South Africa stay in contention of WTC final after win over WI

An intensely contested match in Guyana ended on the third day with South Africa defeating the West Indies by 40 runs, and securing a 1-0 series victory.

A career-best 6/41 earlier in the day by Jayden Seales was eclipsed by three wickets apiece from Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada in the second innings.

The morning began with South Africa resuming play on 223/5 with Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder on the crease. The two had put together a solid partnership on Day Two. West Indies, however, came back strongly.

Jomel Warrican sparked an implosion in the South Africa batting lineup, dismissing Mulder leg-before wicket for 34 in the opening over of the day.

Soon, Seales followed to send Maharaj, Verreynne and Burger back to the dressing room, completing his six-wicket haul. Proteas went from 223/5 to 246 all out, setting West Indies a target of 263 runs.

West Indies looked in the mood to chase the total with a cautious start of 54/1. As the hosts started to command, Mulder’s two-wicket spell changed the course of the match once again. First, he trapped Kraigg Brathwaite in front for 25 and then cleaned up Keacy Carty for 17.

Rabada and off-spinner Dane Piedt took up the task of dismantling the West Indies middle order, reducing them to 104/6. Gudakesh Motie and Warrican were left to rebuild.

The West Indies duo stitched a counter-attacking 77-run partnership — their highest of the match — that refuelled their flames of hope.

But the left-arm off-spinner Maharaj, who was wicketless so far in the second innings, removed the two set batters trapped leg-before wicket. West Indies now needed 81 runs with two wickets in hand.

Then Rabada removed Shamar Joseph and Maharaj completed the Test win for South Africa with Seales’s wicket, securing their 10th consecutive Test series win against West Indies.

In the process, Maharaj became South Africa’s most prolific Test spinner with 171 wickets. His 13 wickets on the tour also earned him the Player of the Series award.

The win has helped South Africa jump two places, from seventh to fifth, on the World Test Championship standings while pushing Pakistan and England a place down each. West Indies continue to remain at the bottom of the table with one win in nine WTC matches.

"We know that if we win every Test match that there is that possibility [of getting to the WTC final]," said South Africa red-ball Head Coach Shukri Conrad after the game.

“And we're really thrilled that there might be something for us at the end of this. There's World Cups in every other format and no reason why Test cricket shouldn't have something like this.”

The Proteas are less than 12 percentage points behind New Zealand and Sri Lanka who are third and fourth in the table. 

Cricket, West Indies, South Africa, Jayden Seales, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada