Kemar Roach ran through South Africa on the third morning to bowl them out for 116, their lowest Test score against the West Indies, but the 246-run lead conceded by the visitors could prove decisive on a challenging surface in Centurion.
In a fast moving opening session that saw seven wickets fall, Jason Holder delivered the opening blow by eliciting a flashy drive from Heinrich Klaasen in the third over of the day.
Following up, Roach struck with his first ball, bowling a peach that straightened to take the edge and ended Aiden Markram’s fluent innings on 47 off 58.
And once he had that early wicket, the fast bowler was unstoppable. Roach went on to pick two wickets in two overs as Marco Jansen defended past another jaffa and lost his off-stump.
On the other side of the drinks break, Shannon Gabriel got Senruan Muthusamy caught off his glove down the legside. Gerald Coetzee played a few shots during his innings of 20 off 15 but was outwitted by Roach when he came down the wicket and top-edged a bouncer to the keeper.
That was Roach’s fourth wicket, his fifth coming in the form of an outside edge from Anrich Nortje.
Legendary stuff from @KemarAJR
☑️ 11th career 5-wicket haul
☑️ 1st 5-wicket haul away from home since vs 🏴 @englandcricket in 2017
☑️ passes the great Joel Garner to be 5th on the West Indies All-Time wicket takers list 👏 #MaroonMagic #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/MYGuBmDzkt
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) March 2, 2023
On the stroke of Lunch, Kraigg Brathwaite was strangled down the leg-side in West Indies’s rocky start to the run-chase
Seven wickets in the first session of Day 3 and this match has moved ahead at the rate of knots.
There were 11 wickets lost in the last session yesterday, and add seven more to the tally.
Kemar Roach dominated the South African batters as the hosts were bowled out for their lowest Test score against West Indies. They had an over to survive, but they have lost a big wicket in the form of their captain.
Watch here;
Plenty of time remaining in the Test, so West Indies have a lot of overs to get there.
But the South African pacers know these conditions better than their opposition. And scoring runs isn’t going to be easy against this pace attack. All possibilities of getting a result today itself. Will be interesting to see West Indies’ approach from here on.
Brief Scores: South Africa 342 & 116 (Markram 47; Roach 5-47) lead West Indies 212 & 0/1 (Roach 1-0) by 246 runs.