Proteas crash to 320 all out v Windies on second morning

The Proteas crashed to 320 all out on the second morning of the second Test against the West Indies at the Wanderers on Thursday morning, with the lower order showing almost no resistance.

The visitors will head into bat with plenty of confidence and momentum after their bowlers once again completed a superb fightback with the ball, reminiscent to the first innings of the first Test in Centurion last week.

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This time around the Proteas lost their last nine wickets for 128 runs, after being brilliantly setup by the top order who had them on 192/1 at one stage.

They resumed in the morning on 311/7 and it took just three overs, and the edition of only nine runs to end the innings with a whimper.

With just the third ball of the day Kyle Mayers bowled a wide ball outside off stump, and Heinrich Klaasen (17) the Proteas last recognised batter, tried to smash a booming drive through the covers, but didn’t get close enough to the ball as he edged behind to keeper Joshua da Silva.

In the next over Keshav Maharaj (1) tried to pull a short ball from Alzarri Joseph that cramped him for room and popped an easy catch to Gudakesh Motie at midwicket.

In his next over Joseph then ended the innings in style as a viscous rising delivery that spat off the surface caught the glove of Gerald Coetzee (1) with the keeper doing the rest.

Mayers, 3/32, Joseph, 3/60, and Motie, 3/75, were the pick of the Windies bowlers in the innings.

Limp showing

Despite the limp showing in the morning the Proteas bowlers shouldn’t be blamed for the average total, as it was the middle order once again that didn’t come to the party.

Dean Elgar (42), Aiden Markram (96) and Tony de Zorzi (85) will obviously be disappointed that they couldn’t kick on to bigger scores, but they gave the Proteas a perfect platform on day one.

But Temba Bavuma (28), Ryan Rickelton (22), Klaasen and Wiaan Mulder (12) couldn’t capitalise on the good start, as Markram’s dismissal sparked what is becoming an almost customary collapse.

The lower order can also bat a bit, so Simon Harmer (1), Maharaj and Coetzee will be disappointed they couldn’t offer more, but they shouldn’t need to if the top and middle order did their job.