Cullinan century equals
things out in Barbados Test Marcus Prior - 29 March 2001
Daryll Cullinan extended his South African record for
test centuries to 14 as South Africa
closed on 244-5 at stumps on day one of the third Test
against the West Indies at the
Kensington Oval on Thursday.
Cullinan finished unbeaten on 108, while nightwatchman
Nicky Boje (3 not out) had done his job too.
After a topsy-turvy day, which started and ended with the
West Indies on the attack but
featured a 149-run stand between Cullinan and Neil
McKenzie (72) in the middle, neither side could genuinely
claim to hold the upper hand going into the second day.
Significantly,
however, Cullinan is still there for the tourists and how
long he lasts on Friday could well
determine whether the South Africans push on past 300.
Cullinan's hundred was chanceless, coming off 189 balls
in a little under four hours and
including 11 boundaries.
His stand with McKenzie helped haul South Africa out of a
potentially disastrous situation.
When the pair came together shortly before lunch at the
fall of Jacques Kallis for a dogged 11, the tourists were
58-3 and very much on the wrong end of a serious working
over from the West Indies pace attack.
Courtney Walsh got the ball rolling in fine style with a
fearsome first over, greeting Gary Kirsten with a rocket
of a bouncer, and then getting one to spit off a length
two balls later to take the splice of the left-hander's
bat and loop to Chris Gayle at third slip. South Africa
0-1, and the Kensington Oval crowd already making
themselves heard.
Although Herschelle Gibbs and Kallis steadied things with
a stand of 53 for the second wicket,
the runs were coming slowly and neither batsmen ever
looked totally set on a pitch that was
providing significantly more bounce than those in Guyana
and Trinidad. Sure enough, both
perished in the final 20 minutes before lunch.
First Gibbs drove loosely at Mervyn Dillon to be snapped
up at second slip by the captain for 34 and then two
Dillon overs later Kallis got the faintest of edges
through to Ridley Jacobs at
the wicket. Umpire Steve Bucknor gave Kallis the option
of walking, then eventually raised the finger to help him
on his way. South Africa 70-3 at lunch and under the
cosh.
What followed was a complete reversal of fortune.
Cullinan and McKenzie batted right through the second
session, taking their partnership to 110 by tea. Both
batsmen took the attack to the West Indies bowling,
McKenzie belying his reputation as a nervous player of
spin by twice using his feet to drive Dinanath Ramnarine
through extra-cover for four and Cullinan reaching his 50
with a peach of a late cut off the impressive Cameron
Cuffy past second slip for four.
After offering a sharp but takeable chance to Wavell
Hinds at short-extra cover on 43,
McKenzie eventually fell in the softest of manners, as
part-timer Hinds again proved a trump card for his
captain with the ball. McKenzie had just pulled Dillon
for the sweetest of sixes over mid-wicket, only to then
try and play the same shot off Hinds and smash it
straight to Dillon. McKenzie's 72 came off 158 balls and
included the six and nine fours.
Cuffy made sure the new ball was not wasted with the
wicket of Boucher for just three, the wicket-keeper
looking to force the ball away through the off-side and
edging to Jacobs.