Last time WI played at Centurion it was ugly

Start Date: 16th January, 2004
Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Toss: West Indies
Result: South Africa won by 10 wickets
Man of Match: H H Gibbs

South Africa 1st Innings
G C Smith* c †Jacobs b Collymore 139
H H Gibbs c Ganga b Sarwan 192
J A Rudolph b Edwards 37
J H Kallis not out 130
G Kirsten c & b Sarwan 10
N D McKenzie c Lara b Dillon 40
M V Boucher† c Edwards b Smith 13
S M Pollock not out 1
A J Hall   
M Ntini   
A Nel
Extras (b 1, lb 17, w 12, nb 12) 42
Total 6 wickets declared  (158.0 overs @ 3.82 rpo) 604

West Indies 1st Innings
C H Gayle c McKenzie b Ntini 77
D Ganga c Kallis b Ntini 7
R R Sarwan b Ntini 13
B C Lara* c †Boucher b Nel 34
S Chanderpaul c Pollock b Nel 42
D R Smith c †Boucher b Kallis 39
R D Jacobs†c †Boucher b Nel 8
V C Drakes b Ntini 35
M V Dillon b Ntini 30
C D Collymore b Pollock 4
F H Edwards not out 0
Extras (lb 7, nb 5) 12
Total All Out  (82.2 overs @ 3.66 rpo) 301

West Indies 2nd Innings R
C H Gayle c McKenzie b Ntini 107
D Ganga b Ntini 0
R R Sarwan lbw b Pollock 119
B C Lara* lbw b Nel 6
S Chanderpaul c Gibbs b Kallis 27
D R Smith b Ntini 0
R D Jacobs†lbw b Pollock 3
V C Drakes c Gibbs b Pollock 4
M V Dillon c Smith b Pollock 29
C D Collymore not out 13
F H Edwards b Nel 10
Extras (b 4, lb 11, w 7, nb 8 30
Total All Out  (106.4 overs @ 3.26 rpo) 348

South Africa 2nd Innings (target 46) R
G C Smith* not out 23
H H Gibbs not out 8
Extras (b 4, w 10, nb 1) 15
Total 0 wickets  (3.4 overs @ 12.55 rpo) 46

Last time there was Kallis , Smith , Herschelle and Sarwan  !

with Centuries each ...

Need to win the toss and then BLOCK BLOCK BLOCK. Go for draws.

That Block strategy will not work even for Shiv .

Too much Pace ....them fellahs would knock you out and de Blocker outta your hand  :-[

West Indies will do better this time around.

Compete and do not let yourselves down!

I have a bet on for Windies to win the first test.......

(1)  "Hope springs eternal ...." comes to mind

(2)  The Holiday Season does tend to affect one's thinking..

(3)  You got spare money to throw away ...

I'm just kidding Mail ....   

I think it will be uglier unfortunately 

I'm too cynical now to expect wins from the West Indies.

I do, however, look forward to good knocks by Paint, Chanders, Marlon and Ramdin.

I'm also very curious to see how Blackwood, Fuds, Devon and Leon (if selected) cope.

Our bowlers will be interesting to watch as well. Rumour is, SA are resting some of their key players for the first test. This might work in our favour.

I do not think Fuda will get a game. He is just there to make up numbers

Ladbrokes has West Indies at 12/1 to win the first Test. South Africa at 4/11. Draw is 11/4.