Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
THE WEST Indies tour of South Africa is over and although by drawing one of the four Test matches and winning one of the five one-day internationals, it was not as embarrassing as that of 1998-99 when they lost all five Test matches and six of the seven one-day matches, it was disappointing.
With South Africa ranked number two and playing at home, the odds on winning the Test series were always against the West Indies. The prediction, however, was for a fairly close contest.
That, however, was not to be as South Africa, batting well, bowling and fielding brilliantly, dominated the action from start to finish.
Up against probably the weakest West Indies attack of all time, aided and abetted by some poor fielding, South Africa, led by Jacques Kallis, batting only six times and bowled out on only two occasions, rattled up scores of 561 and 226 for six; 658 for nine declared; 532 and 335 for three declared; and 604 for six declared and 46 without loss; while winning the first Test by 189 runs, the second by an innings and 65 and the fourth by 10 wickets.
In a fairy-tale performance, Kallis ticked off four centuries - one in each match, scored 712 runs in six innings, and with two not outs, averaged 178.
As brilliant as the big South African was, however, such was the poor quality of the West Indies bowling that it was like taking candy from a baby.
SO POOR
The West Indies bowling was so poor that while Makhaya Ntini finished with 29 wickets at an average of 21.37 runs per wicket, Andre Nel with 22 at 23.18 and Shaun Pollock with 16 at 29.00, Fidel Edwards finished with eight at 81.00, Vasbert Drakes with five at 91.80, Mervyn Dillon with four at 89.75 and Corey Collymore with four at 57.00.
That was embarrassing and even more so as Ramnaresh Sarwan and Wavell Hinds, two batsmen who bowl a bit, took six and five wickets each with one finishing with an average of 44.33 and the other with an average of 43.00.
Without even looking at why Ravi Rampaul was not selected for even one match, it is still difficult to understand how Drakes played in all four and Dillon in three while Adam Sanford, who took seven wickets in two matches at an average of 48.57, and Dave Mohammed, who took three wickets in one match at 47.33, sat in the pavilion - especially as, unlike Dillon and Drakes, they looked capable of taking wickets.
Maybe that was why the West Indies, who lost 75 wickets in the four matches, only took 46 South African wickets, why South Africa scored 2,962 runs off 760.4 overs and the West Indies 2,621 off 776.5 overs, and why, at 3.89 compared to 3.37, South Africa scored faster and but for the third Test, always left themselves with enough time to win.
BATTING WAS NOT TOO BAD
With totals of 410 in the first innings of the first Test, 329 in the second innings of the second Test, 427 and 354 for five in the third Test and 348 in the second innings of the fourth Test; with captain Brian Lara scoring 531 runs at an average of 66.37, Chris Gayle 366 at an average of 61.00, Dwayne Smith 164 at 54.66, Sarwan 392 at 49.00, Shivnarine Chanderpaul 286 at 47.66 and with Lara scoring a magnificent 202; Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Gayle and Smith reeling off some wonderful strokes in a few performances to remember, the West Indies batting was not too bad.
It was, however, also disappointing.
Innings after innings the batsmen threw away their wickets through careless strokes. Innings after innings they got out the same way. Most times caught in the arc from the wicketkeeper to gully with the ball sliding off the face of the bat and so often, as it was in the fourth Test when, with the score on 273 for three in the second innings and two batsmen, Gayle and Sarwan, not out on a century each, they appeared set to save the game before losing seven wickets for 75 runs in 22 overs, they collapsed after going well.
The West Indies' next assignment is against England, the series will be at home and they should win that one.
Based on what happened in South Africa, however, the West Indies bowlers will have to be better, much better. The fielders will have to be better, much better and the batsmen will have to be more consistent.
With plenty work the fielding can be improved and with a little determination and more concentration, the batsmen should score a whole lot of runs.
The problem will be the bowling especially if the selectors stick with the likes of Dillon and Drakes.
