West Indies wins first-ever test in South Africa
Confounding the skeptics in maintaining their discipline and sense of purpose, the West Indies completed one of the greatest upsets in recent Test history yesterday, trouncing South Africa by 128 runs late on the fourth day of the first Test of the three-match series.
Casting aside the disappointment of being dismissed for just 175 in their second innings, the much-maligned Caribbean side earned their first Test triumph anywhere for two-and-a-half years and first ever in South Africa in restricting the hosts to 260 all out after they were set a daunting target of 389. In keeping with the total team effort that produced this remarkable result, Fidel Edwards made amends for his indifferent performance in the first innings, bowling with unsettling pace and hostility to have the home side faltering at 20-3.
He returned later in the day to claim the prized scalp of Jacques Kallis for the top score of 85 - albeit via a generous slice of luck - and effectively put the seal on the tourists' victory march. But his haul of 3-37 was not singular in propelling the West Indies to victory for Jerome Taylor (3-66) also made a significant impact, as did the other member of the pace trio, Daren Powell, who consigned Herschelle Gibbs to the second "pair" of his Test career.
For four members of the team - Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Runako Morton and Darren Sammy - it was the first time they were playing in a winning Test team, with Bravo's run of 23 matches without success since his debut at Lord's in 2004 making him the player with the third highest number of matches played before enjoying a Test victory in the history of the game. The result also ended the West Indies' winless Test streak at 20 matches, equalling their previous longest barren period from 1969 to 1973.