WI's ticking clock of missed chances

If cricketers were instruments in measuring time, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla would be Swiss masterpieces because of their expertise in pacing innings and marking occasions. They did it on the first day of the Centurion Test against West Indies, too - de Villiers celebrated 10 years as a Test cricketer with a century and Amla notched up one in his first home match as Test captain. West Indies, on the other hand, seemed like a watch fast running out of battery. They only threatened for 15 balls, and as many minutes, and were barely in the contest.

That the difference between the two sides is stark is not entirely unexpected; what was perhaps unanticipated was the degree of difference between West Indies' bowlers and South Africa's batsmen. The visitors' attack has been talked up as their stronger suit, which does not promise much for when roles are reversed, and it was made to wilt in the heat it received from South Africa's two best batsmen.

De Villiers and Amla broke records, including South Africa's highest fourth-wicket partnership against any opposition, but, critically, they also dismantled the morale of the West Indies attack, who will know the day did not have to go that way. They pierced South Africa but could not plough through.

The first puncture they made exposed an old concern - the place of Alviro Petersen. South Africa's senior opener came into the game under pressure - 23 century-less innings and a team-mate, Stiaan van Zyl, who has made his desire for the opening spot public - and would not have had a better chance to turn that around. The first two deliveries he received were inviting, as Jerome Taylor strayed down the leg side and then corrected his line but erred in length. Both were hit for four.

Sheldon Cottrell demanded a little more from Petersen by finding movement but did not trouble the top two to the same degree as other left-armers have in the recent past. Mohammad Irfan and Mitchell Johnson both proved menacing by making use of more than just their angle. A combination of more bounce, pace and searing accuracy were the other weapons and Cottrell lacked those.

As a result, in the period in which South Africa should have been under the most pressure - after being put in to bat under a curtain of cloud - they were allowed to get comfortable. Only Kemar Roach's introduction reeled them in when he delivered a more probing line, which both seamers copied.

Between them, they produced three overs which cost only five runs and included the innings' first maiden. As far as notable passages of play in a Test go, that would not rank among the more memorable, but it made an impact. Petersen's insecurity and Dean Elgar inexperience was exposed. Add to that the dismissal of Faf du Plessis for his first Test duck and you had the makings of a West Indian comeback. The problem was that it did not materialise.

Roach and Cottrell followed up the wickets with an examination of Amla and de Villiers' ability to ward off complacency and both passed the test. They had to deal with deliveries that swung in sharply, especially from Cottrell, but they would have known he would need a break and that West Indies did not have too much else.

As soon as Taylor came back on, there was a reprieve. In his first spell, he had attempted yorkers which turned into half-volleys, in his second, he went short and wide instead. With the leader of their attack struggling to find his rhythm, the rest could be hardly be blamed for appearing directionless.

In seamer-friendly conditions, Sulieman Benn was not a factor but did his bit by containing, although there seemed to be periods when neither Amla nor de Villiers could be quietened. After lunch, even though there were only bits of blue sky visible, they played as though the surface had been sun-dried.

Short balls were swatted disdainfully, width was flayed and that driveable length Curtly Ambrose promised his men would not present was the main course for the pair. De Villiers seemed to be challenging himself to find the eye of the needle to thread the ball through. He found one at cover and drove Benn through it. Amla was working the clock, timing Benn to the boundary as though the ball had come to him at some speed.

They chased each other to the half-century mark and de Villiers won the race with an audacious top-edge that sailed over Denesh Ramdin's head and sent the SuperSport Park supporters into a frenzy. He liked seeing the ball go aerial so much that he scooped Benn to long-on shortly after that, leaving Amla behind, albeit briefly. Amla's milestone came with a measured single and then he caught up, too.

Boundaries flowed freely as the pair were almost guaranteed a poor ball every over. The consistency Ambrose wanted to see from his bowlers was absent, even from Roach. He lost his control in his fourth spell, which ended with him walking off the field with an injury. He limped off, aided by the physiotherapist and as he left, he looked like every one of his team-mates on the field. They were all limping, they all needed help but none was coming.

Against such a toothless attack, it may be difficult to tell whether the lack of bite from the bowlers or the brute of the batsmen was the greater factor in dividing the two teams but few would argue it was not the latter. Amla and de Villiers first got themselves into a position where they could bat with freedom and then did exactly that. They struck the balance between treating the opposition with respect, dealing with them severely and playing with the confidence a No.1 side should have against the No. 8s. Timing was part of it and West Indies will be left wishing they had run into South Africa at a different hour.