The aphorism that first came to mind when Daren Powell caught Makhaya Ntini’s miscued slog at mid-off in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, completing the first West Indies victory in a Test match for 2½ years, was the one about the swallow and summer. In fact, if the translation from the Greek in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is correct, it was Aristotle’s original observation that one swallow does not make spring, let alone summer. And that is apt, because a single victory proves nothing, welcome though it is.

We may start to believe that the longed-for revival is beginning if West Indies, who had not beaten any opponent ranked above them in the LG ICC ratings table since their win over England at Edgbaston in 2000, can perform a reprise against South Africa in Cape Town in the second of the three Tests, starting on Wednesday. After all, the XI who triumphed at St George’s Park, winning the first match shortly before the close of the fourth day by 128 runs, differed in only two cases from the one that lost the last Test in England by seven wickets last June, completing an all too familiar 3-0 defeat.

The faster Jerome Taylor has replaced the perennially unlucky Corey Collymore. Darren Sammy, who swung his way to an unexpected analysis of seven for 66 in the first innings against England at Old Trafford, has returned to balance the side in place of Devon Smith, but neither change can have been of profound significance. It is behind the scenes that the mood seems to have altered. John Dyson, the former Australia opener, a tough nut who had some success as coach of Sri Lanka, has taken over in the tracksuit; Clive Lloyd has returned in blazer and tie to impart some discipline and wisdom as manager; but the most significant change, almost certainly, is the replacement of Daren Ganga by Chris Gayle as captain.

The lackadaisical-looking Jamaican, the coolest dude in the side for so long and a man apparently reckless with his wonderful talent as a batsman, is clearly not to be judged by appearances. One player after another has been singing Gayle’s praises as a man-manager since he took over as captain of the one-day side in England last summer and led his team to a 2-1 win. Ramnaresh Sarwan, the elected captain for the tour, dislocated his shoulder in Leeds and is now recovering from a leg injury, but Gayle may at last be the leader to pull together the diverse strands of West Indies cricket. Brian Lara’s third spell as captain had previously ended in a dismal showing in the World Cup.

In Port Elizabeth Gayle led the assault on a South Africa fast bowling attack that had recently overwhelmed New Zealand. But it was once again the limpet from Georgetown, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who produced the sort of painstaking century that wins Tests. There was evidence, too, of greater maturity from Marlon Samuels. Gayle’s off breaks apart, there is still no spin bowler of any potency but for some time now West Indies have had a sufficient number of talented individuals to make an effective team, if only they could play like one.

This was the first Test win for West Indies in South Africa after two previous series in which they lost all five Tests in 1998-99 and 3-0, with the dubious consolation of a single draw, in 2003-04. Dwayne Bravo, the new vice-captain, had experienced 23 previous Tests without a win. Repeating this one will be harder but the concession by the bowlers of only one no-ball in the match may be the most telling evidence of greater all-round discipline.

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