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Markram and Verreynne Fifties Dominate for South Africa
Markram and Verreynne Fifties Dominate for South Africa
Partnerships between Markram and de Zorzi and then Verreynne and Mulder help South Africa take a big lead against West Indies
South Africa, with scores of 160 and 223/5 (Markram 51, Verreynne 50*, Seales 3-52, Motie 2-61), lead West Indies, who scored 144 (Holder 54*, Mulder 4-32, Burger 3-49, Maharaj 2-8), by 239 runs.
With a 239-run lead and five wickets remaining on an improving batting surface, South Africa edged closer to securing the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy.
Eight wickets fell on an exciting day in Guyana, with the momentum shifting back and forth. South Africa took two early wickets, but the last West Indies pair, Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph added 40 runs for the 10th wicket, bringing their team close to South Africa's first innings score. This turned the match into almost a one-innings game, where South Africa now feels they have the upper hand.
South Africa started strong with an opening partnership of 79 runs. Aiden Markram and Kyle Verreynne both scored half-centuries and Verreynne, along with Wiaan Mulder, added an unbeaten 84-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the highest of the series. This put South Africa in a strong position. However, with plenty of time left in the game, the West Indies remain hopeful, especially since early wickets have been falling quickly.
South Africa lost four wickets in the first session of day one, and West Indies lost three on day two, giving West Indies a potential opportunity early on the third day. The pitch is expected to be at its best on the third afternoon, and West Indies will aim to be batting by then, especially with a big chase ahead. Before that, West Indies will rely on their bowlers, particularly hometown hero Joseph and Jayden Seales, who took 2 for 7 in his third spell, to dismiss South Africa's middle and lower order. So far, South Africa has held up well after a mini-collapse, losing 4 wickets for 19 runs in nine overs following a solid start of 120 for 1.
South Africa's openers faced early challenges with Seales' seam movement and Holder's tight lines. Markram edged Holder but settled in by driving Seales for four through cover point. Tony de Zorzi was hit on the back pad by Seales and had a close run-out chance off Holder, but he confidently pulled Seales to make his mark. South Africa reached lunch at 30 without loss.
Markram and Tristan Stubbs added six runs over the next four overs while playing cautiously. Stubbs seemed uneasy, edging Gudakesh Motie past slip for three runs. His first boundary came on the 21st ball he faced with a reverse sweep off Motie, but he never looked entirely comfortable. He survived an lbw appeal off Holder and managed to stay until tea. Markram had a lucky escape on 42 when he drove Motie to Alick Athanaze at silly mid-off, but Athanaze dropped the catch. By the tea break, South Africa was 111 for 1, leading by 127 runs.
Three overs into the final session, Markram reached his half-century off 104 balls. However, just seven balls later, he was struck on the back foot by a Motie delivery that straightened, resulting in an LBW dismissal. Temba Bavuma had a close call on his third ball, edging an away seamer from Joseph, but it didn't carry to slip. Motie had better luck when Bavuma was hit on the pad by a length ball. Although the umpire initially ruled it not out, West Indies successfully reviewed the decision, and it was overturned.
That wicket triggered a mini-collapse. In the next over, Stubbs edged Seales to Da Silva, and two overs later, David Bedingham was bowled, giving Seales his second wicket in three overs and giving the hosts a chance to keep South Africa's lead under 200. However, Mulder and Verreynne took South Africa past that mark. They faced a scare 12 minutes before the end of play when Mulder was given out lbw in Seales' fourth spell, but he reviewed the decision, and ball-tracking showed it was missing leg. The pair accelerated towards the end of the day, adding 26 runs in the last four overs. Verreynne reached his fifty off 71 balls, marking his third half-century in Test cricket. Notably, all his half-centuries and his only Test hundred so far have been scored away from home.
Earlier, the last-wicket partnership between Holder and Joseph brought West Indies to within 16 runs of South Africa's first-innings score of 160. Resuming at 97 for 7, Jomel Warrican chipped an overpitched delivery from Kagiso Rabada to Keshav Maharaj at mid-on, departing for a 16-ball duck.
Left-arm seamer Nandre Burger opened the day's bowling with Rabada, starting with full deliveries. In his second over, he switched to a short-ball strategy to set up Seales. The first three balls of Burger's third over were progressively shorter, but the fourth was full on the stumps, striking Seales on the pad and resulting in an LBW dismissal.
South Africa had a chance to end West Indies' innings when Joseph edged Burger to Markram at second slip, but Markram couldn't hold on to the catch. This proved costly as Joseph scored 25, despite being dropped again on 15 by Mulder at third slip. Joseph provided strong support to Holder, who played aggressively in the first hour. Holder hit the last ball of Mulder's first over for six over long-on, bringing up the first half-century of the match and his 14th in Tests. Joseph also took on Burger, hitting a short ball behind square leg and past point, and then sending a full one out of the ground. Maharaj eventually dismissed Joseph lbw with a sweep in his first over of the morning, and South Africa was batting again 90 minutes into the day.
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