South Africa v West Indies: Bet on Shiv or Jacques to dominate the crease

Test previews / Ed Hawkins / 24 December 2007 / Leave a Comment

Ed Hawkins runs through the betting options ahead of the Windies tour of South Africa...

There may have never been a greater example of the idiom 'what goes around comes around' than the state of West Indies cricket before the start of their three-Test series against South Africa on Boxing Day.

The team which played calypso cricket while it's rivals played collapso during an Australia-style run of dominance in the 80s are now being forced to dance to a different beat.

It makes for unpleasant viewing, rather like watching your mum and dad jive at a wedding. Okay, they had rhythm once but their uncoordinated wrangling is an embarrassment, especially when dad turns to you and winks 'still got it, son'.

However, West Indies cricket doesn't even have that cheekiness any more. And they know it because it was lost some years ago, probably when Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose retired in 2001 and 2000 respectively.

Ahead of their contest against South Africa, who are short as [1.09], West Indies will be wary of throwing any moves because of a horrible record. They have not won an away Test in seven years and their last series win on the road with the same criteria came against New Zealand in 1995.

It is upsetting because no one likes to see one of the bastions on the game reduced to stumbling and stuttering shadows of their former selves. Especially because it leaves punters with few options.

Aside from whacking the mortgage on South Africa, there is little to get excited about. Of course one could argue that South Africa are one of greatest [1.09] shots of all time.

The No 2 side in the world have lost only two of their last 11 at home and have won 12 from 19 against West Indies with only two reverses. Understandably they have won four from the five series played between the two, including 3-0 and 5-0 hammerings in the Rainbow Nation.

Fortunately, help is at hand for bettors wanting a bit more for their money in the form of Jacques Kallis and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who should be backed for top first-innings runscorers at every opportunity.

Kallis, with his dreary efficiency, and Chanderpaul, with a more cheery brand, are peas in a pod because of their reliability for making the scoreboard tick.

The South African has hurt West Indies before. In 1999 he amassed 485 runs in the series and followed that with 712 in 2003-04.

Chanderpaul made 266 runs and 286 runs in the same series respectively and should improve on those totals, least of all because there is no one else to score the runs.

Chris Gayle is a doubt for the first Test because of a hamstring injury while Ramnaresh Sarwan - four tons in last ten innings v the Proteas - misses the series with a foot problem.

Backing Chanderpaul for top first-innings honours is not likely to be a particularly enjoyable trade because he often looks uncomfortable at the crease and no doubt while watching we will be squirming as much as him.

Nor will he be easy on the eye when he is playing his 'strokes'. He has a crab-like stance, favouring dabs, nudges and pulls instead of hitting in the V.

Yet remember if he is this unpleasant to watch, just imagine how much he gets up the noses of bowlers as he squirts the ball to all sides of the wicket.

At [3.75] to outscore his team-mates at St George's Park he is unquestionably good value. Just don't expect him to chuck a 'still got it, son' wink your way. That has never been in doubt.

Why do you think West Indies are the new whipping boys of the world game?