There had been more lovely driving, courtesy of loose bowling from the West Indies, and then Elgar unleashed an uppercut against Jason Holder that flew over the slips for four. It was a shot he’d been attempting for a few overs before that successful stroke with the West Indies incapable of controlling the short ball properly.
However he got carried away with it too. Holder dropped back one of the slips, bowled another short ball, Elgar got the ramp shot going again, but having not noticed Jermaine Blackwood stationed at fine third man, played the ball straight to him.
To Blackwood’s credit, he did very well to leap in the air to snaffle the ball, twisting as he did so and completing the catch while lying on his stomach.
De Zorzi started his first Test innings with two outside edges that went past a diving third slip for four, but gradually grew accustomed to conditions, and played one lovely cover drive off Shannon Gabriel to underline that fact.
He and Markram’s partnership reached 65 at the break, stretching the Proteas’ dominance, with the final session likely to provide more of the same.
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Markram closes in on sixth Test century as Proteas pummel Windies
Image: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
West Indies made one breakthrough, but continued to take a pummeling from the Proteas in the second session of the opening Test in Centurion on Tuesday.
South Africa were on 206/1 at tea with Aiden Markram closing in on a sixth Test century on 97 and debutant Tony de Zorzi unbeaten on 22.
It was another dominant session for the home team, who resumed on 99/0 after lunch, with former captain Dean Elgar taking the attack to the tourists. The West Indies showed better intent with the ball than had been the case in the first session, when it looked like SuperSport Park was the last place they wanted to be.
There was a lot more energy from the tourists, but still too many freebies to create sufficient pressure on the home team’s batters. In fact Elgar, usually the most conservative of players, was starting to dig into his long lost white ball shot repertoire and probably got a little too lax.
There had been more lovely driving, courtesy of loose bowling from the West Indies, and then Elgar unleashed an uppercut against Jason Holder that flew over the slips for four. It was a shot he’d been attempting for a few overs before that successful stroke with the West Indies incapable of controlling the short ball properly.
However he got carried away with it too. Holder dropped back one of the slips, bowled another short ball, Elgar got the ramp shot going again, but having not noticed Jermaine Blackwood stationed at fine third man, played the ball straight to him.
To Blackwood’s credit, he did very well to leap in the air to snaffle the ball, twisting as he did so and completing the catch while lying on his stomach.
De Zorzi started his first Test innings with two outside edges that went past a diving third slip for four, but gradually grew accustomed to conditions, and played one lovely cover drive off Shannon Gabriel to underline that fact.
He and Markram’s partnership reached 65 at the break, stretching the Proteas’ dominance, with the final session likely to provide more of the same.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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