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Bowlers shine, batters stutter as Proteas beat West Indies in first Test

Bowlers shine, batters stutter as Proteas beat West Indies in first Test
Aiden Markram, returning to the Test team and to the position of opener, was the only batter to play with any authority. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)
Keanan Hemmonsbey
By Keanan Hemmonsbey
2 Mar 2023
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Four bowlers took five-wicket hauls while only four batters crossed the 50-run mark throughout the three days of Test action between South Africa and West Indies.

Coach Shukri Conrad and captain Temba Bavuma secured their first victory at the helm of the Test side on Thursday.

SuperSport Park was a fast bowlers’ paradise as South Africa prevailed by 87 runs over West Indies in the first of two Test matches.

Kagiso Rabada was the star on day three, taking six for 50, to help South Africa skittle West Indies for 159 runs.

The searing quick bowled tight lines and lengths, but was assisted by the SuperSport Park pitch which provided extra bounce and movement off the surface.

The penultimate wicket of the match, that of Jermaine Blackwood – who put up a valiant fight – was Rabada’s fifth in the innings and signalled his 13th Test match five-wicket haul. 

cricket test blackwood West Indian Jermaine Blackwood played a brilliant counter-attacking innings on day three while wickets were tumbling around him. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)



He would go on to finish the match and secure the Proteas’ win in the same over, only the 41st in the innings, trapping Kemar Roach LBW.

Earlier in the day, Rabada was standing at the non-striker’s end when Roach sealed a five-wicket haul of his own — one of four in the match. 

Too fast


All 40 wickets in the Test match were taken by fast bowlers.

Alzarri Joseph started the procession on day one and two with career-best figures and a first career five-wicket haul, claiming five wickets for 81 runs to help bowl the Proteas out for 342 in the first innings.

South Africa were in a position to score in excess of 500 in the first innings when sitting pretty on 221 for one after lunch on day one — before the pitch livened up and the Joseph show commenced.

Although the South African wickets tumbled late on the first day, 342 was a strong first-innings showing in hindsight.

A total of 32 wickets fell on day two and three – 16 on each – with Anrich Nortje the chief architect of destruction in the Windies’ first showing with the bat. 

The fastest bowler across the two teams was always going to reap rewards from a pitch offering steep bounce and extra pace.

Nortje ripped through West Indies’ middle to lower order to seal his fourth career five-wicket haul and register magnificent figures of five wickets for 36 runs. The Caribbean team were bowled out for 212 in their first dig.

Senuran Muthusamy and Roston Chase both rolled their arms over for South Africa and West Indies respectively in the first innings, but neither spinner picked up any wickets. 

Swing supreme 


Both teams’ crafty spearheads led their sides’ attacks in the second innings.

The experienced Roach was first up, getting rid of top-order batters Tony de Zorzi and Aiden Markram before coming back to wrap up the tail to help dismiss the Proteas for a lowly 116. Roach finished with fabulous figures of five for 47 in the innings.

Needing 246 runs to secure a memorable victory in South Africa, the Windies were never really in the hunt, dismissed for 159 — mainly due to a brilliant exhibition of fast bowling by Rabada.

The Proteas’ ace ran in on a scorching Centurion afternoon for nine consecutive overs to pick up five wickets for 37 runs. This was after he collected one wicket for 13 runs in his first spell in the morning.

Struggling batters


Although conditions suited fast bowling, it was exacerbated by a poor showing with the willow by both teams.

Markram, returning to the Test team and to the position of opener, was the only batter to play with any authority.

cricket markram Aiden Markram was the only batter to play with any authority. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)



His first innings hundred, the sixth of his career, coupled with his 47 runs in the second dig, ensured he left his home SuperSport Park ground with the player of the match award.

Dean Elgar, relieved of Test captaincy, played with a sense of freedom in the first innings to compile a tidy half-century — 71 runs off 118 deliveries.

Besides the openers, there was nothing to write home about on the contributions with the bat from the other South Africans. 

However, debutant De Zorzi did look comfortable at the crease for his 28 runs before he was run out in the first innings.

For the Windies, Blackwood played a brilliant counter-attacking innings on day three while wickets were tumbling around him.

The diminutive batter played strokes all around the wicket while being particularly brutal on anything pitched too far up as he top-scored for his side with 79 off 93 deliveries. Blackwood’s innings contained twelve fours and one big six off Marco Jansen.

The next Test starts on 8 March at the Wanderers — a ground which traditionally favours fast bowling as well. For the next match to last longer than three days, both teams need to drastically turn around their batting form. DM

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