West Indies struggled to 170 for five at the close of the fourth day of the second Test against South Africa at Port of Spain, Trinidad last night, a lead of 119.
Brian Lara, who scored 196 of his team's 347 first-innings runs, made only four in the second innings before being bowled by the left-arm spinner Nicky Boje. In his absence Ramnaresh Sarwan did his best to carry his team's challenge with an unbeaten 93, while Dwayne Bravo added 30 in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 78.
South Africa had resumed on 370 for six and added 28 more runs, stretching their first-innings lead to 51. They lost their last recognised batsman, Mark Boucher, for 28, caught and bowled by Chris Gayle, who finished with figures of four for 50.
West Indies stuttered at the start of their second-innings reply, losing Gayle for one, caught by AB deVilliers off Makhaya Ntini in the sixth over. Wavell Hinds soldiered on for 22 before falling lbw to Boje, who struck again to remove Lara in the 40th over. Shivnarine Chanderpaul followed in the next over, trapped lbw by Ntini.
Jacques Kallis has been cleared of showing dissent, having been asked to explain his reaction to his dismissal in the last over on Saturday, when he was trapped lbw for 39 by Bravo. "The actions of the player did not breach the International Cricket Council code of conduct," said the match referee Jeff Crowe yesterday.
A career-best display by Chris Martin ensured New Zealand had a firm grasp on the second Test against Sri Lanka at the end of the first day in Wellington. Martin took six for 54 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 211. When bad light stopped play, New Zealand had moved to 52 without loss.