South Africa crumble after Cullinan century

Daryll Cullinan's 13th Test century highlighted an outstanding day's entertainment at the start of the second Test between the West Indies and South Africa at the Queen's park Oval in Port of Spain on Saturday as the tourists scored 286 all out after winning the toss and choosing to bat first.

The home side finished at two without loss after a single over, bowled by Allan Donald, contained a couple of embarrassing wides. Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds have yet to score.

For the second Test in succession South Africa failed to build a substantial score after laying a solid platform, this time reaching 161-2 before a flurry of attacking shots and another clever fightback from the home side witnessed a disappointing slide towards the end of the day.

Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs battled through the entire morning session in conditions that suited the fast bowlers but owed their survival to some fortune as both played and missed on atleast 10 occasions each with Courtney Walsh, in particular, beating the edge and sporadically generating pace reminiscent of his prime.

Gibbs drove handsomely at anything that was pitched up to him while Kirsten's brilliant rotation of the strike kept the scoreboard moving and offered both openers some respite from a pitch with an even, green covering of grass that had nontheless been cut extremely short.

The morning session yielded just 61 runs but South Africa's sense of achievement was shortlived as both openers were dismissed withing three overs after lunch.

Kirsten (23) uncharacteristically wafted at a short, wide ball from Nixon McLean to give Carl Hooper a simple catch at second slip and then Gibbs was undone by some additional bounce from Walsh that saw the ball deflect from his gloves onto off stump.

The third wicket stand of 99 between Cullinan and Jacques Kallis (53) was the highlight of an outstanding day, beginning as it did with both men scoreless and coming from just 22 overs.

Kallis, known for his cautious beginnings, batted with remarkable freedom, twice lofting Dinanath Ramnarine over the long off ropes for six in the same over before cutting and driving the pace bowlers like a man at the business end of a one day international.

Cullinan was even more fierce against Ramnarine, repeatedly slog-sweeping him over midwicket and rarely failing to accept the invitation to hook when the faster bowlers picthed short.

Hooper is shaping up already as a captain with a golden touch and he turned to part-time medium pacer Wavell Hinds, who had never bowled a ball in Test cricket before, to stem the flow. His third delivery earned him a wicket when Kallis drove powerfully back to the bowler and Hinds picked up a stunning, ankle-high return catch. Third umpire Clyde Cumberbatch was required to ratify the decision but there was no doubt.

Neil McKenzie (9) continued his poor form on tour by guiding a wide, away-swinging slower ball from Walsh into the safe hands of Chris Gayle at second slip and Mark Boucher (16) provided Hinds with an unlikely second Test wicket by whipping a gentle, medium paced delivery straight to Hooper at short mid wicket.

Lance Klusener (15) launched his first ball, also from Hinds, to the extra cover boundary but Ramanarine unhinged him with a classic googly that tickled the outside edge on its way through to Jacobs.

Nicky Boje (3) inexplicably slogged across the line after just seven balls and top edged high into the sky and Cullinan's new national record of 13 centuries came to a tired end when another attempted slog sweep across the line resulted in another top edge.

His 103 came from just 155 balls in three hours and 36 minutes and contained 14 boundaries. Makhaya Ntini once again provided a brief spell of light entertainment before quickly falling to another slog leaving SA captain Shaun Pollock stranded with an unbeaten 15 from 12 balls.