Maharaj hat-trick & Rabada set up Proteas' series win
An astonishing hat-trick on the stroke of lunch by Keshav Maharaj, who completed innings figures of 5-36 after the break, helped dismiss the West Indies for 165 to give South Africa victory by 158 runs and complete a 2-0 series win on the fourth day of the second test at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia, on Monday.
There was little to suggest what might come when the home side reached 107 for three after Kagiso Rabada claimed the first three wickets to undermine the run chase of 324 to square the series.
Opener Kieran Powell reached a fine 51 from 116 balls (9x4) when he inexplicably played a slog-sweep against Maharaj and directly picked out the only man on the legside boundary – Anrich Nortje completing a routine catch.
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Jason Holder then pushed forward to the next ball which did not spin, flicked the inside edge of the tall right hander’s bat and was smartly caught by Keegan Petersen at short leg. A jubilant Maharaj could hardly contain his delight – but there was more to come with the hat-trick ball.
It drifted in towards Joshua da Silva forcing the West Indian wicketkeeper to play a shot. But again, it carried on drifting rather than turning away from the right-hander and his tentative leg-glance was superbly caught by Wiaan Mulder, diving to his right at leg slip to take a one-handed stunner.
"We haven't won a series on the road for quite some time," South Africa captain Dean Elgar said. "The boys stood up. It was great to see guys like KG (Kagiso Rabada) rock up and do what he does, and great to see Keshav (get the hat-trick)."
Maharaj hat-trick
SEARING BOUNCER
Rabada began another disastrous session for the home side when captain Kraigg Brathwaite (6) edged a leg-cutter to Dean Elgar at slip.
Shai Hope had no answer to a searing bouncer which deflected off his arm guard to Aiden Markram at second slip. But was it only the arm guard?
Rabada was convinced it touched the glove first and persuaded captain Elgar to refer the not-out decision to the third umpire. Replays showed a clear touch on the glove first.
Kayle Mayers, despite being trapped lbw first ball by a Rabada no-ball, had looked in excellent form for his 34 from 56 balls (4x4) before a bizarre rush of blood to the head saw him play a rash pull shot against a Rabada delivery too full for the shot and the top edge duly flew straight up and landed softly in the hands of Elgar running back from slip.
Jermaine Blackwood and Kemar Roach restored some semblance of respectability to the innings with a 40-run partnership in the hour after lunch but Lungi Ngidi ended it with an edge of Blackwood’s bat to ‘keeper Quinton de Kock for 25 and Maharaj had Roach (27) and last man Jayden Seales caught in the deep to complete a second, comprehensive victory by an innings and 63-runs in the first test at the same venue.
"As a batting unit, we let ourselves down," Brathwaite said. "We were going good (in the chase), but we didn't carry on. That hurt us and, including myself, we fell short.
"As batsmen, we know what we did wrong. We have to learn from this and come back strongly."
Rabada was named man-of-the-match for his 5-86 in the match while De Kock was man-of-the-series for his career-best unbeaten 141 and 96 in the two tests.
The teams now take a four-day break before the five-match T20I series begins on 26 June.
Report Day 1Report Day 2Report Day 3
WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Kieran Powell, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shannon Gabriel
SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar (capt), Aiden Markram, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Quinton de Kock (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
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