It'S taken some time for Ravi Rampaul to get into the swing of things on his first West Indies tour. The 19-year-old Trinidadian finally found his groove yesterday.
In one spell of seven overs before lunch on the third day against Free State, his four wickets for 23 destroyed the province's brittle top order and effectively saved his colleagues, so depleted by injuries coach Gus Logie had to be pressed into service as substitute, from an entire, hot day, and more, in the field.
Chosen for the twin African tour as the next step in his progression from age-group domination, Rampaul soon discovered the harsh realities of the game at a higher level in Zimbabwe.
He was wicketless in his only first-class match and the four one-day internationals. But he markedly improved with every spell and, against opponents below their usual strength, he found the success any young bowler needs to raise confidence.
He carried over a wicket from the previous afternoon but his start was not encouraging.
Four overs from the southern end yielded nothing. When he was switched to the north in place of Merv Dillon, Free State captain Gerry Liebenberg, who has had five Tests for South Africa, greeted him with three boundaries from a steer to third man, an extra-cover drive and a meaty pull. It did not faze him. Next over, he upped a gear and Liebenberg, undone by pace and bounce, edged his forcing back-foot stroke to Brian Lara at first slip. His other victims soon followed.
The wicket-keeper James Schorn was taken low down at second slip by Gayle and Ryan McLaren, a tall, no-nonsense left-hander, was late on the drive and bowled by one that swung in.
Gerald Botha, a left-hander on debut, went lbw to a similar delivery and, when Cliff Deacon, yet another left-hander, gave Ganga his third first-class wicket with a catch to mid-on, Free State were 114 for seven and there were still 10 minutes to lunch.
Minus the services of Corey Collymore, the latest on the growing list of casualties, the West Indies didn't have the artillery to finish the job quickly once Rampaul was rested.
With Dillon in cruise control and 43 overs shared by Wavell Hinds' medium-pace and the off-spin of Chris Gayle and Ganga, Free State's last three wickets belligerently raised 150 over two hours, carrying on until an extended tea interval.
Kosie Ventner, a chunky, 34-year-old all-rounder and left-handed batsman as well, has been around long enough to have five first-class hundreds to his name and he led the assault with 79 from 124 balls with 10 fours.
He shared successive stands of 57 with Thadi Tshabalala and Dillon duPreez and the West Indies couldn't seal the deal until duPreez and Silvester Motsamai added a further 36 for the last wicket.
All out for 264, it left them 354 in arrears but, with fit players in such short supply, the West Indies had little option but to bat again.
They had an uncomfortable time as the clouds rolled in, the gloom gathered and the floodlights were switched on.
Once more, Gayle's uncertainty against the swinging ball was exposed. Leg before offering no stroke in the first innings, the tall left-hander was bowled off the toe of the bat third ball by the same man, left-armer Deacon.
Hinds gathered 27 in his typically attacking way and was then lbw to duPreez, the 23-year-old who has enjoyed a memorable debut.
Tall and strongly built, he had three wickets in the first innings and earlier belted two huge mid-wicket sixes of Ganga and six fours in 56 from 65 balls. Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan were relieved when the light meters told the umpires it was time to call it a night with nine overs available.