Kallis guides South Africans to historic test win

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 30 (AFP) - An unbeaten 57 by Jacques Kallis guided South Africa to a four wicket win over the West Indies on the final day of the first Test at the Wanderers on Monday - their first test win over the tourists since they returned to international cricket.

Kallis, who made 53 in the first innings, steadied the ship when South Africa were reduced to 14-2 and two solid partnerships with captain Hansie Cronje and Darryll Cullinan contributed largely to the 164 required to win the first test between the two sides played in South Africa.

The second Test of the five match series begins in Port Elizabeth on December 10.

There were a few anxious moments before wicketkeeper Mark Boucher hit the winning run, with Jonty Rhodes and man-of-the-match Shaun Pollock being dismissed cheaply.

Pollock, who reached the Test double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets during the match, was caught at square leg off Curtly Ambrose when the scores were level.

West Indian captain Brian Lara said poor batting and the first innings groin injury suffered by Carl Hooper, who was able to bowl just four overs in the match and had to drop down the order in the second innings, had been the reasons for his team's defeat.

``The bowlers did their job and if some of the batsmen get it right we will have a chance in the rest of the series,'' the Trinidadian said.

After the early loss of opening pair Gary Kirsten and Adam Bacher, Cullinan gave impetus to the South African innings, scoring 35 in a 44-run third wicket stand with Kallis before he was superbly caught at midwicket by a leaping Stuart Williams off a full-blooded pull against Nixon McLean.

Cronje then joined Kallis and the pair put on 66 in 18 overs for the fourth wicket.

The duo blasted Curtly Ambrose out of the attack when they took nine runs off him in one over and the fast bowler, who was suffering from an ingrowing toenail, was replaced by his new ball partner Courtney Walsh, who was also immediately hit for nine runs in the first over of his spell.

With thunder clouds threatening, South Africa were racing towards victory but Cronje was dismissed when he hooked Walsh to fine leg after scoring 31.

Walsh had Rhodes caught behind to extend his West Indian all-time record wicket haul to 382, one behind third-placed Ian Botham of England on the world list.

After the punishment from Cronje and Kallis, he bowled superbly, finishing with 3-45 from 21 overs and match figures of 7-111.

On a pitch of uneven bounce, West Indies were all out for 170 in their second innings but had hopes of applying the sort of pressure which resulted in them winning the only previous Test between the two sides, in Barbados in 1991/92.

On that occasion South Africa lost their last eight wickets for 26 runs on the final day against relentless bowling by Ambrose and Walsh.

Cronje said South Africa's bowling in the second innings had been outstanding.

``We learnt a lot from the way the West Indies bowled and had a good chat before the second innings,'' he said.

``It's nice to be one-up but there's still a long way to go,'' he added.