1st Test Preview: West Indies back to work (26 November 1998)

26 November 1998

1st Test Preview: West Indies back to work

By Geoffrey Dean in Johannesburg

A SERIES that not just supporters of South Africa and the West Indies but also neutrals have been keenly anticipating begins here today. It is more than six years since the two countries met in their only previous Test, in Barbados, and this five-match series promises to be another intriguing tussle.

West Indies sneaked home in that Test, South Africa's first since readmission and watched by no more than several hundred people each day after a boycott by the public. Another strike, of a very different nature, reduced the West Indians' preparation this time when the confrontation with their board at Heathrow led to their late arrival.

The effect on morale of that crisis is an imponderable. Brian Lara admitted yesterday his side's build-up had been unsatisfactory. "But there must be no excuses. We must be mentally prepared," he said.

Pat Rousseau, the West Indies Cricket Board president who was involved in the crisis talks before the tour, was robbed at gunpoint yesterday. Rousseau, his wife Hesther, and two others were at the Soweto Oval when three armed men forced them to lay on the ground and hand over their watches, wallets and car keys. The four were then rescued by cricket officials.

Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh are expected to be fit today but Dinanath Ramnarine is to fly home with shoulder problems and will be replaced by Rawl Lewis.

Swing bowler David Terbrugge, 21, makes his Test debut on his home ground and with Pat Symcox likely to be preferred to Paul Adams, South Africa are set to field an all-white side for the first time in a year.

Squads

South Africa (from): *W J Cronje, G Kirsten, A M Bacher, J H Kallis, D J Cullinan, J N Rhodes, S M Pollock, -M V Boucher, P L Symcox, A A Donald, D Terbrugge, P R Adams.

West Indies (from): *B C Lara, C B Lambert, P A Wallace, S Chanderpaul, C L Hooper, S C Williams, D Ganga, -J R Murray, C E L Ambrose, N A M McLean, C A Walsh, F A Rose, M Dillon.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)