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CENTURION. — Kagiso Rabada took 6/50, his 13th five-wicket haul, as South Africa beat the West Indies by 87 runs midway through the final session of the third day of the first Betway test at SuperSport Park in Centurion yesterday.
Set a formidable 247 for victory on a pitch that increasingly favoured the fast men, the West Indies slumped to 93 for six at tea and were eventually dismissed for 159 in 41 overs.
The hero in a losing cause for the visitors was Jermaine Blackwood who struck a defiant, calculated 79 in 93 balls to add to his 37 in the first innings. In all he struck 12 fours and a six in a superb performance in which he drove particularly well down the ground and never took a step back despite having to fend off some fiery short-pitched bowling.
It was another day when it rained wickets, with South Africa losing their last six batters in the morning to be dismissed for 116 in 28 overs with only player of the match Aiden Markram (47) at the top of the order and Gerald Coetzee (20), at the bottom, reaching 20. In all, sixteen wickets fell on each of the last two days in what was a fast bowlers’ match.
The dominance of the fast bowlers, obvious during South Africa’s second innings when Kemar Roach picked up a five-for, was underlined when the West Indies batted again. Rabada dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite for a duck with his third ball, the West Indies skipper edging down the leg side where wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen took a good low catch.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul, potentially a stumbling block for the Proteas, was undone by a fearsome short-ball assault until he lashed out intemperately at a short, rising delivery from Marco Jansen, ballooning the ball to Anrich Nortje running in from mid-on.
Jansen then saw off Roston Chase with his next delivery which the West Indian left, the ball crashing into his off-stump. Kyle Mayers didn’t stay long, edging Gerald Coetzee to Dean Elgar at slip with Elgar taking a stinging catch high to his left to leave the West Indies on the precipice of disaster on 33 for five.
Blackwood, who had been aggressive without being foolhardy, was joined by Da Silva who had earlier equalled the world record of seven dismissals by a wicketkeeper in an innings. The two settled down to add 58 in 64 balls to frustrate the South Africans before Da Silva edged a drive at an outswinging delivery from Rabada to Keegan Petersen in the gully who took a good catch.
Holder played some nice strokes but fell victim to a beauty from Rabada that kissed the edge of his bat after moving away from him off a perfect length. Alzarri Joseph soon followed, miscuing a hook to long leg and Rabada got the final two wickets, removing the brave Blackwood with a nasty lifter that he gloved to gully and then trapping final man Shannon Gabriel leg before.
The man of the match award went to Markram for his superb 115 on the first day. More than anyone, the South African opener looked a class apart, adding another powerful 47 in the second innings as the rest of his teammates fell apart against Kemar Roach.
It was a match for the quick bowlers with Azarri Joseph, Anrich Nortje, Roach and Rabada all claiming five-wicket hauls. Rabada’s pre-eminence among them stemmed from his superb control of length.
Speaking afterwards, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said that it had been a “crazy hour” in the morning when South Africa were dismissed for 116 in their second innings.
“We nearly threw away our advantage, but with our bowlers we are used to defending 250.”
He said he wanted his fast bowlers to “rest up” in the days before the next test on Wednesday next week as they had worked hard. — Supersport.
Online Reporter