Gqeberha — South Africa’s fast bowlers dominated day two of the first Test at Centurion. The “fab four”, spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje bowled the West Indies out inside two-and-a-half sessions.
Rabada made early inroads into the West Indies batting order and took the prized wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite in the first session.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Reymon Reifer (68 off 143) stood up to the Proteas pace attack in the first session until debutant Gerald Coetzee accounted for Chanderpaul.
Jermaine Blackwood and Reifer put together a 64-run partnership for the third wicket. Their partnership frustrated the South Africans and gave the West Indies camp hope for a good first innings total.
The visitors' fight back was brought to a standstill by Nortje, as he took yet another Test match “five-for” to help SA bowl out the West Indies for 212 runs.
At the start of day two, the Proteas had 314 runs on the board and had two wickets in hand. The star of day one, Alzarri Joseph, brought the Proteas’ innings to and end and registered a maiden Test five-wicket haul in his career.
The Proteas began their second innings with a lead of 130 runs with a little over an hour left in the day’s play.
Former captain Dean Elgar (1), debutant Tony de Zorzi (0) and Temba Bavuma (0) all fell cheaply courtesy of Joseph and Kemar Roach.
Jason Holder accounted for Keegan Petersen in the final over of the day to leave SA on 49/4.
SA lead the West Indies by 179 runs heading into day three.
Scorecard
South Africa first innings: 342 all out (Markram 115, Joseph 5-81)
West Indies first innings: 212 all out (Reifer 68, Nortje 5-36)
South Africa second innings: 49-4 (Markram 35*, Joseph 2-17)