Cricket: W Indies founder as catches turn tide

TWO SENSATIONAL catches by Herschelle Gibbs and a controversial take by the wicketkeeper Mark Boucher pushed the West Indies towards a third successive Test defeat by South Africa yesterday.

When bad light stopped play on the third day of the third Test here, the West Indies were 132 runs ahead but had only two second-innings wickets standing.

Their cause was undermined by the loss of five wickets for 13 runs, after their captain, Brian Lara, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul had given the troubled tourists hope of salvaging some honour from the series with a third-wicket stand of 160.

Gibbs started the slide when he dived full-length at square leg to hold a full-blooded pull to end Lara's innings on 79. He made an even better catch when he sprinted towards the boundary from midwicket and leapt to catch a mistimed pull by Darren Ganga left handed in mid-air.

Between Gibbs' catches, Chanderpaul was caught and bowled by Shaun Pollock for 75, six balls after Lara's fall, and Carl Hooper was out controversially. He got an inside edge to Pollock and Boucher flung himself to his left. The keeper indicated to Hooper that he had made a fair catch, but slow- motion television replays showed Boucher grounded the ball as his glove hit the turf.

Earlier, Franklyn Rose had completed Test-best bowling figures of 7 for 84 when he bowled Allan Donald to end the South African first innings. It was the best return by a visiting player in a Test at Kingsmead.

Jonty Rhodes was caught and bowled by Courtney Walsh for 87 off the 10th ball of the day.

Donald had his own moment of triumph during the West Indian collapse when he became the first South African, and the 20th player of all time, to take 250 Test wickets. Donald is playing in his 50th Test and only Australia's Dennis Lillee, who reached the milestone in his 48th, has achieved the total in fewer Tests.

With South Africa leading by 114 runs after the first innings, West Indies were quickly reduced to 41 for 2 before Lara and Chanderpaul came together in a blaze of attacking strokeplay. Lara showed touches of his best form as he lashed 15 fours off 139 balls while Chanderpaul hit 13 boundaries off 169 deliveries.

The West Indies manager, Clive Lloyd, stressed the need to make use of television replays after Hooper's controversial dismissal. He said: "Had Hooper stood there the umpires may have referred it to the third umpire, but he walked. Sometimes in those situations you don't know whether you've caught the ball or not. It's just one of those things, part and parcel of the game. But if you have the technology, you should use it to rectify these sorts of situations."

South Africa's captain, Hansie Cronje, was happy Boucher's actions were within the spirit of the game. "From where I stood and after watching the replays I'm still convinced he took the catch," he said.

Third day; South Africa won toss

WEST INDIES - First Innings 198 (B C Lara 51; J H Kallis 3-18, W J Cronje 3-19).

SOUTH AFRICA - First Innings

(Overnight: 292 for 8)

J N Rhodes c and b Walsh 87

A A Donald b Rose 13

D J Terbrugge not out 2

Extras (b4, lb8, w1, nb13) 26

Total (all out, 98 overs) 312

Fall (cont): 9-295.

Bowling: Ambrose 17-1-60-0 (10nb), Walsh 29-6-68-2 (2nb), Rose 28-6-84- 7 (1w, 1nb), Lewis 20-2-70-0, Hooper 4-0-18-0.

WEST INDIES - Second Innings

P A Wallace c Boucher b Donald 1

J R Murray c Gibbs b Kallis 29

S Chanderpaul c and b Pollock 75

*B C Lara c Gibbs b Terbrugge 79

C L Hooper c Boucher b Pollock 2

D Ganga c Gibbs b Pollock 5

R Jacobs not out 12

R D Lewis c Boucher b Donald 0

F A Rose c Gibbs b Pollock 22

C E L Ambrose not out 0

Extras (lb12, w2, nb7) 21

Total (for 8, 77.5 overs) 246

Fall: 1-17 2-41 3-201 4-201 5-204 6-213 7-214 8-245.

To bat: C A Walsh.

Bowling: Donald 18-4-58-2, Pollock 24.5-6-74-4 (7nb), Terbrugge 13-4- 28-1, Kallis 10-1-31-1, Symcox 12-3-43-0 (2w).

Umpires: D L Orchard (SA) and R B Tiffin (Zim).