The West Indies are staring a third-day Test defeat squarely in the face following another underwhelming performance with the ball and bat on day two of the first Betway Test against South Africa at the Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St Lucia today (June 11).

At stumps, the home side were in a spot of bother at 82-4 still trailing South Africa by 143 runs with only six wickets in hand.

The day, however, belonged to Quinton de Kock, who scored an unbeaten 141 that put his side in complete control. Resuming from his overnight score of four, he went on to score a career-best innings that gave South Africa a lead of 225.

With South Africa resuming on 128-4, de Kock signaled his intent early when he hit Kemar Roach for two fours in the first over of the day. Meanwhile, Ronnie van der Dussen, on 34 overnight, only added 12 to his score before he was dismissed by Jason Holder when the score was 162.

50 PARTNERSHIP BROKEN BY HOLDER CATCH

By lunch, South Africa had reached 205-4 with de Kock on 44 and Wiaan Mulder, who had replaced van der Dussen, on four. The 50-partnership between the two came up after lunch but it was broken shortly thereafter when Holder had him caught behind for his second wicket on the day. Mulder had made 26.

An opening seemed to appear for the West Indies when South Africa lost Keshav Maharaj (0) and Kagiso Rabada (4) in relatively quick succession to be 233 for 8, only 135 runs ahead and with only two wickets in hand.

However, another 79 runs were added for the ninth-wicket before Anrich Nortje became Holder’s third scalp having scored seven of those runs. Holder then got Lungi Ngidi out for a duck as the South African innings closed on 322, and the former captain unbeaten at the other end with his sixth Test century and his first since October 2019.

His runs came from 170 balls during which he smashed 12 fours and seven sixes, one of which he used to bring up his century.

Holder finished with 4-75 and Kemar Roach took 2-64. Jayden Seales didn’t add to his wicket tally today and finished with 3-75 conceding 42 runs from the 7.1 overs he bowled on the day.

Trailing by 225 runs on first innings, the West Indies were in immediate trouble when with the score on 12, Rabada trapped Captain Kraigg Brathwaite seven and then with the score at 25 dismissed Kieran Powell in similar fashion. Powell, who made 14, came in for Nkrumah Bonner, who will take no further part in the game after suffering a concussion on Thursday.

The Jamaican middle order batsman, facing his first ball of the match, was hit by a rising delivery from Norjte that crashed into his helmet.

Shai Hope’s poor run of form in Test matches continued when on 12 and the score 37-3 was dismissed by Norjte for 12. Nortje then picked up his second wicket of the innings and sixth of the match when he sent Kyle Mayers back to the pavilion for 12 to leave the West Indies tottering at 51-4.

However, Roston Chase and Jermaine Blackwood, on 21 and 10, respectively, survived until stumps, having put on 31 so far for the fifth wicket.

Tormentors Rabada has so far taken 2-18 while Nortje has figures of 2-24.

Scores in the match: West Indies 97 and 82-4, South Africa 322.