Proteas make early inroads into Windies at lunch on day two

The West Indies were in a shaky position on 71/2 in their first innings at lunch on day two of the first Test against the Proteas, trailing the hosts by 271-runs at SupersPort Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

A Kagiso Rabada peach and a first Test scalp for Gerald Coetzee were the highlights of the morning session for the Proteas, after they were bowled out for 342 in their first innings and then made early inroads into the West Indian order.

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Windies openers Kraigg Brathwaite (11) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (22) started with a 22-run opening partnership, before Brathwaite was bowled by a superb Rabada delivery that nipped back off the surface, beat his defensive guard and took the top of off stump.

New man Ramon Reifer (19no) looked positive as he struck a couple of boundaries in adding 36 with Chanderpaul, who then became the second wicket of the innings.

He had survived being given out in the previous over, after the umpires referred a catch at short leg by Tony de Zorzi off the bowling of Anrich Nortje to the TV umpire, with replays showing the ball just bounced before going into De Zorzi’s hands.

But it was barely a reprieve as Coetzee struck in the next over as a vicious inswinger caught the edge of Chanderpaul’s bat and flew to Senuran Muthusamy in the slips who took the easy catch.

Jermaine Blackwood (13no) then started well with three boundaries as the visitors made their way t lunch without any further problems.

Start of play

At the start of play the Proteas resumed their innings on 314/8, with Marco Jansen (23no) and Coetzee (17) at the crease and they started positively with 11 runs off the first over.

But Coetzee was soon back in the shed after gloving an Alzarri Joseph ball to second slip, to end their 26-run ninth wicket stand.

Last man Nortje then didn’t wait about, cracking three fours in an 11-ball 14, before he skied Joseph to Chanderpaul to end their innings on 342.

The wicket was Joseph’s fifth of the innings, which completed his first Test five-for, as he finished with impressive figures of 5/81.