West Indies roar back after South Africa’s lead

By AFP

March 02, 2023

CENTURION: West Indies fast bowlers took four wickets to bring their team back into contention on day two of their first Test against South Africa here on Wednesday.

At the end of play, South Africa were 49 for four, having a total lead of 179 runs.

Eleven wickets fell in the final session of the day as both teams suffered collapses in the 28.1 overs that were bowled. But it was West Indies slumping from 169 for 3 to 212 all out that turned the game around after two sessions of slow burn.

South Africa started their second innings with a 130-run lead, and Aiden Markram took off from where he left in the first innings, this time, with more aggression from the start. He drove, cut and pulled with ease to finish the day on 35 not out off just 33 balls.

His flyer took the hosts to 31 in under four overs, but Alzarri Joseph had Dean Elgar fall into the deep-third trap for the second time in this game, to re-open the wicket-flow gate. Kemar Roach and Joseph went jaffa for jaffa in the next two overs to have Tony de Zorzi and Temba Bavuma - who bagged a pair on captaincy debut - caught behind.

Keegan Petersen got one of the two boundaries in the seventh over and another quiet over later, a safe end to the day was in sight. But Jason Holder came in and took his 150th Test wicket off his first ball. It hit a length and stayed low to trap Petersen lbw to end the day.

Earlier, Anrich Nortje, with 5 for 36, was the chief destructor with the ball for South Africa. He oversaw West Indies go from 136 for 3 at tea to 212 all out, including a collapse of 7 for 43. South Africa's pacers ripped through the middle and lower order, with every batter after the top six dismissed for single-digit scores.

Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were responsible for drying up the runs, particularly in the second session, when the hosts picked up just one wicket. Jansen initiated the second final-session collapse in two days by getting Raymon Reifer - the highest scorer of the innings - to knick off for 62, with a length ball that straightened off the pitch.

Score Board

South Africa won the toss

South Africa 1st Innings 342

West Indies 1st Innings : 212

South Africa 2nd Innings

Markram not out 35

Elgar c Reifer b Joseph 1

de Zorzic †Da Silva b Roach 0

Bavuma (c)c †Da Silva b Joseph 0

Petersen lbw b Holder 7

Extras:(b 4, nb 2) 6

Total:8.1 Ov 49/4