Impeccable Cullinan leads South African recovery

Like the two Tests so far this series, the first day of the Third Test is finely balanced. Fortunes fluctuated along the way but the South Africans recovered well from losing a wicket in the first over of the day, and from being 58/3, to close at 244/5. Nicky Boje is on three while Daryll Cullinan, brilliantly organised as ever, made his second century in succession, and his 14th overall, to finish on 109 not out.

Before lunch, it was all West Indies, with the first wicket falling with only three deliveries completed. To enhance the West Indies' immediate position, the man out was Gary Kirsten, who normally anchors South Africa's efforts. That Kirsten became Courtney Walsh's 505th Test wicket shows that at least Walsh knew where to put the ball down, since the pitch was tailor-made for fast bowlers, at least in the first session.

There was bounce and moisture and some grass on the pitch early in the day, but at 58/3, things went wrong for the West Indies. While Merve Dillon got two wickets - Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis - he should be very embarrassed at his effort overall, as he could not put the ball on the right spot and bowled too many bad deliveries.

Resuming at 70/3 after lunch, South Africa moved ominously to 168/3 at tea without any apparent effort or alarms. Cullinan, who made 103 and 73 to be man of the match in the Second Test in Trinidad & Tobago, is again the man steering South Africa's recovery and, as usual, is makng a magnificent job of it. His chanceless effort, in nearly four and a half hours of batting, includes twelve classy fours. Cullinan makes batting look so easy sometimes that one wonders how much more relaxed he can be. He always seems so cool and unruffled.

Cullinan and Neil McKenzie put on 149 important runs for the fourth wicket. McKenzie made a very useful 72, after being badly dropped at 43, and with the score at 142/3. The offender was Wavell Hinds, at short extra cover, the anguished bowler being Cameron Cuffy. McKenzie hit one six and ten fours before Wavell Hinds, the occasional bowler, claimed his wicket. Earlier, Gibbs had also been dropped when 17, and the score 29/1; this time Marlon Samuels was the culprit with the unfortunate bowler again being Cuffy.

The second new ball accounted for Mark Boucher, the bowler being the ever determined Cuffy, perhaps the pick of the West Indian bowlers on day one. However, with Cullinan still there on 109, the West Indies will need to get early wickets, or day two could be even more strenuous for them; South Africa have weathered the storm and the pitch is evening out nicely into the good batting track it has almost always been.