WI vs SA 2024, WI vs SA 2nd Test Match Report, August 15 – 19, 2024

South Africa 160 and 223 for five (Markram 51, Verreynne 50*, Seales 3-52, Motie 2-61) lead West Indies 144 (Holder 54*, Mulder 4-32, Burger 3-49, Maharaj 2-8) by 239 runs

With a lead of 239 and 5 wickets in hand on a floor that acquired higher to bat on because the day went on, South Africa put fingertips on the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy.

South Africa’s openers have been examined upfront with seam motion from Seales and tight strains from Holder. Markram edged Holder wanting first slip on the finish of his first over however settled when he drove Seales for 4 by cowl level 5 balls later. Tony de Zorzi was hit on the again pad by Seales and flirted with a run-out likelihood when he pushed a single off Holder however pulled Seales off his toes to announce himself. South Africa went to lunch unscathed on 30 with out loss.

Runs got here shortly after the break and South Africa had greater than doubled their morning rating to 66 in 4.4 overs after the interval once they supplied their first actual likelihood. De Zorzi edged Holder to the left of wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, who dived low to attempt to take the catch however couldn’t maintain on. De Zorzi was on 36 off 41 on the time and added solely three runs off the subsequent 31 balls he confronted earlier than he nicked off to offer Seales a well-earned reward. De Zorzi punched his bat in frustration as he walked off when the opening stand was damaged.

Markram and Tristan Stubbs eked out six runs off the subsequent 4 overs whereas they bided time however Stubbs’ endurance gave the impression to be examined when he edged Gudakesh Motie previous slip for 3. Stubbs’ first boundary got here off the twenty first ball he confronted when he reverse swept Motie by third however he didn’t look completely comfy at any level within the session. He survived an lbw attraction off Holder and held his finish by to tea. Markram was fortunate to get there when, on 42, he drove Motie to Alick Athanaze at foolish mid-off however was put down. South Africa have been 111 for 1 on the tea break, 127 runs forward.

Three overs into the ultimate session, Markram reached 50 off 104 balls however seven balls after that was struck on the again foot to a Motie supply that straightened and was given out lbw. Temba Bavuma may have been out on his third ball when he edged an away seamer from Joseph but it surely didn’t carry to slide. Motie had higher luck when Bavuma went ahead to a size ball, was hit on the pad. The umpire did not assume it was out, however West Indies efficiently reviewed to have the choice overturned.

Jayden Seales and Gudakesh Motie caused wickets in a cluster•AFP/Getty Pictures

That wicket sparked a mini-collapse. Within the subsequent over, Stubbs edged Seales to Da Silva and two overs after that David Bedingham was bowled to offer Seales a second wicket in three overs and provides the hosts an opportunity of conserving South Africa’s lead underneath 200. Mulder and Verreynne took them over that mark. They have been in peril of being separated 12 minutes earlier than the top of play when Mulder was given out lbw in Seales’ fourth spell however he reviewed and ball-tracking confirmed it was lacking leg. The pair accelerated in the direction of the top of the day with 26 runs off the final 4 overs, which included Verreynne’s fifty off 71 balls – his third in Take a look at cricket. All of his half-centuries, and his solely Take a look at hundred up to now, have come away from residence.

Earlier, the last-wicket stand between Holder and Joseph meant West Indies completed simply 16 runs adrift of South Africa’s first-innings rating of 160. After resuming on 97 for 7, Jomel Warrican chipped an overpitched supply from Kagiso Rabada to Keshav Maharaj at mid-on to depart for a 16-ball duck.

Left-arm seamer Nandre Burger shared the day’s opening duties with Rabada and began off bowling full however in his second over, started a short-ball assault to arrange Seales. The primary three deliveries of Burger’s third over of the day have been more and more quick in size however his fourth was full on the stumps and Seales was struck on the pad and given out lbw.

South Africa may have ended West Indies’ innings on the subsequent ball when Joseph edged Burger to Markram at second slip however he couldn’t maintain on to a head top catch. The drop proved pricey as Joseph went on to attain 25 – however was dropped once more on 15 by Mulder a 3rd slip – and supplied robust assist to Holder, who approached the primary hour of play with aggression. Holder hit the final ball of Mulder’s first over on the day over long-on for six, to deliver up the primary half-century of the match and his 14th in Assessments. Joseph took on Burger, and hit his quick ball behind sq. leg and previous level after which, only for laughs, despatched the total one out of the bottom. In his first over of the morning, Maharaj beat Joseph’s sweep and had him out lbw and South Africa have been batting once more 90 minutes into the day.