Bowlers give West Indies the edge in final Test

Just when they were being written off. It has not been an easy time to be a West Indian cricketer, but on Friday in the fifth Test against South Africa Carl Hooper's men finally came good. Pumped up and purposeful, they dismissed the tourists for 141 - South Africa's lowest ever total against the West Indies - and took an 84-run first innings lead.

By stumps the home side were 34 without loss, a healthy lead of 118. Leon Garrick's first innings golden duck on debut was a distant memory as he finished unbeaten on 21 with opening partner Chris Gayle 10.

Perhaps it was the desire to give Courtney Walsh the send-off he deserves, possibly the fear of the fines system now in place in the West Indian camp, or maybe just sheer bloody-mindedness brought on by a desire to bring a depressing winless run to an end. There is of course still a long way to go in this match, but for the first time in the series, the West Indies have made themselves genuine favourites to win.

After finishing off the West Indies first innings for 225, the South African reply did not start well, Gary Kirsten looking to force Walsh away off the back foot and edging to Gayle at third slip. It was his third duck in five Test innings, and he has now scored just 86 runs in his eight knocks since the century in Guyana.

Cameron Cuffy, who was unfortunate to be dropped after an impressive but luckless performance in the third Test in Barbados, struck in the first over after lunch. It was a beast of a delivery - climbing steeply past the nose of Herschelle Gibbs (18), taking the edge and well caught by Ridley Jacobs with the gloves above his head.

Daryll Cullinan (6) has been the scourge of the West Indies bowlers all series, but he was not to inflict any great damage this time. After pulling Cuffy emphatically through mid-wicket for four, he flashed loosely in his next over and Brian Lara took a very good low catch at first slip.

The score had moved to 51 when Jacques Kallis (15) departed, the big right-hander getting an inside-edge onto the pad as he looked to force through the on-side, the ball ballooning back to bowler Dillon who pocketed a straightforward, if rather unusual, return chance.

Dinanath Ramnarine bowled tidily before seeing Lance Klusener rifle him over mid-on for six, the left-hander's struggle for form then coming undone on 13 when he played all around a straight delivery from Walsh which clattered into his off-stump.

Walsh then extended his world record again in spectacular style. Mark Boucher worked hard to reach 13 and must have thought he had picked up four when he met a short delivry with a full-blooded pull, but Garrick somehow clung on to a magnificent two-handed catch diving low to his left at square-leg.

Shaun Pollock (24) and Neil McKenzie (45) then set about repairing a distinctly perilous position of 97-6, but after McKenzie survived a catch referred to the television umpire on 41, Pollock fell trying to glide Dillon down to third man.

It was not before the South African captain had become just the eighth all-rounder, and the fifth fastest, to reach the rare double of 2 000 runs and 200 wickets in Tests. Playing in his 56th Test, Pollock reached the double in glorious style with a six pulled over the longest boundary of the ground off Cuffy.

Pollock's departure spelled the end for South Africa as four wickets fell in 21 balls for the addition of just four more runs. McKenzie was leg-before sweeping at Ramnarine, Justin Kemp spooned Dillon to mid-on to be out for a duck and Paul Adams edged to second slip to give Carl Hooper his hundredth Test catch and Dillon his fourth wicket of the innings.

It seemed an age since the South Africans needed a further six overs and five balls to prize out the final West Indies wicket at the start of the morning session.

Resuming on 214-9, Walsh and Ramnarine took the score to 225 before Walsh drove uppishly at captain Pollock and Adams took a superb running and then diving catch at mid-on.