NOW a weakling frequently roughed up by the contemporary powerhouses of world cricket, the West Indies last night engaged in a little of the bullying that once made them the most feared team in the game.
The first match of their tour against South Africa, a scheduled Twenty20 International, was reduced to 13 overs an innings by day-long rain.
So it was hardly a definite sign of things to come, especially as South Africa rested key players Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Andre Nel.
Yet the side that languishes in the nether regions of the rankings in all forms of the game landed a few significant psychological blows by winning by five wickets with 19 balls to spare.
They shocked South Africa, and a crowd of 12,000 that braved the damp, chilly weather, with fiery, hostile bowling, led by Jerome Taylor’s three wickets in the opening over, electrifying fielding, that featured two sharp run outs and a stupendous catch at full stretch by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at mid-off, and the sheer intensity of their effort.
It was a combination that reduced the home team to 12 for six and 22 for seven but they managed to claw their way to 58 for eight after Taylor (3-1-6-3) and Daren Powell (3-0-6-1) had completed their allocated three overs each.
No.9 Johan Botha smashed a four and his second six in a final over from stand-in captain Dwayne Bravo that yielded 15 but the full satisfaction of returning the compliment to opponents who had so often humiliated them seemed certain when Brenton Parchment, Devon Smith and Runako Morton, under instructions, belted 32 for one off 3.2 overs with two sixes and four fours.
It all changed when South Africa’s stand-in captain Shaun Pollock handed the ball to Dale Steyn after three overs.
Steyn wrecked New Zealand with 20 wickets in the two Tests last month.
He is seriously fast and, after Smith hoisted his second, slower ball overhead for four, he produced a succession of searing yorkers to disarrange the stumps of Smith, Morton and, first ball, Bravo.
In between, Marlon Samuels was bowled off-stump with the carelessness that has long since identified his cricket and, within three overs and nine runs, the West Indies were 41 for five and transformed into their familiar guise of doubt and uncertainty.
A few factors saw them home. Two run out chances were missed, Steyn was limited to three overs (3-0-9-4) and the cool heads of Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin were there to shepherd them home.
It was the West Indies first encounter with Steyn. The experience will occupy their attention in the lead-up to the Test series, starting on the same ground on Boxing Day for he is clearly their main threat, whether the match is 13 overs or five days. It was also most of the South Africans first sighting of Taylor. It should have the same effect on them.
He said after being named Man of the Match that he had gained rhythm in the ODIs in Zimbabwe, where he was Man of the Series.
With helpful conditions, he was spot on length and line with his first ball, a clever slower ball, that had Morne van Wyk lbw, his second that removed the left-handed JP Duminy’s off-stump and his sixth that forced an inside-edge into the stumps from AB deVilliers.
Next ball, Chanderpaul was hurling himself full length to the right to catch Herschelle Gibbs off Powell, followed by Morton’s calm run out of Shaun Pollock from mid-on and Bravo’s direct hit from extra-cover that sent back Albie Morkel.
Fidel Edwards, used as second change, also worked up a head of steam, smashing a startled Botha on the grill, but Darren Sammy and Bravo were easier to score off as Botha belted 28 for 20 balls and the last three wickets scraped together 36.
Parchment’s immediate approach to Pollock revealed the West Indies strategy to keep up the attack.
He flat-batted the veteran fast bowler for four over mid-off and a huge six beyond the stands at long-on.
When he punched the last ball to extra-cover, Smith and Morton continued the attack.
Then came Steyn to almost spoil a good night.
