DURBAN - The West Indians picked up their first victory of their South African tour when they defeated a Kwazulu-Natal Invitational XI before a bumper crowd at Chatwouta today.
After failing to win any of their first seven matches, the tourists, powered by some lovely bowling by pacers Nixon McLean and Franklyn Rose, dismissed the home team, which included four Indian players and one black, for 120 in 39.4 overs and then eased to victory at 123 for two off 25.3 overs.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, the team from the land of the Zulus, ran into early trouble against McLean, three for 25 off seven overs, and Rose, three for 21 off 10, skidded to 37 for five in the 12th over and never recovered.
Rose started the slide in his first over when he bowled Keith Forde for two at five for one and it was downhill from there as McLean bowled Ashraf Mall for zero at seven for two, Lance Klusener opening the innings - was caught by Rose off McLean for 11 at 18 for three on the third-man boundary, captain Jonty Rhodes was brilliantly caught by wicketkeeper Junior Murray off Rose for one at 26 for four and Nehwood Badat was caught by Murray off Rose for two at 37 for five.
Apart from Rob Macqueen who swing his bat to good effect towards the end, the only batsman who countered the touring pacers was Andrew Hudson who stroked five boundaries before he was run out for 38 at 62 for six in the 18th over.
The West Indians' reply was highlighted by a first-wicket partnership of 100 in 25.1 overs between Clayton Lambert, who slammed four sixes and five fours - 63 deliveries before he was bowled by medium pacer Desigan Reddy for 58 at 100 for one and Murray, who stroked five fours off 80 deliveries while scoring 46 not out.
Darren Ganga, who is being tipped for a place in the West Indies team for the third Test, played across a good length delivery from Reddy, who finished with three for 34 off 3.4 overs, and was leg-before wicket for three at 116 for two. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not out on six - a drive over extra-cover off Reddy to win the match.
The West Indies appeared focussed throughout the match, and at the end of it, captain Brian Lara said he was pleased about three things: the spirit of the players, in the absence of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, the bowling of the support bowlers - in particularly Rose, and with Klusener in the opposing attack, the performance of the opening batsmen.
``This augurs well for the Test match to come,'' he said.
There was one other good news for the West Indies this morning: Philo Wallace was in the nets.
Wallace, who missed the second Test due to illness and was later diagnosed as suffering from glandular fever, said he is feeling fine, and according to word coming out of the camp, he may well be in the team for the four-day game against South Africa ``A'' starting in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.
Wallace was expected to be out of action for four to six weeks, but it appears that the glandular fever which attacked him is not the dangerous type.