South Africa v West Indies

At Durban, December 26, 27, 28, 29, 2003. South Africa won by an innings and 65 runs. Toss: South Africa.

Lara's first disappointment in his 100th Test was losing the toss on a drizzly, overcast opening day which required floodlights throughout. The grassy pitch did not provide quite the movement expected when Smith sent West Indies in, but it did not take long for the psychological advantage to materialise: they lost five for 57 by lunch.

As the weather and the pitch improved, there was no way back. West Indies were further undermined by their atrocious fielding. As South Africa amassed their secondhighest Test total, and highest on home soil, West Indies missed six chances, including two off Kirsten and one off Kallis, who both made centuries, as did Gibbs. Dashing, and defiant, second-innings hundreds by Sarwan and Chanderpaul saved some face for West Indies, but they lost by an innings with a day to spare. It was their seventh defeat in their seven Tests in South Africa.

While South Africa were back to full strength with the return of new father Kirsten, West Indies had to replace the injured Gayle and Collymore with reserve keeper Baugh, as a No. 6 batsman, and seam bowler Sanford, a recent addition to the squad.

Once more, Lara found himself mounting a rearguard action after South African pace swept aside the top half of the order, all to catches off the outside edge. He and Jacobs checked the collapse by adding 98. And after Lara fended a sharp bouncer from Ntini to first slip after nearly three hours' diligent application, the enterprising Drakes, with a maiden Test fifty, carried the innings into the second day, with help from his ninth-wicket partner Sanford.

Gibbs's 11th Test hundred meant South Africa were already 39 to the good with seven wickets standing by the close. Gibbs showed no ill effects from the broken nose sustained in the First Test as he and Kallis heaped misery on bowlers who found no consistency of line or length. He was livid with himself when he diverted a pull off Sanford into his stumps, having stroked 23 fours, mostly drives through the off side.

The match slipped away from West Indies early next morning. Kirsten was twice dropped off Dillon on his way to fifty, by Lara at first slip and Drakes at gully, while Kallis was badly missed by Drakes at long leg off Edwards, from a top-edged hook on 84. The two were ruthless as they overturned South Africa's 74-year-old fourthwicket record, 214 between Herbie Taylor and "Nummy" Deane against England at The Oval, and had raised it to 249 when Kirsten top-edged a sweep off Sarwan to deep mid-wicket. He had just become the first South African to reach 7,000 Test runs, after completing his 20th hundred, another national record, in his 96th Test. Kirsten hit 20 fours, as did Kallis, who finally cut Dillon to point after eight hours.

By now, West Indies were simply waiting for the end of the innings, which they extended by dropping three more catches. Yet another humiliating defeat was in prospect at 130 for five on the fourth afternoon until Chanderpaul, who had been unable to field because of a strained leg muscle and was therefore prohibited from batting until No. 7, joined Sarwan, with Hinds as his runner. Sarwan had shaken off the effects of a stunning knock to the helmet from Ntini in the morning and, after Chanderpaul escaped a sharp, early chance to short leg off Rudolph's leg-break, the pair mounted an exciting, but ultimately irrelevant, counter-attack which added 113 in 35 overs.

Sarwan completed his third Test hundred and Chanderpaul his ninth, before both were dismissed by Ntini. Sarwan hit 18 fours in 225 balls, Chanderpaul a six and 20 fours in 173, but South Africa completed their mission with eight overs still available on the day.

Man of the Match: J. H. Kallis. Attendance: 27,763.