The West Indies stayed alive in their test series against South Africa courtesy of a rain-filled second test. Only the first innings for both sides were possible in a game that was completely dominated by the hosts yet again.
After amassing 417/8 dec. the home side had reduced the West Indies to just 275/9 before shortened each of the day’s play. Dale Steyn provided fireworks of the batting kind (and not the bowling kind as we assumed) to take the South African total beyond reach after the West indies had bravely fought back after Dean Elgar (121) and Faf du Plessis (103) hundreds. Steyn smashed 58 from 28 balls and did the bulk of his scoring in boundaries (6 x 4’s, 5 x 6’s = 54 runs in boundaries), ensuring South Africa’s stranglehold on the series remained.
Once more, the West Indies showed some fight. Centuries to Kriagg Brathwaite (106) and Marlon Samuels (101) set the tone, but weren’t large enough to get the West Indies close to their opponents total. Mind you it was a pair of efforts that were much better than their peers who could not register meaningful totals, as Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir got amongst the wickets.
The series continues in Cape Town on January 2. Tom Waterhouse is giving the West Indies about as much chance of winning as they tortoise in a hare race. They have the West indies at $13, with South Africa favourites at $1.22 and a draw looking appetising at $5.50. If Cape Town gets more rain and the West Indies batsman more time in the middle the draw could be a sensible option. We;ll preview gam three in more detail in a coupe of days time.
Hopefully the West Indies use that time to practice.
West Indies 275 for 9 (Brathwaite 106, Samuels 101, Morkel 4-69) drew with South Africa417 for 8 dec (Elgar 121, du Plessis 103, Steyn 58)
