S Africans' minds on historic win (15 January 1999)

15 January 1999

S Africans' minds on historic win

By Geoffrey Dean in Centurion

THE revelation that Makhaya Ntini is to face rape charges will not distract Hansie Cronje's side from their quest for a 5-0 whitewash over West Indies when the fifth Test starts today. Ntini, who has not played Test cricket since Headingley last August, appears in court in East London today.

South Africa may never get a better chance of achieving the first 5-0 series win in their history. West Indies, in a similar state of disarray to their 1975-76 tour of Australia when they were trounced 5-1, have never been whitewashed in a five-match series.

Six 5-0 margins have been recorded in Test history, the last three all by West Indies. England, against India in 1959, are the only other country since the Second World War to have managed the feat.

South Africa's prospects were improved when Allan Donald came through a fitness test yesterday on his hamstring injury.

In trying to redress what has been their greatest problem on this tour, their opening batsmen, West Indies have promoted Darren Ganga up the order. Ganga, 20, has impressed in his first two Tests with his calm temperament and sound technique. His elevation means West Indies will have tried 10 different opening pairs in their last 25 Tests.

While Courtney Walsh looks likely to be fit after missing the last Test because of a hamstring tear, there are doubts over Curtly Ambrose. Should his knee problems keep him out, Reon King could well deputise, despite arriving in South Africa only yesterday morning.

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

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

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