West Indies can put pressure on Proteas, says Richie Richardson

Denesh Ramdin

Cape Town, Jan 5 (IANS) Team manager Richie Richardson believes the West Indies can put pressure on South Africa over the final two days of the third Test, if they can produce a strong batting performance.

The West Indies ended day three on Sunday of the Newlands contest on 88 for two in their second innings, four runs shy of making South Africa bat again, reported CMC.

Leon Johnson was unbeaten on 37 and was engaged in a 61-third wicket stand with Marlon Samuels who was not out on 26, and Richardson said a lot depended on this pair.

"They (South Africa) are going to have to bat last and it's important that two of our batsmen dig in and if two of our batsmen get centuries, we could see a very interesting match," said Richardson.

"The two guys batting at the moment are looking pretty, pretty solid so we're hoping they can put on a massive partnership tomorrow and then we'll take it from there."

The West Indies batsmen have been guilty of squandering good starts, so Richardson will be hoping that both Johnson and Samuels can convert their current scores into hundreds.

In the first innings, Johnson (56), Jermaine Blackwood (56) and captain Denesh Ramdin (53) all got half-centuries while opener Devon Smith (47) and Samuels (43) also looked poised for big scores before losing their wickets.

Richardson said this was an area which was being discussed among the team's batsmen.

"A number of our batsmen have been getting starts, we just have to work on turning these 45s, 50s, 60s into big hundreds and the quicker we can get that sorted, the better it will be," said the former West Indies captain.

South Africa rattled up 421 all out on Sunday, in reply to West Indies' 329, to secure a lead of 92 runs in the first innings.

The West Indies trail the series following a heavy innings defeat in the first Test at Centurion and after the draw in Port Elizabeth last week, they need a win here if they are to get anything out of the series.