Rookie spinner stars for WI

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):

Off-spinner Shane Shillingford took two cheap wickets on debut as West Indies stifled South Africa on a weather-spoilt first day of the opening cricket Test at Queen's Park Oval on Thursday.

The visitors, who won the toss, limped to 70-3 after the entire opening session and half of the post-lunch session were lost to rain.

Shillingford, a 27-year-old from Dominica, grabbed 2-5 from six overs.

Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn supported well with 1-21 off 11 overs.

spinners dominate

Captain Graeme Smith (23) and Alviro Petersen (31) shared an opening stand of 55 to give South Africa a solid platform.

The visitors went to tea on 45-0 but the West Indies spinners dominated after the break.

Shillingford made the initial breakthrough when Smith prodded forward and edged low to slip where Dwayne Bravo claimed a comfortable catch.

After a brief delay through bad light, Benn snared the key wicket of in-form Hashim Amla for two. Amla was also pouched at slip as he pushed hard at a Benn turner.

Petersen, who had earlier survived a dropped catch off Benn by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and a desperately close lbw appeal that the West Indies failed to overturn on TV review, fell to Shillingford just before the close.

The right-hander was ruled lbw by umpire Asad Rauf of Pakistan and the batsman's decision to request a TV review failed. Petersen struck two fours off 93 balls.

Jacques Kallis (6 not out) and nightwatchman Paul Harris (0 not out) survived 14 deliveries before bad light again ended a truncated day.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa 1st Innings

G. Smith c Bravo b Shillingford 23

A. Petersen lbw b Shillingford 31

H. Amla c Bravo b Benn 2

J. Kallis not out 6

Paul Harris not out 0

Extras: (4b, 2lb, 1w, 1nb) 8

TOTAL: (for 3 wickets) 70

Overs: 34.

Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-60, 3-68.

Still to bat: AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Bowling: Ravi Rampaul 6-2-19-0 (1w), Nelon Pascal 3-0-7-0 (1nb), Dwayne Bravo 8-4-12-0, Sulieman Benn 11-4-21-1, Shane Shillingford 6-2-5-2.

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Shane Shillingford, Sulieman Benn, Ravi Rampaul, Nelon Pascal.

Toss: South Africa.

Umpires: Steve Davis, Australia, and Asad Rauf, Pakistan.

Third umpire: Simon Taufel, Australia. Match referee: Roshan Mahanama, Sri Lanka.