An interesting day's play on the cards

KINGSTON, APRIL 23. The West Indian bowlers snared three South African wickets as the home team chased a consolation victory on Sunday, the fourth day of the final Test at Sabina Park.

South Africa which lead 2-0 in the series was set an improbable 386 to win, ended the day on 140 for three. Opener Herschelle Gibbs topscored with 51, his fourth half century of the series.

Neil McKenzie remained unbeaten on 40 in three hours with Jacques Kallis at the other end, on five.

There was a wicket apiece for West Indies captain Carl Hooper, Mervyn Dillon and Courtney Walsh.

The West Indies had to work hard for its wickets as the tourists set their sights on batting out five sessions to save the match or achieve an unlikely win.

Openers Gary Kirsten and Gibbs comfortably saw off the new ball assault of the wily veteran Walsh and Cameron Cuffy. The pair confidently added 37 before Dillon struck to consign Kirsten to another low score.

Left-hander Kirsten made 14 before he aimed to leave alone outside off stump and deflected a catch to the wicket-keeper off the bottom edge of his uplifted bat.

Kirsten, who scored a fine 150 in the first Test in Guyana, ended the series with 31 runs from his last six innings. Gibbs and McKenzie continued to play with assurance and the West Indian bowlers were stone-walled by the pair.

The 27-year-old Gibbs started to stroke the ball sweetly and struck five boundaries in reaching his half century.

He only advanced to 51 before an injudicious stroke to the part- time off spin of Hooper caused his downfall and lifted local spirits.

Gibbs batted two hours, 45 minutes when he tried to hoist Hooper over the leg side and was bowled. His second wicket partnership with McKenzie was worth 65.

Walsh, who left the field after his new ball spell to attend to a sore left knee, returned late in the day to energize his home crowd that grew to about 9,000.

The 38-year-old Jamaican, in his 132nd and final Test of his distinguished 17-year career, trapped Cullinan leg before for 18 with the third ball of a new spell. Earlier in the day, West Indies stretched its second innings from 255 for seven overnight to 301. The home team was dismissed at the stroke of lunch.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Ridley Jacobs, overnight 67, went on to score 85. The 33-year-old was ninth out after hitting seven fours in just over four hours at the crease. South African captain Shaun Pollock was the best bowler with four for 66 off 34 overs. Left-arm wrist spinner Paul Adams captured two for 54 off 21.4 overs.

Two rain interruptions caused just over an hour's delay during the day but play was extended and only three overs of the quota of 90 were lost.

Windies makes seven changes for one- dayers

West Indies has made seven changes to its one-day squad for the first and second games of the seven-match series against South Africa starting next weekend.

The squad of 14 named by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) shows changes from the one that was chosen for the triangular series in Australia earlier this year.

The squad: Chris Gayle, Leon Garrick, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara, Ricardo Powell, Carl Hooper (captain), Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Mervyn Dillon, Cameron Cuffy, Kerry Jeremy, Nixon McLean.

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