South Africa vs West Indies second Test Archives

JOHANNESBURG: Former captain Jason Holder lifted a struggling West Indies and frustrated South Africa with an innings of 81 not out on the second day of the second Test at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Thanks largely to Holder, the West Indies scored 251 in their first innings. They trailed by 69 runs but it looked likely to be much worse before Holder played a sparkling innings.

“The important thing for us was to stay in the game,” Holder said after inspiring a rearguard action in which the last four wickets added 135 runs.

“We’ve been in this situation before,” he told SuperSport television. “You’ve got to put trust in your partners and give them responsibility.”

South Africa faced three overs at the end of the day, scoring four runs without loss to take their overall lead to 73 runs.

Whereas none of his teammates could score freely — and none managed more than Kyle Mayers’ battling 29 off 83 balls — the tall Holder looked in command from the start of his innings.

Batting at number eight, he went in with the West Indies in big trouble at 116 for six in reply to South Africa’s 320 all out.

Holder and Joshua Da Silva (26) started the recovery by putting on 41 for the seventh wicket.

The comeback accelerated as the last two batsmen, Kemar Roach (13) and Gudakesh Motie (17) helped Holder add 89 runs for the last two wickets.

The 10th-wicket partnership of 58 with Motie was the highest of the innings.

Holder admitted he would like to bat higher in the order. “I’ve had an indifferent time of late,” he said, “but I would like to bat at number six.”

Holder hit four sixes and eight fours in a 117-ball innings and said the Wanderers pitch was “pretty good for batters”.

Gerald Coetzee, playing in his second Test, took three for 41 and fellow fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took two for 19. Rabada only sent down 12 overs and did not bowl after tea.

On a pitch expected to take spin later in the match, spinners Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj bowled a combined 38.3 overs but could only take three wickets while conceding 140 runs.

Coetzee, 22, said he had set out to “hit the pitch” and bowl fast in the absence of the injured Anrich Nortje. “If you look at the bowling attack today I think that was my role. I enjoy hitting the pitch.”

Coetzee said his impressive start in Test cricket had been eased by being part of the South African Test squad in Australia earlier in the season, even though he did not play a match.

“I went there as a back-up bowler but to be there and learn was exactly what I needed.”

Coetzee said the Wanderers pitch provided a more even contest between bat and ball than the first Test in Centurion, “but there is something for the bowlers”.

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JOHANNESBURG: Aiden Markram helped South Africa race to a strong start before the West Indies fought back on the first day of the second Test in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie picked up three wickets as South Africa closed on 311 for seven, having slipped from their formidable teatime position of 247 for two.

Aiden Markram (96) and Tony de Zorzi (85) were mainly responsible for South Africa’s healthy position before the hosts struggled after the second interval.

“It’s not just the four runs (for the century),” Markram said. “On that pitch I should have been looking at a really big score, 160 or 170.”

Markram, who made 115 in South Africa’s 87-run win in the first Test in Centurion, was in imperious form, hitting 17 fours off 139 balls.

He described his dismissal, trying to play an uncharacteristic scoop shot against Motie, as “a brain fade”.

Markram and De Zorzi, playing in his second Test, put on 116 off 164 balls.

De Zorzi was later bowled by Motie during a South African post-tea collapse in which five wickets fell for 62 runs.

“He’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Markram said of his inexperienced teammate. “You need guys at number three who can apply themselves.”

The left-handed De Zorzi, 25, said he had tried to play as normally as possible rather than thinking about the leap from first-class to Test cricket.

“You have to do what got you here,” he said.

Jason Holder bowled a tight spell after tea and claimed the wicket of South African captain Temba Bavuma, who played no shot and was leg before wicket for 28 to a ball which cut back sharply.

De Zorzi batted fluently to be on 75 off 124 deliveries at tea but could add only another 10 runs off 31 balls before he was bowled by Motie.

He was drawn forward and beaten by a flighted delivery which spun back and hit the top of his off stump.

Motie finished the day with three for 75.

Ryan Rickelton was caught behind for 22 off Alzarri Joseph and Kyle Mayers claimed two wickets with the second new ball late in the day, bowling Wiaan Mulder and having Simon Harmer caught behind.

“The pitch quickened up later in the day and we created more chances,” said Mayers.

“It’s an open game. The late strikes brought us back into the game.”

Motie earlier had Dean Elgar caught at short fine leg for 42 off a ball which was outside the left-hander’s leg stump before removing Markram.

The ball looped off his bat and Jermaine Blackwood ran around from slip to leg slip to hold the catch.

Elgar and Markram put on 76 for the first wicket after Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat on an unusually docile Wanderers pitch.

At a venue with a tradition for pace and bounce, a dry surface gave some assistance to the spin bowlers on the first day, seemingly justifying South Africa’s decision to choose two spinners.

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Tag: South Africa vs West Indies second Test

Holder lifts West Indies and frustrates South Africa

Motie leads West Indies fightback against South Africa in 2nd Test