South Africa couldn’t have asked for a better start to this series as they’ve consigned the West Indies to an innings and 63-run defeat.
The hosts resumed their second innings from 82/4, and they had to score a total of at least 225 to force the visitors to bat again.
However, Kagiso Rabada had other plans, taking the first wicket of the day, with Jermaine Blackwood’s attempting a cover drive, which offered a straightforward catch for Rassie van der Dussen.
Roston Chase made a fighting 62, in an effort to salvage the Windies’ innings, and played a few confident shots from time to time, but he didn’t have a steady partner at the other end to cobble together a substantial partnership.
After he chopped a delivery onto his stumps off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, the innings was in free fall mode.
Rabada completed his first 5-wicket haul in three years when Josh da Silva ignored a delivery that would crash into his off stump. Finally, Anrich Nortje sealed the game when no.11 Jayden Seales fenced the ball to Wiaan Mulder at third slip.
Prior to this game, Dean Elgar had mentioned the “new South African way” with regards to improving the brand of cricket played, and hoped for more frequent centuries from the batters and regular 5-fors from the bowlers. Quinton de Kock (141*), Kagiso Rabada (5/34 in the 2nd innings), Lungi Ngidi (5/19 in the 1st innings), and Anrich Nortje (aggregate figures of 7/81) have all obliged to telling effect.
The next aim will be to round off this series with another dominant performance, just like this game. The Protea fire is burning brightly, and at least for the time being, the doubts have been cast aside.
WI 97 + 162 (Chase 62 – Rabada 5/34)
SA 322