West Indies Battle Hard Against South Africa

West Indies showed quality and resolve on day three of the second Test to stall South Africa’s push for a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Denesh Ramdin’s side were thumped by an innings and 220 runs in their opener with the Proteas in Centurion and were then sloppy in the field on the first day in Port Elizabeth before rain wiped out all but six overs on day two.

However, the tourists rattled through South Africa’s batting line-up on Sunday morning, taking four wickets for 59 runs, including the cherished scalps of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers.

Dale Steyn thrashed the quickest half-century at Port Elizabeth – off a mere 26 balls – as the hosts declared on 416-8, but despite losing Devon Smith and Leon Johnson before tea, Kraigg Brathwaite (65 not out) and Marlon Samuels (60 not out) guided West Indies to 147-2 at stumps.

Amla and De Villiers trotted to the middle in the morning after a soggy outfield had delayed the start of play by an hour, but were sent to the shed in consecutive overs, with Amla (33) trapped lbw by Jason Holder and De Villiers (10) bowled by a venomous in-swinger from Jerome Taylor.

Temba Bavuma (10), the first black African specialist batsman to play for The Proteas, gloved to Ramdin on his debut Test innings, while Stiaan van Zyl (29) also found Ramdin’s mitts as South Africa went from 289-3 overnight to 348-7.

However, Steyn (58 off 28 balls) played a sparkling cameo, plundering six fours and five sixes either side of the lunch interval before his dismissal prompted Amla to call time on his side’s innings.

West Indies made just 201 and 131 at Centurion while batting in the first Test but applied themselves much better in Port Elizabeth until Morkel struck twice late in the afternoon session.

Smith (22), hit flush on the helmet earlier on by a searing Morkel delivery, clipped the lofty seamer to Amla at slip, while Johnson (0) went next up, fending one to Faf du Plessis outside his off stump as the Windies sunk to 55-2.

Brathwaite and Samuels, though, combined to put on an unbeaten 92 for the third wicket, during which time Samuels made an excellent review to keep himself at the crease after initially being given out lbw to Morkel by on-field umpire Paul Reiffel.

Brathwaite also survived a scare when spinner Imran Tahir failed to clutch a sharp caught-and-bowled chance, but the opener and Samuels batted nicely before bad light brought a premature end to the day with West Indies trailing by 270.