Published: Dec 02, 2014, 12:32 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 02, 2014, 01:47 PM (IST)
St John’s is typically a batsman’s paradise, but the 2005 Test between West Indies and South Africa was bizarre even by their standards. Four batsmen crossed the 25-mark in South Africa’s first innings, and all of them went on to register hundreds: AB de Villiers (114), Graeme Smith (126), Jacques Kallis (147), and Ashwell Prince (131).
The West Indians took things a step further: the only person to reach double figures barring the four centurions was Daren Powell (who got 12). Ramnaresh Sarwan (127), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (127), and Dwayne Bravo (107 before becoming Mark Boucher’s only Test wicket), all scored hundreds, but Chris Gayle took things a bit further, slamming 317.
There was not a lot of time left in the Test, but after de Villiers’ dismissal (for a four-ball 12) Smith and Boeta Dippenaar saw the Proteans to stumps, both scoring unbeaten fifties: who knows what things could have been, had they been allowed to bat on?
