South Africa will be content with their performance at the end of Day 1, thanks to brilliant half-centuries from Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock after they were left reeling by three early blows. They finished the day on 218/5, with de Kock unbeaten on 55.
Rain delayed the start of the second Test at Darren Sammy National Stadium. Shannon Gabriel provided the hosts with an early breakthrough in his first over. Aiden Markram’s attempted cut off a short, wide delivery proved costly. He could not hit with the full face of the bat and the edge was leapt upon by Roston Chase.
Keegan Peterson was a bit nervy on his debut. Like Markram, he too decided to flirt with a widish ball that should have been left alone. Rassie van der Dussen’s dismissal then reduced South Africa to 37/3.
Elgar held the fort. He added 87 with Kyle Verreynne for the fourth wicket. Both batters put their head down, cut out all risk and batted for over 30 overs before Verreynne edged an innocuous delivery straying down the leg-side to Joshua da Silva.
De Kock then joined Elgar in the middle and rebuilt the innings. Where Elgar played at his preferred tempo, dealing mainly in ones and twos, De Kock brought his attacking game to the fore.
Elgar brought up his half-century with a boundary, albeit unintentional, when he could not get off the line of a sharp bouncer and the ball kissed his gloves before racing past the boundary. Likewise him, de Kock too reached his fifty with a boundary as well.
Shannon Gabriel finished the day with two wickets to his name, while Kyle Mayers, Jayden Seales and Kemar Roach picked up one wicket each.
Brief score: South Africa 218/5 (Dean Elgar 77; Gabriel 2-47) vs West Indies