South Africa hold their nerve this time

South Africa laid the ghost of Barbados in 1992 to rest yesterday as they held their nerve to beat the West Indies by four wickets in the first Test match at the Wanderers, Johannesburg.

Six years ago, on their return to Test cricket and with champagne already on ice in the dressing room, the South Africans collapsed to Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Wash on the final morning, losing their last eight wickets for just 25 runs.

Yesterday, however, the home team edged through an anxious morning session to take charge of the match after lunch as captain Hansie Cronje and Jacques Kallis went after the bowling.

South Africa, who needed 164 to win, reached the interval at 77 for three off 37 overs, but the seven overs after lunch yielded 47 runs as Cronje and Kallis took the match away from the West Indians.

Cronje was fortunate to escape on 17 when he was caught at silly mid-on off an Ambrose no ball and although he made only another 14 runs before he skied Walsh to fine leg, the mood of the innings had been changed.

Ambrose and Walsh each picked up an early wicket as South Africa slipped to 14 for two and although Daryll Cullinan played several handsome shots in reaching 35, when he was brilliantly caught at mid-wicket by Stuart Williams, the home side were uneasily placed at 58 for three.

The 66 added by the fourth wicket pair steadied South Africa, though, and after Cronjes departure, Kallis steered his side through to victory with an unbeaten 57, his second half-century in a low-scoring match.

Nevertheless, South Africa had to endure one or two more nervous moments, before the win was completed. Jonty Rhodes was caught at the wicket for nine and then, with the scores level, man-of-the-match Shaun Pollock flicked an Ambrose full toss straight to square leg.

The West Indian captain Brian Lara conceded that his side had lost the match in the second innings when they were bowled out for 170.