da wazamba： West Indies’ resistance in the face of South Africa’s daunting first-innings total could not be faulted for determination but it went entirely unrewarded as they ended the day trailing by 275 runs after following on with eight wickets in hand
da pinup bet： The Report by David Hopps19-Dec-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:52
Moonda: Philander the man of the moment
Test cricket against the leading nations has long become a trial for West Indies. Faced by a daunting South Africa total, they initially stiffened sinews as best they could but by the end of the third day of the first Test in Centurion that resolve had been replaced by a familiar expectation of impending defeat.They followed on 351 runs behind shortly after tea and, although South Africa’s attack understandably lessened in intensity second-time around, they still lost Devon Smith and Kraigg Braithwaite in reducing the deficit to 275.South Africa’s protagonist was Vernon Philander, who bowled with great intelligence throughout, the only rider being that those qualities did not extend to his appetite for the review system. Twice his emphatic signals requested a review; twice his desire went unrewarded. Nevertheless, he finished with five wickets in the day, his first-innings 4 for 29 in 15 overs being the reward for some insistent, pitched-up seam bowling.A first-innings opening stand of 72 proved to be West Indies’ high point. The first four batsmen all fell in the 30s and a chance to put right a lacklustre and depleted display in the field was slowly relinquished on a Centurion pitch that treated batsmen more kindly than that prepared for Australia’s visit in February.Smith’s exit, for 35, will provide more fodder for DRS sceptics, but the decision was not as off-beam as some immediately suggested. The umpire Billy Bowden had rejected Philander’s appeal after the ball passed between Smith’s bat and hip as he sought to work it through square leg. Snicko, unhelpfully, showed a spike when the ball was between bat and trouser pocket.Superficially, there was no evidence to overturn Bowden’s decision but Paul Reiffel, the TV umpire, did just that. Two sound spikes did give some credence to his conclusion that the ball had touched both bat and hip on the way through to the stand-in wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. The ICC, too, has advised that sound spikes can potentially appear in the next frame, just after contact has been made.But, all in all, there were too many presumptions for an on-field decision to be overturned without discontent: DRS is not about educated guesses but clear proof that provides the basis for widespread agreement. Reiffel’s decision possessed logic, but Smith would count himself unfortunate.Brathwaite then followed in Philander’s next over. Earlier, he had edged him just short of second slip. This time a thinner edge flew to Hashim Amla at first. Leon Johnson and Marlon Samuels stabilised West Indies until lunch in a session extended to two-and-a-half hours because of the rain that washed out the final session on the second day.South Africa were depleted in the field, although unlike West Indies the mishaps had not affected their bowling attack. Quinton de Kock, the wicketkeeper, twisted an ankle and Faf du Plessis’ virus had been bad enough for him to visit hospital. There were niggles later for both Dale Steyn and Philander. But the pace attack was initially in rude health and the Test possessed an intensity sorely lacking on the previous day.The opening pair was almost split by what would have been an unfortunate run-out. After Smith pushed Morne Morkel to midwicket for a quick single, Brathwaite lost his footing approaching the crease, dropped his bat and was still short of his ground when Dale Steyn’s underarm throw narrowly missed the stumps.Leon Johnson was the one top-order West Indies batsman to depart wastefully, driving Kyle Abbott loosely to cover in the third over after lunch. When Philander rapped Samuels on the pads before he had scored, the bowler’s excitement at a perfectly-executed plan was apparent. Samuels’ weakness for being trapped on the crease early in an innings had been exposed, but replays revealed he was struck just outside the line.Instead, it was Morkel who removed Samuels, causing him to chop on as he brought one back sharply from around the wicket. Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s crooked resistance entertained for a while – one swing around from his open stance to work Abbott through point off an open face defied geometrical rules – but he was plucked by Alviro Petersen at slip off Philander. When Jermaine Blackwood fell on the stroke of tea, an excellent low catch by Petersen at second slip, legitimised only after numerous TV replays, it was undeniably South Africa’s session.West Indies capitulation after tea was swift. Denesh Ramdin succumbed to a solitary over of left-arm spin from Dean Elgar, Jerome Taylor pushed a return catch to Morkel next ball and with Kemar Roach unable to bat, it was all over when Morkel flattened Cottrell’s stumps.Imposing the follow-on put South Africa’s fast-bowling quartet under strain but the pattern was set. Smith was caught at slip while Philander roared initially for lbw – Smith failing with a review – and Petersen’s snaffling of Brathwaite at second slip – first the parry then the catch as he lay on his back – ensured a contented end to South Africa’s day.
