South Africa despite getting bowled out for a modest total of 160 sneaked ahead of the West Indies at the close of play on the opening day of the second Test in Guyana on Thursday, August 15. As many as 17 wickets fell on the opening day as the bowlers ruled the roost for both teams, however, the West Indies will rue their chance of dominating South Africa after having them reduced to 97/9 before the Proteas staged a comeback with both bat and ball.
The visitors decided to bat first on what seemed like a tricky surface but not a 97/9 tricky. The wickets procession began with a Jayden Seales beauty to Toni de Zorzi outside the off-stump in the fourth over of South African innings. The procession just didn't stop throughout the day as Shamar Joseph soon cleaned up Aiden Markram and trapped SA skipper Temba Bavuma just two balls into his innings to leave the visitors reeling at 20/3.
Tristan Stubbs and David Bedingham taped on the leaking tap for a few overs as they really got into their innings playing on the merit of the ball and negotiating the seam movement Joseph and Seales were getting, however, that lasted only for so long. The 72-ball stand came to an end with Jason Holder dismissing Stubbs for 26.
Soon Bedingham joined his teammates in the dressing room as his wicket triggered another collapse with South Africa going from 78/4 to 97/9. Coming into the side for their bowling, Nandre Burger and off-spinner Dane Piedt didn't know they had to do the job with the bat first.
Piedt and Burger successfully negotiated the Joseph-Seales spell before the spinners came on and both of them showed outstanding defence mechanism to keep the Windies bowlers at bay. Piedt, in particular, wasn't afraid to play his shots and took on the bowlers whenever there was an opportunity.
South Africa were bowled out for 160 as Gudakesh Motie trapped Burger in front.
Burger was quickly into his work with the ball as he sent back Mickyle Louis in his very first over. Kagiso Rabada remained wicketless in his first spell before the medium pace of Wiaan Mulder did the trick.
Mulder sent back West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite and the hero of the first Test, Alick Athanaze, in consecutive overs and the procession began for the hosts too. Two brought two more as West Indies had half their side back in the hut with Mulder and Burger breathing fire.
Jason Holder held one end up and got some support from Gudakesh Motie. The 41-run partnership between the two was almost feeling like a Piedt-Burger-esque stand before Keshav Maharaj, the golden arm for South Africa, ensured that his side had the upper hand by breaking the stand just before the stumps.
West Indies still trail by 63 runs, the exact amount of runs which Piedt and Burger scored in their record 10th wicket partnership. Holder, still unbeaten on 33, will be key for the hosts to help them reduce the deficit as much as possible.
