Day 1 – South Africa chose to bat.
Current RR: 3.00
• Last 10 ov (RR): 36/1 (3.60)
After opting to bat, South Africa were 45 for 1 when the heavens opened up
Jason Holder’s first ball castled Aiden Markram • AFP/Getty Images
South Africa 45 for 1 (De Zorzi 32*, Holder 1-2) vs West Indies
Trinidad’s temperamental weather claimed the bulk of the opening day between South Africa and West Indies where only 15 overs of play was possible. Play was called off five minutes into the scheduled tea time and will resume half an hour early on the second day after 75 overs were lost on the first.
With an extra batter in their XI, South Africa opted to bat first after winning the toss and hoped to bed in on a surface their captain Temba Bavuma said he “did not see a blade of grass on”. A bare, lifeless surface demanded good discipline from West Indies and the experienced Kemar Roach did not disappoint. Given three slips and a gully, his first ball angled into Aiden Markram and beat him on the back foot, which was exactly where Roach wanted him. In Roach’s next over, Markram stayed back and tried to cover-punch but, with no bounce on offer, looked fortunate to get the ball over gully for South Africa’s first boundary. Roach continued to deliver a testing opening spell, after which he had figures of 5-3-6-0.
At the other end, Tony de Zorzi looked more comfortable playing the ball off the front foot against Jayden Seales and timed well enough down the ground to get a three. Seales’ pace was in the mid-130kph range and he offered little threat in the first three overs, which saw Kraigg Braithwaite turn to Gudakesh Motie in the eighth over. And de Zorzi could not have asked for anything better. His eyes lit up when Motie flighted his fourth ball, and he went down on one knee to swipe it over midwicket. He repeated the shot two balls later and Motie was only kept on for another over, and de Zorzi hit him for four in that one, before Braithwaite went to Jason Holder.
Now remember Markram had been camping back in the crease against Roach? That’s where he was for Holder’s first delivery, which seamed in through the bat-pad gap and took out off stump to dismiss him for 9. Markram’s last three first-innings scores in Test cricket have been in single figures, which could be something he will want to address as the season moves on.
His dismissal brought South Africa’s new No. 3 Tristan Stubbs to the middle. He was off the mark when he tucked Holder to square leg and faced four more balls before the rain began, at 11.10am local time. An early lunch was taken 40 minutes later as showers came and went intermittently. Two hours later, images of covers decorated with puddles and ominously grey skies were beamed around the world but the clean-up began. A 2pm inspection could not take place as the rain returned just as the umpires were about to begin their rounds and 45 minutes later the day was deemed unsalvageable.
The outcome will be particularly disappointing for South Africa, who have not played Test cricket with a first-choice side since January, and have a lean red-ball schedule. After this Test, they have only seven matches left in this World Test Championship cycle and all their series in the 2023-2025 period have been limited to two Tests.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
