Controversy as West Indies collapse

When bad light stopped play on the third day of the third Test, West Indies were 246 for eight, an overall lead of 132.

A disastrous collapse, in which five wickets fell for 13 runs, followed a thrilling third wicket stand of 160 between Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul which gave the troubled tourists hope of salvaging some honour from the series.

Gibbs started the slide when he dived full-length to his left at square leg to hold a full-blooded pull to end Lara's innings on 79.

The South African opening batsman made an even better catch when he sprinted from midwicket and held a mistimed pull by Darren Ganga, running towards the boundary and holding the ball left-handed while he was in mid-air.

Between Gibbs' catches, Chanderpaul was caught and bowled by Shaun Pollock for 75, six balls after Lara's fall, and Carl Hooper was out controversially.

The batsman got an inside edge to Pollock and Boucher flung himself to his left. The wicketkeeper indicated to Hooper that he had made a fair catch and the batsman walked. Slow-motion television replays showed Boucher grounded the ball as his glove hit the turf in completing his dive.

It did not appear that umpire Dave Orchard was called upon to make a decision - but if he did he would probably have referred it to third umpire Cyril Mitchley in terms of the expanded use of television replays provided for in international playing conditions.

In a later incident on an action-packed day, Franklyn Rose was run out when he fell in a collision with bowler Jacques Kallis. South African captain Hansie Cronje threw the ball to Boucher to complete the dismissal, ran across to umpire Orchard and indicated South Africa did not wish to appeal.

Jacobs and Rose shared a battling eighth wicket stand of 31 in an attempt to set South Africa a challenging target before Rose skied the ball to mid-on where Gibbs held his fourth catch of the innings, equalling the South African Test record.

Earlier Rose had completed Test-best bowling figures of seven for 84 when he bowled Allan Donald to end the South African first innings. It was the best return by a visiting player in a Test at Kingsmead. Home town favourite Jonty Rhodes failed to complete a century.

Rhodes added only two runs before being caught and bowled by Courtney Walsh for 87 off the tenth ball of the day. It was a sharply-lifting delivery which looped off the splice of his bat to present a simple catch.

Donald had his own moment of triumph during the West Indian collapse when he became the first South African and the 20th player of all time to take 250 Test wickets. Donald is playing in his 50th Test.

Only Dennis Lillee of Australia, who reached the milestone in his 48th Test, has achieved the total in fewer matches.

With South Africa leading by 114 runs after the first innings, West Indies quickly crashed to 41 for two before Lara and Chanderpaul came together in a blaze of attacking strokeplay.

Lara showed touches of his imperious best as he lashed 15 fours off 139 balls while Chanderpaul was not far behind in quality of strokeplay in hitting 13 boundaries off 169 deliveries.

Chanderpaul made a shaky start, being struck on the shoulder by both Donald and Shaun Pollock before settling down to a fluent innings. Lara was seldom troubled, although he survived a loud appeal for a catch by Hansie Cronje at silly point off Pat Symcox when he had 45.

On 70 he tried to withdraw from a hook shot against Donald but edged the ball high over wicketkeeper Boucher.

The pair put on 100 in 98 minutes and the total time of their partnership of 160 was 189 minutes.