Windies wobble after De Kock puts South Africa in charge

St Lucia - Kraigg Brathwaite fell to the first ball of the innings as play got underway after lunch

West Indies’ vulnerable top-order batting was again exploited by South Africa with the home side hobbling to tea at 56 for four in reply to South Africa’s first innings total of 298 on the second day of the second Test on Saturday.

After Quinton de Kock’s assured 96 helped the Proteas add another 80 runs from their overnight position in the morning session, the Caribbean side got off to the worst possible start.

Kraigg Brathwaite fell to the first ball of the innings as play got underway after lunch.

Ruled not out by the standing umpire to an appeal for a wicketkeeper’s catch down the leg-side off Kagiso Rabada, the request for a television referral showed a faint touch of the West Indies captain’s gloves.

Brathwaite’s opening partner Kieran Powell did not last much longer, adjudged leg-before on the field off Lungi Ngidi.

Powell also sought vindication via the available technology only for the decision to be upheld.

There were no such deliberations though when the third wicket fell with the score on 30, Roston Chase turning a delivery in Anrich Nortje’s first over off his hip for Kyle Verreynne to take the catch at short square-leg.

Kyle Mayers then fell to Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner drawing the left-hander into a drive for Aiden Markram to snare the catch at slip.

It leaves Shai Hope (25 not out) and Jermaine Blackwood to carry the fight for their beleaguered team going into the final session of the day.

Honours were shared in the morning session with de Kock’s pursuit of a second consecutive Test hundred thwarted by the unlikely threat of occasional medium-pacer Mayers.

Mayers, who claimed the important wicket of South African captain and opening batsman Dean Elgar for 77 on the opening day, added the wicket of Nortje to finish with the best figures of three for 28 with the tourists losing their last four wickets for 23 runs.

West Indies failed to take full advantage of the second new ball at the start of the day and it was left to first-change bowler Kemar Roach to separate the overnight pair of de Kock and Wiaan Mulder by having Mulder caught behind.

As in the first Test, de Kock then fully took charge of proceedings in putting on 36 runs for the seventh wicket with Maharaj.

However the demise of Maharaj, also to a wicketkeeper’s catch off Jason Holder, triggered a swift slide with de Kock’s failure to register three figures being the most notable dismissal.

With Rabada at the other end, the left-hander essayed a big drive to Mayers and edged the delivery onto the gloves of Joshua da Silva, who was standing up to the stumps, and it rebounded into the safe hands of Hope at backward-point.