Cricket: Record eight centuries scored in test

ST JOHN'S, Antigua - Centuries by Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo helped break a world record for test tons in the drawn fourth and final test between South Africa and the West Indies.

Chanderpaul scored 127 and Bravo made 107 to bring the number of centuries in the match to eight, the most ever scored in a single test.

Four were contributed by South Africa, led by 147 from Jacques Kallis, and four by the West Indies, topped by Chris Gayle's epic 317.

South Africa were 127 for one in their second innings when the match was abandoned as a draw. Graeme Smith was 50 not out with Boeta Dippenaar on 56.

The West Indies had scored 747 in reply to South Africa's first innings of 588 for six declared.

It was the West Indies' biggest total against South Africa, easily surpassing the 543 for five declared they scored in the first test of the current series in Georgetown, and their third highest ever.

A total of 53 centuries have now been scored in the 20 test matches played at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

The West Indies resumed on 565 for five and gathered runs easily against a South African team secure in the knowledge that they had won the series.

The tourists had clinched the series 2-0 when they won the third test by an innings and 86 runs in Bridgetown.

Shaun Pollock ended Chanderpaul's innings when he chased down the left-hander's drive to deep mid wicket off occasional medium pacer AB de Villiers and threw down the stumps at the bowler's end.

Chanderpaul, who scored his 13th century, faced 287 balls and hit 13 fours.

Nine balls later occasional offspinner Smith trapped Courtney Browne leg before wicket without scoring.

Bravo's chances of reaching his century seemed slim when De Villiers had Tino Best caught by Herschelle Gibbs at mid wicket for five to make it 712 for nine.

But Dwight Washington stood firm and Bravo cracked De Villiers through third man for four to reach three figures.

De Villiers took over the wicketkeeping gloves from Mark Boucher after tea and Boucher ended the innings when he came on to bowl and had a driving Bravo caught by Ashwell Prince at mid on. Bravo faced 235 balls and hit 13 fours.

All 11 South Africans bowled in the innings and Boucher, Gibbs and Dippenaar bowled for the first time in a test.

Smith took over the slow bowling duties from left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, who was advised by a cardiologist not to play after suffering irregular breathing yesterday.

Boje is returning home and will miss the one-day series starting on Sunday (NZ time).

South Africa lost the first wicket in their second innings to the fourth ball of the first over, which De Villiers drove to be caught a mid on by Washington off Best for 12.

- REUTERS