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DAY 1: Joseph, Mulder star with the ball as 17 wickets tumble

cricket15 August 2024 21:48| © AFP
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Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph claimed an emotional five-wicket haul on home soil to help dismiss South Africa for just 160 before Wiaan Mulder’s 4-18 from six overs saw the home side collapse to 97-7 on the first day of the second test match against the West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana, on Thursday.

Seventeen wickets fell on the first day at a venue accustomed to producing turgid, attritional batting displays and the home side, still trailing by 63 runs, have much catching up to do.

A remarkable 10th-wicket partnership of 63 between Dane Piedt (38*) and Nandre Burger (23) saw South Africa’s first-innings total recover from an embarrassing 97-9 to a semi-respectable score on a slow but surprisingly seamer friendly pitch on which Temba Bavuma chose to bat first.

The local man from Guyana, Joseph, claimed 5-33 from just 14 overs which began by bowling Aidan Markram (14) with a perfect ‘nip-backer’ with the opener playing no shot before trapping Bavuma for a duck two balls later.

Tony de Zorzi (1) was the first to depart when the excellent fast bowler Jayden Seales (14-3-45-3) bowled the left hander with an in-swinger and Tristan Stubbs became the fourth wicket of the first session when he perished for 26 from 65 deliveries.

Stubbs made an understandably cautious start with just three runs coming from his first 29 balls but finally allowed himself to hit the ball with purpose and collected three boundaries before a full, deliberately wide delivery from Jason Holder tempted him into a drive with the edge flying to a diving Kavem Hodge in the gully.

Lunch was taken on 64-4 but South Africa’s hopes of a meaningful recovery quickly ended when David Bedingham (28), having survived a chance with just a single to his name when a sliced drive against left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican landed safely between three fielders, edged an away-swinger from Joseph to ‘keeper Joshua de Silva.

Mulder (0) departed second ball to another away-swinger from the same bowler, to the same fielder, and Keshav Maharaj (0) became the third batsman to depart to his second ball when Joseph shattered his defences to hit off-stump.

Kagiso Rabada posted the fourth duck of the innings when Seales bowled him and Kyle Verreyne became Joseph’s fifth victim when he was bowled behind his legs for 21 from 33 balls.

Piedt’s unbeaten 38 spanned 60 balls and contained four fours and a straight six against spinner Gudakesh Motie while Burger displayed immaculate defence and game management with 23 from 56 balls before Motie trapped him lbw.

The 63 runs may not shape the course of the match but it certainly changed the emotional course of the contest in its early stages.

FROM BAD TO WORSE FOR WINDIES

The West Indies’ reply began badly and got worse, quickly.

Opener Mikyle Louis (0) was clean bowled by Nandre Burger, fellow opener and captain Kraigg Brathwaite (3) was bowled by Mulder before the same bowler held a spectacular return catch to dismiss Alick Athinaze for a single.

Worse was to come for the home side when Kavem Hodge (4) thick-edged a drive against Mulder to Stubbs at third slip, Keacy Carty (26) whipped a full length ball from Burger to Maharav at mid wicket and Joshua da Silva (4) edged a tentative drive against Mulder to Markram at second slip.

Jason Holder (33*) will resume on the second morning with Gudakesh Motie (11) having been trapped lbw by Keshav Maharaj with the final ball of the day.

The West Indies still trail by 63 runs.

The home team made one change before the start of play with Joseph replacing veteran Kemar Roach while the tourists made two changes by including left-arm fast bowler, Burger, in place of Lungi Ngidi and adding offspinner Piedt in place of the extra batsman, Ryan Rickelton.

The first test in Trinidad finished in a draw after almost 150 overs were lost to rain.

More showers are forecast for all five days in Guyana but not as heavy or as regular as they were in Trinidad.

WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wkt), Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

SOUTH AFRICA" Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger.

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