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Lion-hearted Joseph roars back, then Holder takes 150thwicket

Lion-hearted Joseph roars back, then Holder takes 150thwicket

March 1, 2023, 11:32 p.m.


1st test - Windies vs S Africa 2023

Lion-hearted Joseph roars back, then Holder takes 150thwicket

South Africa vs West Indies

Day 2 of 1st Test

Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion

Toss: South Africa decided to bat

Scorecard: http://bit.ly/savwi1sttest

For the second day in a row Alzarri Joseph was asked to up the ante and the fast bowler responded in superb fashion with another penetrative spell of bowling to keep the West Indies hopes of a victory alive. In a lively half-hour before the close Joseph enabled West Indies to hit back into this opening Test match. After the batting folded in mid afternoon, the reduced the South Africans to 49-4 in their second innings at the close on Wednesday.

Joseph has so far taken 2-17 four overs to follow up his maiden five-wicket haul earlier in the day. Kemar Roach and Jason Holder each grabbed a wicket, and West Indies strongly finished a day on which 16 wickets fell – all to the fast bowlers.

Holder, bowling from wide on the crease, trapped Keegan Petersen leg-before wicket for seven with his first delivery in the final over of the day to claim his 150th Test wicket. In doing so he became just the second West Indian after the great Sir Garfield Sobers to take 150 wickets and score over 2500 runs.

The visitors will be on the hunt for more on Thursday to limit the Proteas from building on their current lead of 179, with first innings century-maker Markram not out on 35 that already includes six boundaries.

Blackwood vs South Africa 2023
“We know that we have been in this situation already a few times, so we know what we have to do, and we have the confidence in our bowlers to go out there and get the job done,” vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood said in a TV interview after play. “As batsmen, we did not go out there and put the runs on the board that we wanted, but we still have a second innings, and once we can go out there and get the ball in the right areas, I think we can have a bat again (on Thursday).”

West Indies dismissed South Africa for 342 in their first innings inside the first half-hour of play, but their batting faltered for 212 as fast bowler Anrich Nortje took five wickets.

West Indies learnt that lesson the hard way after South Africa resumed from their overnight total of 314 for eight, and Joseph claimed the last two wickets to end with 5-81  from 18.3 overs.

When they batted West Indies were reasonably placed at 169-3 about 35 minutes after tea with left-hander Raymon Reifer, whose career-best 62 was the top score, in the process of holding together two partnerships with Blackwood and Roston Chase.

However they lost seven wickets for 43. Nortje ended 5-36 from 16 overs – his second best figures in 19 Tests.

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