Anrich Nortje put in a top-class performance by taking 3/8 in the first session to restrict the West Indies to 48/4 at Lunch on Day 1 of the 1st Test at St Lucia.
The West Indies openers were careful of the Proteas openers, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. They played them down the leg side and left any deliveries outside off, mainly because of the good seam movement that both fast bowlers were getting off the pitch away from the batters.
The Proteas kept it tight, but Dean Elgar was keen to get an early breakthrough, and when he brought on Anrich Nortje in the 10th over, the early signs of a wicket started to show. The speedster found a breakthrough in his second over, his off-cutter clipping the top of Shai Hopes off stump.
The combination of Nortje and Keshav Maharaj seemed to do the damage, as Nortje struck again in the 14th over, having found an almost identical result, with his off-cutter crashing into the middle of Kraigg Brathwaite’s off stump.
Nortje continued to find the perfect line and length, which troubled the Windies top order in finding 0.7 degrees seam movement, the most in his career.
The Proteas kept the pressure on the West Indies with four maidens in a row. After the fall of the second wicket, Kagiso Rabada kept working that fourth-wicket channel and his reward came on the first ball of the 9th over, finding Nkrumah Bonner’s edge.
Nortje unsettled Kyle Mayers. The West Indian attempted a pull shot and skied a straight delivery which was caught by Rassie van der Dussen at extra cover.
The hosts only managed to score 48/4 at Lunch.
Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
