Proteas thrash Windies after visitors collapse on day four

The Proteas smashed the West Indies by a massive 284 runs after a dismal second innings batting performance from the visitors saw them crash to 106 all out in the afternoon session on day four of the second Test at the Wanderers on Saturday.

The Proteas had been bowled out for 321 in their second innings early in the morning session, with Bavuma top scoring with 172, setting the Windies a very unlikely 391 to win the Test.

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But it was the manner of their defeat that will disappoint the Windies, as their top order showed no fight, as they crumbled to 34/6 at lunch, with the match effectively over at that stage.

The Proteas bowling attack was also heavily impacted as Kagiso Rabada was carrying a niggle, Wiaan Mulder didn’t bowl after being sent for scans after being hit on the finger batting on day three, and Keshav Maharaj injured himself celebrating his second wicket and had to be stretchered off.

Despite this the Windies batters just fell by the wayside in a bitterly disappointing showing, after their innings started with only opener Kraigg Brathwaite (18) managing a start, as wickets tumbled.

Despite carrying a knock Rabada picked a couple of early wickets to finish with figures of 2/19, while Simon Harmer, 3/45, also picked up two wickets before lunch, and Maharaj, 2/4, also got in on the action but injured himself celebrating the injury of Kyle Mayers (7) ending his day.

Fighting stand

After lunch the Windies had their only partnership of substance, as Joshua da Silva (34) and Jason Holder (19) provided resistance, sharing 48 for the seventh wicket.

But Gerald Coetzee, 3/37, joined the attack and helped clean up the lower order bowling both Da Silva and Holder, and had Kemar Roach (2) caught in the deep.

Alzarri Joseph (18) had a bit of late order fun, cracking a four and two sixes to get his side over a hundred run, and was last man out missing a ball from Harmer and being stumped by keeper Heinrich Klaasen.

In the morning there was to be no fairy tale double hundred for Proteas captain Temba Bavuma as he fell early for a career best 172.

They resumed at the start of play on 287/7, but in just the second over of the day and having added one run to his overnight score, Bavuma tried to smash Holder for six, only to find Roach on the deep square leg boundary with the score 293/8.

Maharaj (10) then fell the same way a few overs later, finding Gudakesh Motie on the deep square led boundary off the bowling of Mayers as they slipped to 297/9.

Rabada (16) then came in and had a bit of fun, thrashing two sixes during his 10 ball stay, one each off Mayers and Holder, before he top edged a return catch to Holder, leaving Coetzee (9no) unbeaten at the end of the innings.