GROS ISLET (St Lucia): Rain prevented any play on the third day of the second Test between the West Indies and South Africa at the Darren Sammy National Cricket in n St Lucia on Sunday.

South Africa were due to start their second innings with a commanding lead of 149 runs after the West Indies were dismissed at the end of day two for 149 in reply to the visitors’ first innings total of 298.

Late on Saturday, West Indies’ vulnerable batting was again exploited by South Africa as the hosts tottered to 54-4 before Shai Hope provided a brief respite in an innings of 43 and a partnership of the same score with Jermaine Blackwood.

Blackwood was last out for a top-score of 49 — which took him past 2,000 Test runs — as the lower-order swiftly capitulated, seamer Wiaan Mulder taking three wickets for one run and capitalising on the technical shortcomings of a West Indies side that started this series ranked one spot ahead of their opponents.

West Indies got off to the worst possible start when captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell to the first ball of the innings from Rabada caught behind down the leg-side. Brathwaite’s opening partner Kieran Powell did not last much longer, adjudged leg-before to Ngidi.

Anrich Nortje and spinner Keshav Maharaj continued the slide with the wickets of Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 298 (Q. de Kock 96, D. Elgar 77; K.R. Mayers 3-28, K.A.J. Roach 3-45).

West Indies (1st Innings):

K. Brathwaite c de Kock b Rabada 0

K.O.A. Powell lbw b Ngidi 5

S.D. Hope b Ngidi 43

R.L. Chase c Verreynne b Nortje 4

K.Mayers c Markram b Maharaj 12

J. Blackwood c Elgar b Maharaj 49

J.O. Holder c Petersen b Rabada 10

J. da Silva c de Kock b Mulder 7

K.A.J. Roach c de Kock b Mulder 1

J. Seales c Verreynne b Mulder 0

S.T. Gabriel not out 0

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-3, W-5, NB-4) 18

TOTAL (all out, 54 overs) 149

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-8, 3-30, 4-54, 5-97, 6-115, 7-143, 8-145, 9-145.

BOWLING: Rabada 13-6-24-2 (1nb); Ngidi 7-0-27-2 (1nb, 1w); Nortje 12-0-41-1 (2nb); Maharaj 18-2-47-2; Mulder 4-3-1-3.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2021