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The South Africa vs West Indies 2nd Test was an exhilarating match that saw both teams putting in their best effort to clinch the victory. The match was held at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, St Lucia, from June 18th to 22nd, 2021.
WEDNESDAY, 08 MARCH 2023
TIME: 11:30 PM ET
TIME: 7:30 PM GMT
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first. However, their start was not ideal as they lost their first three wickets for just 37 runs. The West Indies bowlers were right on target, and the Proteas batsmen found it hard to score freely. However, Rassie van der Dussen and Dean Elgar steadied the ship for South Africa and took the team to a respectable total. Van der Dussen scored a crucial half-century, while Elgar played a patient knock of 77 runs. The Proteas managed to reach a total of 298 runs in their first innings, with Kemar Roach being the pick of the West Indies bowlers, picking up 4 wickets.
In reply, the West Indies had a shaky start as they lost their first two wickets for just 26 runs. However, the experienced duo of Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase stitched a crucial partnership to steady the West Indies innings. Brathwaite played a captain’s knock and scored 72 runs, while Chase played an aggressive knock of 62 runs. The West Indies managed to reach a total of 149 runs in their first innings, with Kagiso Rabada being the pick of the South African bowlers, picking up 5 wickets.
South Africa started their second innings with a lead of 149 runs and looked to set a challenging target for the West Indies. Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar gave the Proteas a solid start, scoring 79 and 77 runs respectively. The South African middle-order also contributed with some valuable runs, and the Proteas managed to declare their innings at 174/2, setting a target of 324 runs for the West Indies to win the match.
The West Indies started their chase positively, with the opening duo of Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell putting up a partnership of 64 runs. However, once Powell got out, the West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals, and the Proteas bowlers were on top of their game. Kagiso Rabada once again led the South African bowling attack, picking up 3 wickets, while Anrich Nortje and Keshav Maharaj picked up 2 wickets each. The West Indies were bowled out for just 165 runs, and South Africa won the match by 158 runs.
There were some standout performances in the match that deserve a special mention. Kagiso Rabada was undoubtedly the star of the match, picking up 5 wickets in the first innings and 3 wickets in the second innings. He bowled with pace and accuracy and troubled the West Indies batsmen throughout the match. Dean Elgar also played a crucial role for South Africa, scoring 77 runs in the first innings and 77 runs in the second innings. His patient approach helped the Proteas build a solid foundation in both innings. For the West Indies, Kraigg Brathwaite played a captain’s knock in the first innings, scoring 72 runs, while Roston Chase played an aggressive knock of 62 runs. However, their efforts were not enough to take the West Indies to victory.
Overall, it was a well-fought match between two competitive teams. South Africa deserved to win the match, as they outplayed the West Indies in all departments of the game. The Proteas bowlers were particularly impressive, and their consistent line and length made it difficult for the West Indies batsmen to score freely.
