1st Test, Centurion, February 28, 2023, 01:30 PM
South Africa
342/10(86.3ov) & 116/10(28.0ov)
West Indies
212/10(69.0ov) & 159/10(41.0ov)
South Africa beat West Indies by 87 runs
That is it from this game. South Africa take the lead. West Indies now have more time to check what went wrong. These two will meet again on the 8th of this month at 1300 IST (0800 GMT). Do join us early for the build. Cheers!
Aiden Markram is the Player of the Match. He says it was nice to win. Adds he loves to bat on top and credits the staff for backing him. Shares he has played a lot of cricket here and is grateful to get some runs on this tough wicket. Reckons the pitch starts slow but opens up as the game progresses.
Temba Bavuma says it feels good to win. Adds it was crazy how it end but they did well to put up a respectable total to defend. Reckons they didn't get much partnership but Aiden Markram batted well and felt 300 runs would have been a good score but in the end 250 proved to be a lot. Shares they will rest well but also prepare well for the next game.
Kraigg Brathwaite says they missed out with the bat, it is not good enough to bat under 100 overs in both innings. Adds some balls were keeping it low, he feels there was lot for the bowlers but could have done better with the bat. Reckons it was a top effort from the bowlers in the second innings and hopes to come better in the next game. Says they have to be more mentally prepared. Applauds the performance of Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach in the end.
...Presentation time...
The start was superb by the home team. Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram laid up a good foundation. It looked like South Africa will score around 400 but the final session of Day 1 saw them crumbling down and losing their foot. Alzarri Joseph ended with a five-fer. It was sort of same for the Windies. Raymon Reifer batted well with a couple of contributions from others but just like hosts, lost it in the final session of Day 2. This time it was Anrich Nortje with a five-fer. The way pitch was playing, it shows how valuable the knock from Aiden Markram was in the second innings. Jermaine Blackwood tried to replicate the same but to no avail.
West Indies had less than 250 to chase this down but were put under serious pressure by some pace bowling of Rabada. No one apart from Jermaine Blackwood turned up for the chase. Joshua Da Silva and Jason Holder showed some intent but lost their wickets and once Blackwood fell, it was over for West Indies. If only there was some contribution from top order. West Indies would have given a tough fight.
South Africa take the lead in the two-match series. The game started to heat up in the third session. We saw most wickets fell on the final session of Day 1 and Day 2. South Africa had a 130-odd runs lead at the end of Day 2 and Aiden Markram was key on both innings. A splendid century in the first innings and a valuable 47 in the second with a key cameo from Gerald Coetzee to put a par score to defend.
A fantastic win by South Africa. This game went full throttle as it progressed. Who thought this match will end so quickly but that's how the pitch was playing. It was a beauty for the bowlers to bowl and South Africa came up on top in each session.
In over# 41
0W
1
0
0
0
1nb
0W
Kagiso Rabada 50/6(15)
40.6
W
OUT! LBW! South Africa have done it. A length ball, angling on middle. Roach is late to get his bat down and gets hit on the pads. An appeal and up goes the finger. That was plumb. Kagiso Rabada ends with six to his name. South Africa win by 87 runs.
40.5
1
A full toss, outside off, drilled to mid-wicket for one.
40.4
.
Short in length and angling on middle. Gabriel somehow blocks it out.
40.3
.
On middle, kept out.
40.2
.
This is full and outside off, Gabriel looks to drive but misses.
40.2
1nb
Length ball, around off, Gabriel blocks. It is called a no ball as Rabada oversteps.
40.1
W
OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Finally, Blackwood goes and that means South Africa are almost there. Short and on off, Blackwood was ducking all the time but tries to get tall and defend but sharp bounce takes an outside edge and goes to second slip where Aiden Markram takes it. A five-fer for Rabada. A champion bowler for the Proteas. A superb innings from Blackwood as well.
In over# 40
2
0
0
1
0
0
Marco Jansen 33/2(7)
39.6
2
This is full and on middle, flicked to deep mid-wicket for a couple.