Staff Reporter.
(AFP) – The elder statesman of the West Indian attack, Kemar Roach, grabbed his 11th five-wicket haul (5/47 in 10 overs) in tests to help roll South Africa for 116 – their lowest total against the visitors – on the third morning of the Betway first test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.
But it was the South Africans who finished the session with a smile when the visitors went in to bat for a single over before the break. Kagiso Rabada, opening the attack, promptly had West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite caught by wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen off his third ball, “strangled” down the leg side, for a duck.
This means that the West Indies, chasing 247 for victory – a hard enough task given that the record total for a win in the fourth innings in Centurion is 251 – will have to get them without their senior batsman.
But if the session ended kindly for the home team, it was the West Indies who dominated most of the session after South Africa had resumed on their overnight total of 49 for four.
In Jason Holder’s second over of the day, Heinrich Klaasen wafted at a swinging delivery wide of his off-stump to be taken behind by Joshua da Silva who went on to claim seven victims in the innings, equalling the world record number of dismissals for a wicketkeeper in tests.
After Holding’s breakthrough, it was Roach who took over. Having already disposed of Tony de Zorzi the previous evening, the 34-year-old than claimed the key scalp of Aiden Markram who played away from his body to nick through to Da Silva. Markram, who looked to be batting on a different surface to his struggling colleagues, struck seven fours in his 47 in 58 balls.
Marco Jansen was the next to go, hopelessly beaten by Roach with a delivery that angled in and straightened to hit his off-stump. That made the total 76 for seven and the Proteas’ plight worsened when Senuran Muthusamy, who had battled for 36 balls for his four runs, gloved a hook to the wicketkeeper off Shannon Gabriel.
Gerald Coetzee whacked a six and a couple of fours in his quickfire 20 – a valuable contribution – before edging a hook off Roach and then Roach found the edge of Anrich Nortje’s bat – following a review – to wrap up his five-for.
Roach strode from the field waving the ball in recognition of his excellent achievement, his first five-wicket haul in tests away from home in six years.
SOUTH AFRICA: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (capt), Keegan Petersen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee
WEST INDIES: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Raymon Reifer, Jermaine Blackwood, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, Joshua da Silva (wk), Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel.