June 20, 2021, 7:53 p.m.
Day 3 of 2nd Betway Test Match
West Indies vs South Africa
Venue: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
Toss: West Indies won toss and bowled
Scores: South Africa 298 and 174; West Indies 149 and 15-0
Scoreboard: http://bit.ly/wivsa2ndtest
Led by Kemar Roach and Kyles Mayers, West Indies ran through South Africa’s top-order and have given themselves a chance of victory in an enthralling second Betway Test match.
Roach took 4-52 with a mixture of supreme accuracy and clever each-way movement while Mayers had 3-24 with his lively medium-fast bowling on the third afternoon at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Sunday. The Proteas were at one stage reduced to 73-7 but recovered to post 174 and set the West Indies a target of 324 thanks to an unbeaten 75 from Rassie van der Dussen and a career-best 40 from Kagiso Rabada.
West Indies will resume on Monday needing another 309 for victory. At the crease are skipper Kraigg Brahwaite on five and with him Kieran Powell on nine.
Earlier in the day, rain caused the start to be delayed by two hours. South Africa started their second innings after lunch and were off to a less than ideal start when Roach drew an outside edge from Aiden Markram that was smartly held by Jason Holder at second slip.
Seven overs later, Roach and Holder combined again to remove skipper Dean Elgar to another good slip catch. Mayers’ introduction in the 14th over then proved a masterstroke from captain Kraigg Brathwaite, as the all-rounder struck with just his second delivery – Keegan Petersen chopping on for 18 to reduce South Africa to 44-3.
Mayers struck again in his third over, drawing an outside edge from Kyle Verreynne. That was the start of three wickets in as many overs for the West Indies, as Holder struck in the very next to remove the in-form Quinton de Kock for a “duck” before Wiaan Mulder also fell without scoring to Mayers.
After tea, Jayden Seales got in on the act, drawing an edge from Keshav Maharaj (6) that was brilliantly caught by Holder at full stretch, diving to his right at second slip. The spectacular take was his 30th catch in the slips and 50th overall – and he is now among a handful of players in history to make over 2,000 runs, take over 100 wickets and take 50 catches.
The match marked a return to fans in the stand as fully vaccinated spectators were allowed into the venue – the first time at an international cricket game in the Caribbean since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
-CWI
