua
CHRISTOPHER GAYLE became Jamaica's highest scorer in a Test innings with a magnificent performance at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday.
Batting like man determined to set a new record for the highest individual innings in Test cricket, the big left-hander scored 317 on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa and in the process surpassed Lawrence Rowe's 302 versus England at Kensington Oval in 1974.
At stumps in a match that appears heading for a dull stalemate going into today's final day, the West Indies, replying to South Africa's first innings 588 for six declared, were 565 for five with captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 82 and looking set to become the seventh batsman to score a century in the match.
Resuming on 184 with the West Indies on 299 for one in a match which, with South Africa boasting a two-nil lead, cannot affect the series regardless of the result, Gayle stretched his seventh Test century into his second double, into his first triple.
In the process, he became only the second Jamaican to score a triple century in Test cricket and only the fourth West Indian, behind Gary Sobers, Rowe and Brian Lara to do so.
In an innings lasting for 630 minutes and 483 deliveries and during which he smashed and stroked 37 fours and blasted three sixes, Gayle joined the illustrious company of Rowe, Sobers and Lara when he pushed part-time offspinner AB de Villiers into the onside for a single.
He stepped past Rowe to become Jamaica's number one when, on 300, he drove pacer Monde Zondeki sweetly to the extra-cover boundary.
Just when Sobers' one-time world record 365 not out versus Pakistan at Sabina Park in 1958, Lara's one-time world record 375 versus England at the ARG in 1994, and Lara's world record 400 not out against England at the ARG last year were in his sights, just when he appeared set to pick them off one by one, the big left-hander was gone.
Probably tired and exhausted after being in the field from the start of the match, Gayle played a lazy-looking cut shot at Zondeki, edged a catch to Graeme Smith at slip, and walked away to a standing ovation at 512 for four.
The innings, Gayle's best in first-class cricket, is now also the highest ever against South Africa better than the legendary Don Bradman's 299 not out for Australia at Adelaide in 1931-32.
BRILLIANTLY CAUGHT
Starting the day with the West Indies needing 90 runs to save the follow-on, Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan (103 overnight) extended their second-wicket partnership to 331 before Sarwan, going back to Zondeki and driving, was brilliantly caught by Ashwell Prince at cover at 345 for two.
Eighteen runs later Lara, on his 36th birthday, went neither back nor forward to Zondeki, edged a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, and was on his way for four with the West Indies still 26 runs short of saving the follow-on.
MAN WITH A MISSION
With Chanderpaul, the batsman at the other end in 1994 when Lara broke Sobers' world record, Gayle kept going and looked like a man with a mission.
In contrast to the third day's play when he smashed the ball to all corners of the ground while scoring 26 fours and three sixes off 257 deliveries, Gayle was slow yesterday, his additional 133 runs coming off 226 deliveries and including only 11 fours and no six.
