PRETORIA: Quick Launcher Anrich Nortje tore through the West Indies midfield order to take 5-36 as South Africa opened a 179 run lead with six second inning wickets remaining at the end of day two of the first seesaw Test at Centurion Park Wednesday.
South Africa limped to 49 for four in their second set after going to 342 in their first early on the second morning.
They fired West Indies for 212 in response as dressmaker Gerald Coetzee also claimed numbers of 2-45 on his debut, with 24 wickets already lost in six sessions of the game.
Dean Elgar (1), rookie Tony de Zorzi (0), Keegan Petersen (7) and Temba Bavuma (0), along with a pair of ducks, are all already fired for the home side in their second innings.
Bavuma is the fourth player to get a pair on his Test debut after Mark Taylor, Rashid Latif and Habibul Bashar.
Round One Centurion Aiden Markram (35 steps out) and Heinrich Klaasen (0 steps out) will resume on the third morning, hoping to capitalize on what is already a sizeable advantage.
Seamer Alzarri Joseph (2-17) impressed again after winning a five-wicket first Test in South Africa’s opening innings with 5-81.
“It’s not the fastest wicket, it’s a bit up and down, but we’re sticking to our plans,” Nortje said. “I have to adapt a bit from time to time. It’s just about finding that rhythm.
“We need some sort of partnership to take the lead over 250. It’s certainly very competitive. The more we can get the better, but I think over 250 is a very good score. “
West Indies got off to a good start in their opening innings but lost their last seven wickets for 43 runs as Nortje proved the main destroyer.
Kagiso Rabada (2-44) won the first wicket with a fine delivery which headed towards captain Kraigg Brathwaite (11) then swept away from the field and hit the top of the stump.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul (22), son of West Indies great Shivnarine, was caught by Senuran Muthusamy at the ravine to give Coetzee his first Test wicket.
South Africa limped to 49 for four in their second set after going to 342 in their first early on the second morning.
They fired West Indies for 212 in response as dressmaker Gerald Coetzee also claimed numbers of 2-45 on his debut, with 24 wickets already lost in six sessions of the game.
Dean Elgar (1), rookie Tony de Zorzi (0), Keegan Petersen (7) and Temba Bavuma (0), along with a pair of ducks, are all already fired for the home side in their second innings.
Bavuma is the fourth player to get a pair on his Test debut after Mark Taylor, Rashid Latif and Habibul Bashar.
Round One Centurion Aiden Markram (35 steps out) and Heinrich Klaasen (0 steps out) will resume on the third morning, hoping to capitalize on what is already a sizeable advantage.
Seamer Alzarri Joseph (2-17) impressed again after winning a five-wicket first Test in South Africa’s opening innings with 5-81.
“It’s not the fastest wicket, it’s a bit up and down, but we’re sticking to our plans,” Nortje said. “I have to adapt a bit from time to time. It’s just about finding that rhythm.
“We need some sort of partnership to take the lead over 250. It’s certainly very competitive. The more we can get the better, but I think over 250 is a very good score. “
West Indies got off to a good start in their opening innings but lost their last seven wickets for 43 runs as Nortje proved the main destroyer.
Kagiso Rabada (2-44) won the first wicket with a fine delivery which headed towards captain Kraigg Brathwaite (11) then swept away from the field and hit the top of the stump.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul (22), son of West Indies great Shivnarine, was caught by Senuran Muthusamy at the ravine to give Coetzee his first Test wicket.
The visitors showed dogged determination in the face of hostile home bowling and Blackwood reached 37 before an inside edge off Nortje was caught by wicketkeeper Klaasen.
They were still sitting relatively comfortably on 169 for three, but when innings leading scorer Raymon Reifer (62) was caught by Klaasen off Marco Jansen, it precipitated a collapse.
