Jason Holder struck an undefeated 81, his 12th test 50 and his highest score against South Africa, as the West Indies battled to 251 all out – a deficit of 69 – on the second day of the second Betway test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Thursday.
After looking down and dejected when their eighth wicket fell on 162, 158 runs behind, the West Indies received a welcome late boost from Holder who collaborated with Kemar Roach and Gudakesh Motie to add a further 89 runs to frustrate the South Africans.
His 10th wicket partnership of 58 in 83 balls with Motie, in fact, was the highest of the innings with the left-handed Motie looking very comfortable until he played an ambitious pull off Simon Harmer to top-edge a catch to Temba Bavuma at cover.
South Africa’s openers, Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram, were faced with an awkward three overs against Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph before the close which they negotiated safely on four without loss, with the home team taking an overall lead of 73 into the third day with all their second-innings wickets intact.
?? The Proteas lead by 73 runs at stumps on Day 2 after dismissing the West Indies for 251 ??#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/md8zaunU3i
— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) March 9, 2023
Batting at No 8, a position that some may think is too low for a batter of his calibre, Holder struck eight fours and four sixes in his 117-ball innings that began cautiously but grew increasingly aggressive as the wickets fell.
Holder was particularly hard on the South African spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Harmer, who went for a combined 140 runs on an excellent pitch for batting – easily the best of the series – that has yet to produce much turn, although there is bounce.
The ease with which Holder and Motie batted was a poor reflection on the West Indies’ top-order batters after their bowlers had done well at the start of the day to finish off the final three South African first-innings wickets for nine runs in just three overs.
Looking for a rare solid start, the West Indies shot themselves in the foot almost immediately when Tagenarine Chanderpaul was run out when skipper Kraigg Brathwaite called for a quick single.
The left-hander was slow to respond and Temba Bavuma dashed in from cover and brilliantly threw down the wicket.
Brathwaite was then undone by extra bounce from his nemesis, Kagiso Rabada, who has now dismissed him six times in tests, edging a low catch to Dean Elgar at first slip.
BALL OF THE DAY
Then it was the turn of Gerald Coetzee. First he had Raymon Reifer caught bat-pad at short-leg by Tony de Zorzi – another sharp effort from him – before finding the edge of Jermaine Blackwood’s bat shortly afterwards.
A fighting tenth-wicket stand comes to an end as South Africa gain crucial lead ??#WTC23 | #SAvWI | Scorecard: https://t.co/Hw0zhC2vyo pic.twitter.com/riYiRTHeaX
— ICC (@ICC) March 9, 2023
That made it 73 for four at lunch, but thereafter the West Indies stiffened their sinews and began to fight back. The afternoon session didn’t produce many runs but only two further wickets fell – Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers.
The pair had taken their fifth-wicket partnership to 52 in 94 balls – only the visitors’ third 50 partnership in the series – before Chase (28 in 53 balls) was unfortunate to play on to Wiaan Mulder.
He drove at a full delivery, edged it onto a pad and the ball rolled back, agonisingly slowly, to bump into the off-stump and dislodge a bail. The batter knelt on the turf and raised his head in anguish.
The dismissal of Mayers (29 in 83 balls) was not down to bad luck but a poor choice of shot against Kagiso Rabada who cunningly bowled a rearing delivery outside his off-stump, tempting Mayers to play his favourite cut stroke.
The bounce defeated him, however, and all he could do was edge the ball to Elgar at first slip. Mayers, a naturally aggressive batter, was tied down by South Africa’s tight bowling and eventually his patience evaporated.
Joshua da Silva batted with some grit after tea which the West Indies had taken at 143 for six before Harmer produced the ball of the day, beating the wicketkeeper in flight before turning the ball through the gate to clip the off-stump – a classic offspinner’s dismissal.
The pitch appeared to be getting flatter by the minute in the evening sunshine and Holder and Roach and then Motie were able to bat with a sense of calmness and assurance.
Roach was eventually undone after slashing at Coetzee, giving Elgar his third catch in the slips, before Motie – who has a first-class century to his name – gave Harmer his second wicket.
Coetzee was the Proteas’ most successful bowler with 3-41 but once again it was Rabada who was the class act with 2-19 in 12 overs.
There were concerns when the champion fast bowler left the field after tea with what appeared to be a niggle, but he returned to field soon afterwards.
South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (capt), Ryan Rickelton, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada.
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Raymon Reifer, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Kyle Myers, Joshua da Silva (wk), Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach