West Indies stumble in follow-on

West Indies 301 (Gayle 77, Ntini 5-49) and 44 for 2 (Sarwan 7*, Chanderpaul 12*) trail South Africa 604 for 6 dec (Gibbs 192, Smith 139, Kallis 130*) by 259 runs
Scorecard

Makhaya Ntini picked up his third five-wicket haul of the series, and Andre Nel began his honeymoon in fairytale fashion, as West Indies were forced to follow on in the fourth and final Test against South Africa at Newlands. By the close, they were slip-sliding to defeat, trailing by 259 runs and with Brian Lara back in the pavilion, after being dismissed by Nel for the second time in the day.

To make matters worse, Chris Gayle - the only batsman to carry the attack to South Africa with any success - was off the field after being struck by a rising delivery. West Indies' hopes rested with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had made 12, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was so chastised by a huge run-out chance when he had made 7, that he didn't dare add to his score before the close.

It was a day of almost unstinting success for South Africa. Ntini set the tone in the first hour of the day, after West Indies had resumed their first innings on 7 for 0. Daren Ganga squirted a sharp chance to Jacques Kallis at slip, and Sarwan played all round a full delivery to be bowled for 13, and at 37 for 2, the day had started ominously.

But Gayle, who galloped to a 78-ball hundred in the first innings at Cape Town, was again in a feisty mood, despite an uncannily quiet start to his innings. He was given his cue by Lara, who swatted Andre Nel over midwicket for six, and together they added 102 for the third wicket.

Gayle cracked three fours in an over from Andrew Hall, then repeated the dose with lunch approaching, as Kallis was sent whistling for three off the reel, in addition to the flick over the slips that Lara had already pulled off in the same over. But that was as good as the partnership would get. Two balls later, and in the final over of the session, Lara nibbled at an off-stump delivery, for Mark Boucher to take a tumbling catch to his left. For the newly-married Nel, it was the most unusual, but most welcome, of wedding presents.

Their predicament got even worse straight after lunch. Gayle might have thought his luck was in when he was dropped in the first over of the resumption, but he immediately threw his wicket away with an airy waft off Ntini that flew at a comfortable height to Neil McKenzie at backward point (142 for 4). He had made 77 from 113 balls, and with him went West Indies' best hope of saving the follow-on.

Dwayne Smith flickered briefly. He took his time to get going, but the drinks interval singled a change of tempo. In particular, he enjoyed a fascinating duel with Kallis, who should have caught him at third slip when he had made just 9. Smith flogged Kallis for consecutive fours in his seventh over, before rocking back to smear him over the midwicket boundary for six. Consecutive fours off Nel followed, and Smith looked to be up and away. But Kallis refused to lose his cool, and suckered Smith with a well-pitched up outswinger, and he couldn't help but nibble a simple catch through to Boucher for 39 (195 for 5).

Nel then returned to centre stage, as Chanderpaul was well caught by Shaun Pollock, low at second slip, and Jacobs waved an easy catch through to Boucher. Though Vasbert Drakes cracked the part-time bowlers for a belligerent 35 from 34 balls, he had no answer to the pace of Ntini. With the new ball imminent, he played around the perfect loosener, and snicked a thin inside-edge onto his stumps.

Two overs later, Ntini extracted Merv Dillon with one that kept disconcertingly low, and when Pollock wrapped up the innings by bowling Corey Collymore for a duck, Graeme Smith immediately enforced the follow-on, with South Africa still holding a commanding lead of 303.

Second-time around, West Indies batted like condemned men. In particular, Gayle had no stomach for a fight, and limped out of the action with an injury, after thumping two fours in his 14. His exit was immediately followed by Ganga's, who was bowled off the pads by Ntini for a seventh-ball duck. When Lara was trapped lbw by Nel, as he leapt across his stumps, West Indies were 32 for 2, and staring at a hefty defeat.

Although Sarwan and Chanderpaul carried them to the close without any more losses, a third defeat of the series should be a formality tomorrow.