Proteas right at home in West Indies
SOUTH Africa have always been at home in the West Indies since their first Test at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados in April 1992.
In the April 18-23 ‘one-off’ Test that included a rest day on April 21, 13 players made their Test debuts, including West Indians Jimmy Adams, David Williams and Kenny Benjamin.
The South Africans, welcomed back into international cricket in 1991 after the government abandoned its apartheid policy, were rebuilding.
A man-of-the-match performance by the 6ft 7in Curtly Ambrose, who took 6-34 in South Africa’s second innings, ensured the West Indies won by 52 runs after the visitors won the toss and decided to field.
Nine years later, the South Africans, led by Shaun Pollock, returned to the Caribbean for the Vivian Richards Trophy, winning the five-Test series 2-1.
Pollock was named man of the series not only for the Tests, but for the seven ODIs as well in a three-month tour, which began on March 4, 2001.
After 11 Test matches in the region, South Africa have won five, lost two and drawn four. And though No 3 batsman Brendan Nash, who made one and 13 in the last Test, said the West Indies were sick of losing, South Africa seem unlikely to lose the second Test which starts at Warner Park, St Kitts, today.
In any event, when a team is ranked No 2 in the world in both Tests and ODIs, as the South Africans are, it will likely be “at home” wherever it plays.
In addition, with players the calibre of Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, and Hashim Alma, with Test batting averages of 54.55, 50.08, and 46.02, respectively, and the quality of Dale Steyn, along with Morne Morkel, with strike rates of 38.9 and 53.6, the West Indies, ranked eighth of nine Test-playing countries, can only hope the visitors have bad luck.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that of the 23 Tests the West Indies have played against their rivals, they have won only three, while losing 15 and drawing five.