By Neil Manthorp.
A fine opening stand of 79 between Tony de Zorzi (39) and Aiden Markram (43*) helped South Africa reach tea on 111-1 in their second innings for an overall lead of 127-runs on the second day of the second test against the West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana, on Friday.
South Africa claimed a narrow first innings lead of 16-runs when they dismissed the home side for 144 after resuming on their parlous overnight score of 97-7.
Markram and de Zorzi rode their luck with over 20 play-and-miss shots between them on a pitch still offering assistance to the quicker bowlers but also batted with great positivity and intent before de Zorzi finally edged an away-swinger from Jayden Seales to ‘keeper Joshua de Silva having faced 72 balls and struck five fours.
Markram’s defence was in prime working order but so, too, his attacking game as he collected five boundaries in his 43 from 93 balls while Tristan Stubbs reached the break on 17 from 45 balls with a single boundary, a reverse sweep against spinner Gudakesh Motie.
The home side quickly lost Jomel Warrican and Jayden Seales at the start of play, both without scoring, before a 10th wicket stand of 40 between Jason Holder (54*) and fast bowler Shamar Joseph who was the first day hero with 5-33 as South Africa were dismissed for just 160.
It wasn’t quite on the scale of South Africa’s own 10th partnership of 63 between Dane Piedt and Nandre Burger which saw them recover from 97-9 to 160 all out on day one, but it kept the home side within touching distance of the tourists.
Joseph, dropped twice in the slips by Markram and Wiaan Mulder, slammed 25 from 27 balls with four fours and a six before Keshav Maharaj (2-8) trapped him lbw leaving Holder with a potentially crucial unbeaten half century which spanned 88 balls with a six and four fours.
Warrican chipped Kagiso Rabada (1-40) to Maharaj and mid on before Seales fell lbw to Burger who finished with 3-49. Mulder finished with 4-32 having started the morning with 4-18.
The first test in Trinidad, robbed of almost 150 overs by rain, finished in a draw.
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wkt), Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger.