PIETERMARITZBURG - The West Indies gained nothing from the opening day of their match against South Africa ``A'' they were hoping would help solve some pressing problems prior to the critical third Test a week away.

They were thwarted, in order, by the strange scheduling by the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA), by the weather that ultimately allowed only 34.3 overs, by the continuing failure of their two fit openers, by the nagging persistency of the opposition bowling that sent down 18 maidens and by two finicky umpires utterly insensitive to the occasion who abandoned play in fair light even though the sun reappeared well before the appointed time.

The match had been adjusted to start at 1 p.m. and extended to 5:50 p.m. so that four ``A'' team players could get here from their overnight floodlit Standard Bank Cup match in Port Elizabeth, 500 kilometres to the west.

The rush for captain Nic Pothas, Shafiek Abrahams, Charl (CQ) Willoughby and Justin Kemp that included an hour-long drive from Durban airport proved needless.

They arrived at the picturesque, tree-rimmed Alexandra Park, in many ways reminiscent of Spartan's Queen's Park in size and ambience, in hot sunshine. But a damp patch on the bowler's run-up at one end so bothered umpires David Orchard and Wilf Diederichs that they delayed the start for an hour.

Pothas won the toss and chose to bowl. It was a generous gesture that offered the West Indies first use of a bare, true pitch for the practice and confidence building they need following their recent batting ineptitudes.

No one needed a productive innings more than Stuart Williams and Clayton Lambert. Neither capitalised.

Williams was out to the last ball of the fifth over in the fashion that has become as familiar a trademark as Sinatra's My Way, reaching for an outswinger from Lance Klusener with an angled bat and slicing a low catch to gully.

His only scoring stroke was an inside edge that streaked past the keeper's left to the boundary off the same bowler, a South African Test certainty until an ankle injury hobbled him on the England tour last summer.

Carl Hooper, leading the team instead of Brian Lara, appeared at No.3, confirmation of manager Clive Lloyd's earlier hint that he is being considered for the position for the Test. He quickly produced his own particular trademarks, effortless drives straight or through the covers that brought him four boundaries in 24, made from 32 balls.

He had just caressed his fourth, straight, when he was cleverly undone by a slower ball from Justin Kemp and was bowled. Tall and on the sharp side of medium, Kemp is 21, a genuine all-rounder and rated a certain Test player of the not too distant future.

A carbon-copy of the more recent Test newcomer, David Terbrugge, in his accuracy and control, no one could get after him. Not that Lambert was interested in getting after anybody.

Suitably chastened by his reckless shots in the second Test, the left-hander with the bizarre stance chose not to play any shots at all.

He spent an hour and 20 minutes and 55 balls over 13 but it was clearly not his way. His patience had to snap and, when it did, his expansive drive at Makhaya Ntini, the fourth of the faster bowlers, clipped the edge on its way through to wicket-keeper Pothas.

At 48 for three, the situation was familiar. Mercifully, Shivnarine Chanderpaul arrived, at No. 5, to bat with complete freedom and assurance, easing the pressure off his teenaged partner and tour roommate, Daren Ganga.

While Chanderpaul scored 27 - 12 from three successive fours off left-arm spinner Paul Adams' after-tea loosener - Ganga managed only two.

Ganga opened with a certain pulled four off Kemp off his fifth ball, one of no more than half-dozen dropped in short all day, but spent another 43 balls over two more singles.

He had a little difficulty before he worked out that Adams' stock, if not only, ball is the googly, spinning away from him, but he did not panic.

Then, in the middle of an over from Adams half-hour after tea, umpire Diedericks suddenly strode across to Orchard, his colleague at square-leg and a member of the ICC international panel.

Without consultation with light meter and to general surprise, they offered the batsmen the option of halting play. It was accepted and that was that for the day, even though the sun broke through the cloud within an hour.

It was a callous disregard for a crowd of perhaps 2 000 to 3 000 enjoying the afternoon and should be sufficient grounds for offending umpires to lose their jobs. Such nonsense is becoming more and more of a universal affliction and does a great disservice to a game that needs all the goodwill it can get at present.

A lot of angry fans filed out of the ground, unlikely to return, offended even further by the announcement that the day's ticket would be honoured for the final day on Tuesday when most are back working.

There was a sizeable proportion of Indian, black and coloured spectators, several keen to discuss the glory of past West Indies cricket, and cricketers, and the tribulations of the current team that is causing them obvious distress.

They were delighted by the willingness of the West Indian players to sign autographs but their anguish would not have been assuaged by what they saw in the middle.

Day 2: Chanderpaul Sparkles With 132

PIETERMARTIZBURG - Shivnarine Chanderpaul restored some of the waning reputation of West Indian batsmanship here yesterday with an exquisite, unbeaten hundred.

Impeccable in the timing and placement of his strokes and impregnable in his air-tight defence, the unfussy left-hander transformed his overnight 27 into 132.

Then the sky darkened and fading light and persistent rain ended the second day of the match against South Africa 'A' an hour-and-a-quarter after lunch.

Chanderpaul scored 86 of his runs from surely struck boundaries, a six and 20 fours, over the Queen's Park-sized Alexandra Park outfield.

He completely dominated an innings once more filled with critical disappointments that reached 254 for six by the time play was called off early for the second successive day.

While he confirmed his obvious suitability for the No. 3 position that Brian Lara appears to have abandoned and everyone else is reluctant to accept, there was nothing else to help sort out the batting worries at the last time of asking prior to the start of the decisive third Test in Durban next Saturday.

The failure of Clayton Lambert and Stuart Williams on the opening day and the uncertainty over Philo Wallace's recovery from glandular fever has left the opening partnership in a state of ongoing doubt.

There was no significant advance on the search for No. 6 either except that Junior Murray, the reserve wicket-keeper with a Test batting average of 25, became a definite candidate, even if by default.

Murray joined Chanderpaul after two of the other contenders, the teenaged Daren Ganga and the left-handed Floyd Reifer, succumbed to successive outswingers from Lance Klusener.

For nearly two hours, he batted in the usual forthright manner that has so often in his 29 Tests made him effective at No. 7.

Never entirely sound, but effectively positive all the same, he drove and pulled for seven boundaries in 45, helping Chanderpaul add 108 for the sixth wicket that dragged the West Indies from the brink of further embarrassment at 119 for five.

Murray offered sharp chances to silly-point off the left-arm spinner, and contortionist, Paul Adams when 30 and to extra-cover off medium-pacer Justin Kemp just before he was caught low down at second slip driving at Kemp. But he seldom let the bad ball go unpunished.

He arrived after the careful Ganga and Reifer were out in the day's 14th over. Klusener's swerve accounted for both.

Ganga spent 87 balls all told over 21 - 29 balls over 15 for the day - before he edged his drive low to third slip.

Reifer, seemingly unmindful of the bowler's obvious stock delivery, chose to kick out the first ball he faced. It swung back to thud into the extended front pad and umpire Wilf Diederick's finger of fate was swift and expected.

By then, Chanderpaul was exactly 50 and desperately in search of a partner to keep him meaningful company.

Murray inadvertently prevented Klusener's hat-trick, another outswinger missing his outside edge by the width of a butterfly's wing, but he gradually settled to play his part in the recovery.

But the day, such as it was, belonged to Chanderpaul.

There are times when he withdraws into a defensive shell and he places his strokes into storage. There are others, memorably as in his 77 against Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and company in Sydney two years ago, that he is as explosive as vintage Lara.

On a pitch he later described as ``ideal for batting'', he was more the latter than the former although there was a sensible balance.

He was unmerciful on anything short enough and wide enough of off-stump for him to indulge his cuts and cover-drives. But he also unleashed several peerless straight drives and one remarkable pick-up off his legs off the distinctly sharp Makhaya Ntini that deposited the ball into the trees at long-on for his six.

He played and missed, perhaps, half-dozen times and offered no identifiable chance. His most serious alarm was at 95 when he detected Klusener's slower ball too late to check his stroke and lobbed the ball feet short of Ntini at mid-on.

He took a liking to Ntini from whom he took six of his fours, two in the same over as his six, and the tall left-arm fast bowler Charl Willoughby, who went for three fours in different directions in the same over.

It was the glittering display South Africans, from an ostracised distance, had associated with the great West Indian batsmen of the past.

It rekindled some of the faith of the 5,000 or so scattered around the picturesque park.

Day 3: West Indies Take Heart

PIETERMARITZBURG - This was more like it.

Not flawless by any means, but a distinct improvement on the embarrassing rubbish that has too often masqueraded as West Indies cricket on this tour.

In the morning, Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued to demonstrate to his fellow batsmen the meaning of discipline and responsibility, extending his overnight 127 to 182.

To his obvious immense disappointment, he was last man out, bowled by the tall left-arm fast bowler Charl Willoughby, with virtually half the total of 375 to his name.

Significantly, two of the fast bowlers, Nixon McLean and Franklyn Rose, each remained with him for 40 minutes in successive stands of 46 and 44.

In the second session, the penny finally dropped for Rose, McLean and Merv Dillon, and in the last of the first full day possible in the match, Rawl Lewis and Carl Hooper worked their spin in tandem against uncertain batsmen who only survived for long through luck and missed chances.

South Africa A's 188 for four was a flattering close of play situation.

It was unrealistic to expect everything to fit into place all at once, and the catching, one of the few features of the tour so far, was faulty and the ground fielding sloppy.

There is noticeable excess weight around the middle of a few in this team, there are too many weak throwing arms and the lack of anticipation and mobility is marked when set against the fit and athletic South Africans.

While South Africa's fielding is worth them 30-40 runs in any innings, the West Indies balance is in debit, as it was once more with alert batsmen exposing every deficiency with their sharp running between the wickets.

This was counter-balanced by Chanderpaul's display, eventually spanning six hours, 20 minutes and 303 balls, and including a six and 26 fours, and by the more disciplined bowling.

Malcolm Marshall's theme has been on the turntable from the very first match and been replayed over and over.

It has taken six weeks and two Tests for the message to filter through to the three support bowlers that a fuller length and more direct line is required in South African conditions against South African batsmen, not the ball-softening exercises in which they have been engaged.

After an atrocious opening over from McLean that included a wide and endangered wicket-keeper Junior Murray and the slips more than it did the batsmen, he, Rose and Dillon kept probing away at and around off-stump on a dry, unhelpful pitch.

The short-pitched ball was rare - and usually put away -x and they confined the scoring to 43 from their combined 24 overs.

The return was only one wicket but it was a performance to please the coach, who arrived, along with the non-participating players, just after lunch from Durban where they had a morning session in the indoor nets.

Rose had eight straight overs for 19; McLean's seven were broken into two spells, for 18, and Dillon was particularly impressive with nine on the trot, five of them maidens, and only six runs.

He snared the wicket of the highly-rated right-hander Hendrik Dippenaar, a century-maker for Orange Free State on their 1996 Barbados tour. He had made 17 when, driving, he was caught at second slip off the outside edge.

The three might realise they are probably contesting two places for the third Test, starting in Durban on Boxing Day. If so, it had a stimulating effect.

As it turned out, their work was over at tea and they spent the final period occupying run-saving positions as Hooper and Lewis wheeled away for 50 overs between them, always seeming likely to take a wicket but actually only claiming three. With more co-operation from Murray and the close catchers, there would have been many more.

Captain Hooper sensed the chance of a morale-boosting breakthrough of South Africa's reserves on the eve of the Test and chose not to revert to his fast attack.

Sven Koenig, the left-handed opener, was repeatedly flummoxed by Lewis' googly and, moving forward, was missed by Murray on a stumping chance at 38.

But it was the more positive Ashwell Prince, another left-hander, who first fell to Lewis, chopping against the turn into his stumps.

Koenig managed to reach 52 when, after three hours' struggle, he drove Hooper low to extra-cover.

Immediately, his replacement, Justin Kemp, a tall, upright right-hander, offered sharp, unaccepted chances to Stuart Williams at slip and Daren Ganga at silly-point before he had scored. They were crucial chances.

Kemp and the similarly lanky Martin van Jaarsveld proceeded to add 67 over the next hour and 20 minutes. Neither was ever certain which way Lewis was turning and Kemp especially was clueless to Hooper's arm-ball.

Pads were hit, there were a couple of half-volley catches to close fielders, edges were missed and shouts of ``catch it'' to close fielders were frequent. But the batsmen rarely spurned the chance to despatch the bad ball and exploit the wide open spaces of an attacking field.

Finally, Kemp's edged cut against Lewis rebounded from Murray's thigh to Clayton Lambert at gully three overs before the end of a satisfying day.

It was a welcome change.

Day 4: Spots still a bother in West Indies team

PIETERMARTIZBURG - The West Indies made the hour-long journey from this old Victorian-style capital town of Natal back to the seaside metropolis of Durban yesterday in the pouring rain that finally ended their match against South Africa ``A'' from which they had hoped to gain so much.

With more than a full day in all lost to the weather, they came away with little to show except Shivnarine Chanderpaul's enchanting and epic 182.

They were certainly no closer to determining the unsettled places for the critical third Test, starting at Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday.

On the truncated final day, abandoned two balls after tea as the overcast gradually became lower and inevitably brought the rain, they were once again frustrated by a late order partnership, this one between two of the game's authentic rabbits.

After that, there was hardly time for any of the contending batsmen to achieve anything worthwhile in the relaxed environment of a sterile match.

Yet there was time enough for Stuart Williams to fail for the second time in the match - lbw kicking away an inswinger from the left-arm, over-the-wicket Charl Willoughby - and for Clayton Lambert and Daren Ganga to fall to the pacy Makhaya Ntini after stroke-filled, inadequate 30s.

The left-handed Lambert, all restricted defence in the first innings, was all blazing aggression in the second.

There were five muscular boundaries in 32 when he flashed outside off-stump and edged to the keeper - as he had done in the first innings.

Promoted to No. 3, Ganga provided an hour's evidence of why he was picked for the tour in the first place.

Positive throughout, he revealed high-quality strokes off his legs and through the covers, counting six boundaries in 33.

He then fell for Ntini's bouncer that he hooked precisely into fine-leg's lap.

When the rain arrived, Floyd Reifer, again introverted and uncertain, was nine and Junior Murray 11 and there were no more concrete clues as to who should open and who should bat No. 6 on Saturday.

Up until half-hour before lunch, all went well. South Africa A's overnight 188 for four declined to 260 for nine and the batsmen could have anticipated a pleasant afternoon's batting on a still friendly pitch.

Continuing with his own off-spin and Rawl Lewis' leg-spin that had occupied all but one of the last 50 overs of the previous day when they swapped ends, Hooper bowled Martin van Jaarsveld with one that skidded through, ankle-height 20 minutes into the day.

Once he claimed the second new ball, 13 overs after it was due, Nixon McLean's stirring pace and Chanderpaul's slick fielding despatched four wickets for nine runs in the space of four overs.

McLean first accounted for the ``A'' team captain, Nic Pothas, with a good one that held its line to find the edge of an intended drive for a catch to the keeper.

Chanderpaul's speed and direct hit of the bowler's stumps from mid-off then ran out the left-handed Lance Klusener as he scampered for an ill-advised single.

Three overs later, McLean found the edge again to remove Shafiek Abrahams and shatter Ntini's stumps second ball.

For the next 11 overs, McLean and Franklyn Rose could not direct the ball at middle stump, which was all that was necessary to take care of Willoughby, if not his slightly less limited partner, Paul Adams, who bats right-handed.

Why Merv Dillon was not given another bowl in the innings after his impressive 9-5-6-1 spell on the third day is a mystery, but he remained idle as the last pair entertained the few hundred spectators.

An awkward left-hander whose technique was to retreat towards the square-leg umpire and offer the two fast bowlers a clear view of the target, Willoughby used the bat more in hope than expectation but he somehow made nine - two short of his highest first-class score - while Adams enjoyed himself against the waywardness of Rose and McLean.

Eventually, after several thumping pulls and drives and flicks off both, Adams skied Rose to extra-cover.

By then, he had 27 and the stand was worth 33. It is a frustration that has become habitual.

There have been an eighth-wicket stand of 148 against Grigualand West, ninth wicket of 135 unbroken against Free State, and those crucial and annoying late partnerships between Pat Symcox and Allan Donald in the Tests.