Rose ends Grimmett's 64 year old record
Trevor Chesterfield
28 December 1998
DURBAN - Franklyn Rose's name will go up on the honours board at
Kingsmead today after dusting off a record which has stood for 64
years at Kingsmead - the most wickets in a test innings by an overseas
bowler.
The cheerful 25-year-old Jamaican ended Clarrie Grimmett's long spell
at the top when his haul of seven for 84 ended the South African first
innings and edged the New Zealand-born Australian leg-spinner into
second place.
While Grimmett's 13 wickets taken against South Africa in 1935/36
still stands as the match record for this unlovely venue, it needed a
special effort for the young man to surpass the great leg-spin
bowler's seven for 100 in a match the tourists won.
Rose, who bowled a superb delivery on a pitch which he regarded as
being ``a bit flat'' to get rid of Mark Boucher for a duck on Sunday,
ended Allan Donald's defiance when he ripped out AD's off stump. By
that stage South Africa had stretched their lead to 114 with the hoped
for century from Jonty Rhodes terminated after adding only two runs to
his overnight total.
Well caught and bowled by Courtney Walsh after batting for only 10
minutes and facing a futher six balls Rhodes looked at ease until the
tall West Indian bowled a slower ball lured Rhodes into driving too
soon with the ball being collected easily by Walsh.
Yet if catches and records mean anything in terms of this match
Herschelle Gibbs now finds his name in the record books joining list
of six South Africans to take four or more in an innings and more than
20 who have done the same for other countries.
And with two wickets still to fall, he could hold the record by lunch
time today as the Windies innings at 246 for eight still gives him an
opportunity to take five and take him to the top of the table.
Naturally Gibbs was chirpy about his performance.
``Put it down to energy drinks ... when it is your day it's your
day. Maybe it'll be my lucky day again (today) when I bat. Who knows,''
he said amid laughter at the media briefing after the match.
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