Keshav Maharaj’s discipline and persistence earned him three important wickets as the West Indies were limited to 145-4 in reply to South Africa’s first innings total of 357 at the end of the third day of the rain-affected first Test at Queen’s Park Oval on Friday.
On a turgid surface which tested the patience of batsmen and bowlers alike, Maharaj’s figures of 3-45 from 28 probing overs underscored his increasing value to a Proteas team which traditionally relied heavily on a battery of fast and seam bowlers for their success in Test cricket.
After seeing fellow left-arm orthodox spinner Jomel Warrican (4-69) lead the home side’s effort in eventually dismissing the visitors on the third morning, Maharaj knew he had the chance to take the fight to the West Indies’ top order.
And his variations of flight and pace claimed the wickets of Mikyle Louis, debutant Keacy Carty and left-hander Alick Athanaze, among three rain interruptions.
“It’s really about keeping it simple and being consistent and repetitive in conditions like this… and I like repetitions,” said Maharaj at the end of play.
“There’s not much to be had from the wicket so I am trying to use different variations, different paces and trajectories to make it uncomfortable to score. Sometimes in Test cricket it’s just about bowling in a particular channel and getting the dividends.”
– Brathwaite gone cheaply –
The one wicket to escape him was that of Kraigg Brathwaite, with the West Indies captain and opening batsman running himself out for 35.
Having seen the demise of opening partner Louis, also for 35, bowled through the gate on the stroke of the lunch interval, Brathwaite was soon back in the pavilion when he pushed a delivery from pacer Lungi Ngidi to mid-on and took off for a non-existent single.
Wiaan Mulder’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end found Brathwaite millimetres short of his ground to end an innings which had occupied 131 deliveries.
As he trudged off, the West Indies skipper did well to disguise his anguish on realising that he had been dismissed off a no-ball and also had given away his wicket just before rain caused yet another stoppage in play.
Carty showed promise in his maiden Test innings in getting to 42 from 81 deliveries before being trapped lbw by another Maharaj arm ball, while Athanaze was lured into a tentative forward prod and succeeded only in offering a simple catch to Aiden Markram at slip.
With the West Indies then decidedly unsteady at 124-4, South Africa pressed for more success before the close but were thwarted by the fifth-wicket pair of Kavem Hodge and former captain Jason Holder who will carry the fight for the hosts into the fourth day.
There were no issues with the weather at the start of the day though as the Caribbean team claimed the last two South African first-innings wickets for the addition of just another 13 runs.
Warrican had Kagiso Rabada caught behind for 21 and in the very next over, fast bowler Jayden Seales claimed his third wicket by uprooting the off-stump of last man Ngidi, leaving Mulder unbeaten on 41.
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