ZIM ON THE ROPES AS PROTEAS TURN UP THE HEAT! Williams fights lone battle but SA tighten grip at Queens

Brandon Moyo

QUEENS Sports Club has turned into a battlefield and Zimbabwe are hanging by a thread as South Africa tightened their stranglehold on day two of the first Test.

Chasing the Proteas’ mammoth 419 for 9 declared, the Chevrons were bundled out for 251, trailing by 167 runs. South Africa ended the day on 49 for 1, stretching their lead to 216 with eight wickets in hand.

Veteran Sean Williams stood tall amid the ruins, cracking a brilliant 137 that single-handedly kept Zimbabwe from total collapse. His fighting century was more than half of the team’s total and yet another reminder of his class — having now scored five of Zimbabwe’s 10 centuries since 2020.

But his effort was not enough to stop the Proteas juggernaut.

Spin king Keshav Maharaj made history with figures of 3 for 70, becoming only the second South African spinner to take 200 Test wickets.

As day three looms, the World Test Champions are firmly in control with Tony de Zorzi on 22 and Wiaan Mulder on 25 at the crease. Tanaka Chivanga took the only wicket to fall, but the mountain ahead for Zimbabwe is steep.

Can the Chevrons claw their way back or is this a slow march to defeat?