Gros Islet – West Indies suffered a 158-run crushing about half-hour before tea in the second Test against South Africa yesterday, after left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj snatched a dramatic hat-trick in a devastating five-wicket haul.
Maharaj knocked over left-handed opener Kieran Powell for the top score of 51, as well as Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva for ducks in successive deliveries in the penultimate over before lunch and the Windies never recovered, crashing to 165 all out on the fourth day of the match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Resuming the day on 15 without loss in search of a victory target of 324, the Caribbean side crashed from 90 for two to 109 for six at lunch and never recovered, sliding to a 2-0 series whitewash at the hands of the South Africans.
Kemar Roach resisted with 27 and vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood made 25, but West Indies collapsed spectacularly with more than a day and a half left, with the injured Roston Chase unable to bat.
Maharaj finished with five for 36 – his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests – while Kagiso Rabada supported with three for 44 to be adjudged Player-of-the-Match, after claiming two wickets in the first innings and hitting a critical 40 in a low-scoring second innings on Sunday.
Summarised scores:
South Africa 298 (Quinton de Kock 96, Dean Elgar 77, Kyle Verreynne 27, Kagiso Rabada 21 not out, Keshav Maharaj 12; Kyle Mayers 3-28, Kemar Roach 3-45, Shannon Gabriel 2-65) and 174 (Rassie van der Dussen 75 not out, Kagiso Rabada 40, Keegan Petersen 18, Dean Elgar 10; Kemar Roach 4-52, Kyle Mayers 3-24).
West Indies 149 (Jermaine Blackwood 49, Shai Hope 43, Kyle Mayers 12, Jason Holder 10; Wiaan Mulder 3-1, Kagiso Rabada 2-24, Lungi Ngidi 2-27, Keshav Maharaj 2-47) and 165 (Kieran Powell 51, Kyle Mayers 34, Kemar Roach 27, Jermaine Blackwood 25; Keshav Maharaj 17.3-7-36-5, Kagiso Rabada 3-44).
(CMC/AR)
