South Africa fast bowler Makhaya Ntini is surrounded by cricket fans at the end of the second Test match against the West Indies at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain yesterday. Ntini was named man of the match after he grabbed 13 wickets, his career best. (Photo: AP)

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP) - An inspired Test-best bowling performance show by Makhaya Ntini fired South Africa to an eight-wicket victory in the second cricket Test against the West Indies here yesterday.

Ntini ended with seven wickets for 37 runs from 19.5 overs, as West Indies folded for 194 in their second innings, and left South Africa with the modest victory target of 144.

Abraham de Villiers and South Africa captain Graeme Smith then shared an opening stand of 117 that consolidated their side's position before the visitors hit the jackpot about 25 minutes after tea, when Jacques Kallis straight drove Reon King for four to seal the result.

"We under-achieved in Guyana over the first three days," Smith told reporters afterwards.

"We did not play up to the levels of which we are capable and it was great to fight back there. I believe that fight back really helped us in this win.

West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan raises his bat and helmet after scoring a century against South Africa yesterday. (Photo: AP)

"We knew if we bowled well in the second innings, we could put them under pressure. But we knew we had to grind away in our first innings and get a lead, then Makhaya was superb with the ball."

De Villiers hit the top score of 62 from 126 balls and left-hander Smith supported with 41 that included three fours from 97 balls, as South Africa take a 1-0 lead in the four Test series, following a draw in the opening Test at Georgetown.

Both were lucky to have lasted that long. On 26, wicketkeeper Courtney Browne mis-stumped de Villiers off Chris Gayle, and on 31, Reon King bowled him with a no-ball, before the same bowler had Smith, on nine, caught at mid-wicket off another no ball.

Ntini, however, stole the show when he collected four of the last five West Indies wickets to end with record-breaking match figures of 13 for 132.

It was the best match analysis from a South African in Tests, and eclipsed Tony Greig's 13 for 156 for England in the corresponding match 31 years ago, as the best Test match figures in the Caribbean sunshine.

"I do not want any rest, I just want to keep bowling and bowling and bowling," Ntini said.

"I came into this Test looking to improve from the previous match, and I was much, much more hungry, and I was determined to bowl better than I did in Guyana.

Ntini's bowling overshadowed the gritty batting of Ramnaresh Sarwan, who completed his seventh Test hundred and was undefeated on 107 from 221 balls in just under six hours.

But South Africa and Ntini, in particular, were working their way through the batting at the opposite end.

The visitors needed 11.5 overs in just under an hour to complete the demolition of the West Indies' second innings, after the home team continued from their perilous bedtime position of 170 for five.

"We were going pretty well in this Test until the third and fourth days," West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul said.

"We lost it late on the fourth day with our batting, and our bowling was inconsistent in the match too, but I think South Africa played smarter than we did and they stuck it out much more than we did."

Ntini, armed with the second new ball that South Africa took when it became due, threw a spanner in any plans West Indies had of saving the match, when he removed Dwayne Bravo in the fourth over of the day and the second over with the "new cherry".

Bravo and Sarwan had batted determinedly to carry West Indies through to the close the previous evening, after they had crashed to 92 for five.

They had added 88 for the sixth wicket, when Ntini baited Bravo with a short, wide ball and he was caught behind for 33 top-edging a reckless cut.

Following his dismissal, there was little resistance from the rest of the tail with Ntini trapping Courtney Browne lbw for two, before he bowled Pedro Collins and Reon King for ducks with beautiful in-swingers.

In between, Nel had Daren Powell caught at second slip for one, as West Indies lost their last five wickets for 14 runs.
The third Test at Bridgetown begins on April 21, and the fourth and final Test starts on April 29.

SCOREBOARD

West Indies 1st Innings 347 (B Lara 196; M Ntini 6-95)

South Africa 1st Innings (G Smith 148; C Gayle 4-50)

West Indies 2nd Innings (overnight 170 for five)

W Hinds lbw b Boje 22
C Gayle c de Villiers b Ntini 1
R Sarwan not out 107
B Lara b Boje 4
S Chanderpaul lbw b Ntini 1
D Pagon b Ntini 2
D Bravo c wkpr Boucher b Ntini 33
C Browne lbw b Ntini 2
D Powell c Kallis b Nel 1
P Collins b Ntini 0
R King b Ntini 0

Extras (b6, lb10, w1, nb4) 21

Total (all out, 89.5 overs) 194

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-79, 3-85, 4-86, 5-92, 6-180, 7-188, 8-189, 9-190

Bowling: Nel 21-6-42-1 (w1); Ntini 19.5-7-37-7 (nb1); Zondeki 11-4-24-0 (nb3); Boje 20-6-37-2; Kallis 11-3-29-0; Smith 7-1-9-0.

South Africa 2nd Innings (target: 144 runs)

A de Villiers b Powell 62
G Smith c Gayle b Bravo 41
J Rudolph not out 7
J Kallis not out 19

Extras (b5, lb2, w1, nb7) 17

Total (2 wkts, 44.5 overs) 146

Fall of wickets: 1-117, 2-119

Bowling: Collins 4-0-27-0 (nb2); Powell 10-2-27-1 (nb1); Gayle 11-3-16-0; King 11.5-1-28-0 (nb4, w2); Bravo 6-2-27-1 (w1); Hinds 2-0-14-0

Result: South Africa won by eight wickets

Series: South Africa lead the four Test series 1-0

Umpires: D Shepherd, Aleem Dar

TV Replays: B Doctrove

Reserve: T Birbal

Match Referee: J Crowe

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