It came off another innocuous delivery from Motie, who’d ended Elgar’s stay in the morning with a wide delivery down leg-side. The shot was probably on with the deep backward square leg region vacant, but given the way Markram was playing and how conventional stroke play was providing so much success, perhaps getting to the landmark first was the better option.
De Zorzi, too, looked completely at ease batting with beautiful rhythm and showing solidity in defence and clarity and good technique when he played his attacking strokes. His driving square on the offside was especially eye-catching.
He reached 75 at tea, hitting 10 fours. Bavuma, finally got off the mark in the series, with Motie, who’d beaten him with a lovely ball that pitched and spun past the outside edge, dishing up a wide long hop the next ball that the captain easily smacked to the point boundary.
A couple of full tosses were easily dispatched to the midwicket boundary to get the SA captain on his way and help reinforce what confidence may have been lacking after the “pair” in Centurion.
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Markram, De Zorzi get runs as SA batters continue to dominate
Aiden Markram missed out on back-to-back centuries, but the Proteas continued their dominance of the West Indies on the opening day of the second Test on Wednesday.
Tony de Zorzi’s maiden Test 50, helped guide the home team to 247/2 at tea. Temba Bavuma was alongside him on 27 at the break.
It was an improved display from the West Indies with the ball — it couldn’t have been worse — than the first session, though there were still enough freebies for the batters to feast on during the afternoon.
Markram was dismissed for 96 attempting to scoop left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and was caught on the leg-side by Jermaine Blackwood who had strode over from slip. A bit like Dean Elgar in the morning it was a wasted opportunity for Markram who was again in sparkling touch.
He and Kemar Roach, the West Indies’ best bowler, engaged in an interesting mini-battle post the lunch break that included two delicious cover drives from the South African opener in one over. That was followed by an excellent maiden from Roach in which he found the outside edge of Markram’s bat, with the ball unfortunately dropping short of the slips.
Markram drove Roston Chase for another cover drive and looked completely at ease as he made his way into the 90s. That was why the manner of his dismissal was so disappointing.
It came off another innocuous delivery from Motie, who’d ended Elgar’s stay in the morning with a wide delivery down leg-side. The shot was probably on with the deep backward square leg region vacant, but given the way Markram was playing and how conventional stroke play was providing so much success, perhaps getting to the landmark first was the better option.
De Zorzi, too, looked completely at ease batting with beautiful rhythm and showing solidity in defence and clarity and good technique when he played his attacking strokes. His driving square on the offside was especially eye-catching.
He reached 75 at tea, hitting 10 fours. Bavuma, finally got off the mark in the series, with Motie, who’d beaten him with a lovely ball that pitched and spun past the outside edge, dishing up a wide long hop the next ball that the captain easily smacked to the point boundary.
A couple of full tosses were easily dispatched to the midwicket boundary to get the SA captain on his way and help reinforce what confidence may have been lacking after the “pair” in Centurion.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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