Cricket South Africa v West Indies: South Africa completed an emphatic 189-run win over the West Indies in the first Test in Johannesburg yesterday.
The Proteas already held a firm grip on the match when the Windies, chasing an unlikely 378 runs to win, were reduced to 31 for three at the end of day four.
And, despite stubborn resistance from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who top scored with 74, South Africa duly wrapped up the win by bowling out the tourists for 188 and taking a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series.
Brian Lara admitted his side had found the going hard on a difficult New Wanderers Stadium pitch.
"The pitch cracked and deteriorated and it was always going to be difficult to get the runs," he said. "Still it is one of the better Test matches we have played in recent years away from home so we will take many positives from it. We have been handicapped by injuries but we will come out fighting next time."
West Indies needed to start the fifth and final day with a solid partnership if they to were stand a chance of saving the match.
But they were rocked early on when both overnight batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan (8) and Lara (5) were dismissed by Shaun Pollock without making any significant impact.
The wicket of Lara, who hit 202 in the first innings, after the batsman edged on to his stumps was particularly important and it signalled the beginning of the end for his side.
Chanderpaul and Ridley Jacobs gave the visiting supporters hope by moving the score on to 137 without any further loss before lunch.
But, having shared in a 98 partnership, Jacobs perished to Andre Nel shortly after the interval.
Chanderpaul's fine innings came to end in unfortunate fashion when he flicked a Pollock delivery off his hips only for the ball to fly to Nel at fine leg.
The wickets continued to fall with Chris Gayle making a quick-fire 26 from just 21 balls - including six fours - before Nel tempted him outside off stump with wicketkeeper Mark Boucher taking a simple chance.
Mervyn Dillon (seven) put up little resistance before Pollock trapped Corey Collymore lbw to wrap up the match.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith was full of praise afterwards for Makhaya Ntini, who took nine wickets in the match, and former skipper Pollock, who claimed figures of four for 31 in the Windies second innings.
"Our boys had a fabulous match," he said. "It was a good wicket but it cracked up a bit at the end and the bowlers stuck to their task. The pitch had some pace and bounce but one of the cracks opened up and it made it hard to bat on.
"There is still three matches to go but it is nice to go 1-0 up."
South Africa first innings 561 (J Kallis 158, G Smith 132, M van Jaarsveld 73, H Gibbs 60) West Indies first innings 410 (B Lara 202, D.Ganga 60; M Ntini 5-94) South Africa second innings 226-6 declared
WEST INDIES - second innings
(overnight 31-3)
W Hinds b Ntini 0
D Ganga lbw b Ntini 10
V Drakes b Ntini 6
R Sarwan lbw b Pollock 8
B Lara b Pollock 5
S Chanderpaul c Nel b Pollock 74
R Jacobs b Nel 25
C Gayle c Boucher b Nel 26
M Dillon b Ntini 7
C Collymore lbw b Pollock 0
F Edwards not out 0
Extras (b-10 lb-6 nb-11) 27
Total (all out, 51 overs) 188
Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-18 3-25 4-41 5-43 6-141 7-168 8-176 9-188. Bowling: Pollock 17-6-31-4 (nb-8), Ntini 14-4-53-4 (nb-2), Nel 13-3-49-2 (nb-1), Kallis 4-0-21-0, Peterson 3-0-18-0. South Africa won by 189 runs, and lead the four-match series 1-0.
