Steyn pace grabs cricket series for South Africa

DURBAN (South Africa) Marlon Samuels made a defiant century but the pace of Dale Steyn secured a series victory for South Africa on the third day of the third Test at Kingsmead Saturday.
Steyn took six for 72 as South Africa bowled out the West Indies for 317 to win by an innings and 100 runs. They won the series 2-1. For much of the day, though, Samuels frustrated the South African bowlers as he made a career-best 105.
The second new ball proved his undoing. He was bowled by Steyn’s third delivery, a fast ball which straightened off the pitch and hit the top of the off stump. Steyn shot out Darren Sammy and Daren Powell in his next over and finished off the match when Fidel Edwards was bowled in his third over with the new ball.
Samuels and captain Dwayne Bravo threatened to take the match into a fourth day with a fourth wicket stand of 144. That too was ended by Steyn, who trapped Bravo leg before in the first over after tea.
With Shivnarine Chanderpaul unable to bat because of illness, the resistance was effectively ended when Andre Nel had Denesh Ramdin caught behind after a bright innings of 25. The West Indies were 230 for three at tea, still needing 187 to avoid an innings defeat but having recovered some pride after a miserable first two days in which they were totally outplayed.
The first three wickets fell early in the day before Samuels and Bravo came together to defy the South African bowlers for almost three hours. Both men gave chances as the South African bowlers toiled on an unresponsive pitch in hot, sunny weather.
Bravo pushed a return catch to Nel’s right when he had eight but the big fast bowler was off balance and could not hold the ball. Samuels was dropped low down at second slip by Jacques Kallis off Steyn when he was on 41. Opening batsmen Brenton Parchment and Daren Ganga fell quickly and Runako Morton followed after making a hard-hit 37 when he was leg before wicket to Shaun Pollock, who announced Friday that he was retiring from Test cricket after the current match.
Parchment, who faces a disciplinary hearing after play after colliding with fast bowler Dale Steyn while running between wickets Friday, fell to the same bowler in the fourth over of the morning when he played across a full delivery. He scored 20.
Morton survived a confident leg before decision off the first ball he faced before playing an attacking innings. Ganga edged Makhaya Ntini to Jacques Kallis at second slip after making 11 off 58 balls.—Agencies