Proteas speedster Anrich Nortje took his fourth career five-wicket haul, returning excellent figures of five for 36 to help restrict West Indies to 212 all out in their first innings. 

This left the Caribbean team 130 runs behind South Africa, who were bowled out for 342 at the start of the day. 

But the Proteas failed to take advantage of their significant lead and they fell to 49 for the loss of four wickets in their second innings at the close of day two. 

A total of 16 wickets fell as the SuperSport Park wicket gave assistance to pace bowling — all 24 wickets that have fallen in the Test match so far have been taken by fast bowlers. 

Anrich Nortje of the Proteas celebrates his 5th wicket during day two of the 1st Betway Test match between South Africa and West Indies at SuperSport Park on 1 March 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)

Gerald Coetzee of the Proteas celebrates his first Test wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies with his teammates during day two of the 1st Betway Test match between South Africa and West Indies at SuperSport Park on 1 March 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)

Need for speed 

Windies quick Alzarri Joseph picked up South Africa’s final two wickets —  of debutant Gerald Coetzee and Nortje — on Wednesday morning as the Proteas added 28 runs to their overnight score. 

The two wickets in the morning session took Joseph to his first career five-wicket haul, as the big quick finished on figures of five wickets for 81 runs in a whole-hearted display of fast bowling. 

In reply, West Indies opening batters Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul got their side off to a solid enough start of 22 runs after six overs. 

But Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada removed skipper Brathwaite with a sumptuous delivery that angled toward Brathwaite’s middle peg before it kissed the surface and jagged away from the bat and rattled the top of the off-stump. 

Chanderpaul and first-drop Raymon Reifer consolidated with a 36-run stand before debutant Coetzee got into the action with his maiden Test wicket. 

Chanderpaul was sharply caught by Senuran Muthusamy at gully for 22 runs. 

Anrich Nortje of the Proteas during day two of the 1st Betway Test match between South Africa and West Indies at SuperSport Park on 1 March 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)

Gerald Coetzee of South Africa during day two of the 1st Betway Test match between South Africa and West Indies at SuperSport Park on 1 March 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)

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Slow session 

The second session of the day, after lunch, was slow going as the Windies looked to continue to inch closer to South Africa’s first innings total. 

Jermaine Blackwood’s was the only wicket to fall in the session as the Caribbean team added only 65 runs in the 30 overs between lunch and tea. 

Reifer and Blackwood stood tall and steady to the South African quicks to put up a third-wicket stand of 64 runs before Blackwood departed for 37 — Nortje’s first victim of the day. 

Roston Chase provided Reifer with able support as the latter reached his third consecutive Test half-century. 

Despite the Windies ticking the score along steadily, new Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma kept an attacking field of three slips, a gully and a short square leg. 

The pressure around the bat paid off when the fourth wicket eventually came, with Reifer edging Marco Jansen behind to keeper Heinrich Klaasen for a well-compiled 62 off 143 deliveries, striking seven fours. 

The score at the time was 169. And it remained there when Rabada was reintroduced into the attack and dismissed Chase for 22. 

The same thing happened 10 runs later when Nortje got rid of Joshua da Silva and Jason Holder with the score halted at 179. 

Kyle Mayers struck a few lusty blows while wickets kept tumbling from the other end before Nortje trapped him with a sharp short ball, which was comfortably pouched by Jansen at fine leg. 

The pair of Nortje and Jansen were in action again for Joseph’s dismissal, before Coetzee doubled his Test match wicket tally by taking the last wicket — trapping Shannon Gabriel LBW. 

Talking to the media after the day’s play about why wickets have fallen in clumps in the final session of both days of the Test match, Nortje explained that it’s a pattern that regularly occurs at SuperSport Park. 

“In general, there’s quite a few wickets late on in the day [at SuperSport Park]. It may be because of the sun that things happen a little bit more in the wicket,” Nortje said. 

“But it seems to be a regular occurrence over here… you could see here and there the ball is misbehaving.” 

Tony de Zorzi of South Africa takes a catch and celebrates with teammates before the review indicates that the low ball bounced during day two of the 1st Betway Test match between South Africa and West Indies at SuperSport Park on 1 March 2023 in Centurion, South Africa. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)

Failure to launch 

The Windies’ first innings score of 212 would have given the Proteas confidence heading into their second innings. 

And that’s exactly how they started as Aiden Markram continued where he left off in the first innings — driving, cutting and pulling Kemar Roach and Joseph all over the SuperSport Park ground. 

But his partner on the other end, Dean Elgar fell in the exact same way he did in the first innings — trying to uppercut Joseph. 

Reifer was on hand at third man to take a tidy catch. 

There was little worry at that point as the Proteas eased to 31 at the loss of their first wicket, leading West Indies by 161 runs. 

But then the middle order fell like a deck of cards. Debutant Tony de Zorzi and skipper Bavuma received peach deliveries that would account for most batters — from Roach and Joseph, respectively. 

Both batters headed to the dugout for first-ball ducks. It was the captain’s second dismissal without scoring in the Test match, undoubtedly not the start Bavuma would have wanted for his leadership tenure. 

The day ended with the LBW dismissal of Keegan Petersen off Holder for seven runs as Markram witnessed all the carnage from the other end, striking 35 runs off 33 deliveries. 

The Proteas head into day three leading by 179 runs with six wickets in hand. But with three days of action still to come, the home team will need to buckle up and exert pressure on the opposition to get a positive result from the first of two Test matches. 

“Hopefully, tomorrow we can come up with a partnership. It’s going to be crucial for us to try and get a partnership,” said Nortje. 

“We bat till 11. I’m at 11 so we go all the way down,” he joked. 

“We’ll take anything. Runs on the board is runs on the board. But hopefully, we can come out tomorrow… and stamp our authority and show why we’re here.” DM