Cricket: Walsh limps off as Brooker digs in

THE WEST INDIES tour of South Africa has hardly had a smooth beginning, and the first day of the visitors' four-day match against Griqualand West continued in similar vein yesterday with the fast bowler Courtney Walsh limping off the field with a badly sprained ankle shortly after tea.

The injury to Gloucestershire's favourite overseas son came as part of the final push to bowl out a Griqualand side displaying all the gritty stubbornness the cricket world has come to associate with the South African national side.

In soaring temperatures Griqualand survived a middle-order batting crisis, after an inexperienced top order had stumbled to 121 for five, before some belligerent wagging by the tail saw Griqualand all out for 271 in 79.2 overs. West Indies had scored five without loss at the close.

The second-team captain Findlay Brooker, with a vital 46, took the lead in addressing the minor crisis - as a good skipper should - and received able support from his deputy, Andre Botha (20), and a brisk 38 off 44 balls from the 38-year-old spinner Pat Symcox. The tailenders Wendell Bossenger with an unbeaten 17 and Adri Swanepoel (18) completed the restoration.

Together, Brooker and Botha put on 42 for the sixth wicket before the latter was brilliantly caught by Clayton Lambert off a snorter from Mervyn Dillon. Symcox then arrived at the crease and hit five fours in his total, and with Brooker put on another 62 for the seventh wicket.

Symcox was finally out caught leg before by the part-time leg-spinner Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who took over after Walsh limped from the field. His injury caused further consternation in the West Indies' party, already weakened by Curtly Ambrose's toenail problems and the severed finger tendons that sent batsman Jimmy Adams home. A West Indies spokesman said at the end of play that Walsh's left ankle was badly sprained and it was uncertain how long he would be out of action.

With the first Test due to start on the 26th in Johannesburg at The Wanderers, Walsh should be fit by then and ready to break the record for most Test wickets taken by a Caribbean bowler, held by Malcom Marshall on 376, but with Walsh only one wicket behind.