Sports
South Africa bowlers excite captain Bavuma after sweep of West Indies
March 12, 2023 | 12:14 AM
South African captain Temba Bavuma said he was "very excited” about the depth of strength among South Africa’s bowlers after his side completed a 284-run win on the fourth day of the second Test at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg yesterday.But he said it was disappointing that a young side would not play another Test until they host India at the end of the year. "Our batting remains a challenge but when these guys (the bowlers) click we always have chances in the game,” said Bavuma, who was named man of the match after scoring a career-best 172 in the second innings. He said rookie Gerald Coetzee, 22, had impressed in his first two Tests. "He brings that pace and aggression that we want in our attack.”Coetzee adds to a battery that includes Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen. Bavuma said he also regarded Lungi Ngidi highly despite Ngidi not being picked for the series. South Africa won the series 2-0 despite Rabada and Coetzee being the only frontline bowlers to play twice.The West Indies were bowled out for 106 yesterday after being set to make 391 to win. Bavuma said spin bowlers Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj had shown their quality in helpful conditions on Saturday and justified the decision to pick both at a ground which traditionally favoured fast bowlers. The match was effectively won and lost in 8.1 overs leading up to lunch when the West Indies crashed to 34 for six.Rabada struck twice in three balls and sparked the collapse after opening batsmen Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul survived the first 10 overs, putting on 21 runs. Rabada dismissed Brathwaite for the seventh time in successive innings when he trapped the West Indian captain leg before wicket for 18 with a ball which kept low.Two balls later Raymon Reifer gloved a catch down the leg side to wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen.Harmer and Maharaj also took two wickets each as the West Indies lost six wickets for 13 runs. Off-spinner Harmer shared the new ball with Rabada and extracted extravagant turn. He bowled throughout the innings and finished with three for 45.Brathwaite believed the West Indies had shown some improvement since being heavily beaten in Australia in December."I still think we are making some good strides,” said Brathwaite."In the first Test we were in some good positions and our bowlers took 40 wickets (in the series), which was a good job.”Bavuma said he regretted that there were no more Tests for South Africa until December. He said some multi-format players would be involved in competitive limited overs matches before then but ways had to be found to keep the Test specialists in form.
Scoreboard
South Africa I innings, 320West Indies I innings, 251South Africa II innings (overnight 287-7)T. Bavuma c Roach b Holder 172K. Maharaj c Motie b Mayers 10G. Coetzee not out 9K. Rabada c and b Holder 16Extras (nb4, w1) 5Total (100.4 overs) 321Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Elgar), 2-8 (De Zorzi), 3-32 (Markram), 4-69 (Rickelton), 5-103 (Klaasen), 6-206 (Mulder), 7-277 (Harmer), 8-293 (Bavuma), 9-297 (Maharaj)Bowling: Roach 14-2-54-1, Joseph 14-1-49-2 (1nb), Holder 19.4-2-48-3 (1nb), Mayers 17-5-46-3 (1nb, 1w), Reifer 11-0-36-1 (1nb), Motie 10-1-40-0, Chase 14-1-45-0, Blackwood 1-0-3-0West Indies II inningsK. Brathwaite lbw b Rabada 18T. Chanderpaul c Elgar b Harmer 2R. Reifer c Klaasen b Rabada 0J. Blackwood c Bavuma b Harmer 4R. Chase b Maharaj 0K. Mayers lbw b Maharaj 7J. Da Silva b Coetzee 34J. Holder b Coetzee 19K. Roach c sub (Petersen) b Coetzee 2A. Joseph st Klaasen b Harmer 18G. Motie not out 0Extras (b1, nb1) 2Total (35.1 overs) 106Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Brathwaite), 2-21 (Reifer), 3-25 (Chanderpaul), 4-26 (Chase), 5-26 (Blackwood), 6-34 (Mayers), 7-82 (Holder), 8-87 (Da Silva), 9-106 (Roach)Bowling: Rabada 7-1-19-2 (1nb), Harmer 17.1-8-45-3, Maharaj 2.5-1-4-2, Markram 0.1-0-0-0, Coetzee 8-1-37-3Result: South Africa won by 284 runsSeries: South Africa won the two-match series 2-0
March 12, 2023 | 12:14 AM