Rabada helps Proteas seal comfortable 87-run win over Windies

Proteas speedster Kagiso Rabada was the star bowler as the Proteas sealed a comfortable 87-run win over the West Indies in the first Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday afternoon.

With the Proteas needing four wickets to win, and the Windies needing 154-runs after tea, Rabada picked up three of the final four wickets to claim his 13^th career Test five wicket haul and finish with brilliant figures of 6/50.

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Windies middle order batter Jermaine Blackwood tried his best to keep his side in the match with 79 off 93 balls (12×4; 1×6), but he was eventually the penultimate wicket to fall as his side fell well short.

After tea Blackwood and Jason Holder (18) took the attack to Rabada and Anrich Nortje, as they tried to hit their side back into the match.

Both batters cracked boundaries off every over, as they moved their seventh wicket stand to 37-runs, which sparked hopes of a famous comeback.

Rabada makes vital breakthrough

But it was that man Rabada that made the vital breakthrough once again as he had Holder caught behind by keeper Heinrich Klaasen, with them on 128/7, still needing 119-runs to win, which pretty much ended their chances.

Nortje had Alzarri Joseph (4) caught by Rabada at long leg, before Rabada closed things out by having Blackwood caught at second slip by Aiden Markram and then trapped Kemar Roach (12) LBW, with the West Indies all out for 157.

Earlier Thursday, South Africa resumed their second innings on 49/4 after the top-order collapsed late Wednesday afternoon.

Only Aiden Markram, who scored a first innings ton in his team’s 342 all out, and got to 47 the second time of asking, managed to deal with the tricky pitch.

South Africa were eventually all out for 116, meaning the West Indies, who scored 212 in their first innings, needed 247 runs to win the first Test.

West Indies struggles

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite went for a duck after facing three balls in the only over before lunch on Thursday, Rabada getting the first of his six wickets.

After lunch the wickets kept tumbling. Rabada, Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee shared the wickets, with just Blackwood standing firm.

He was well supported for a while by Joshua da Silva (17) but the return of Rabada to the bowling attack paid dividends as he found the outside edge of Da Silva’s bat, with Keegan Petersen taking the catch at third slip leaving the Windies on 91/6.

It then became the Rabada show after tea, as the speedster quickly finished things off.

The second Test starts at the Wanderers next Wednesday.