Proteas in early trouble as Shamar Joseph stars in his first home Test

15 August 2024 - 18:24
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Proteas opener Aiden Markram is bowled by Shamar Joseph on the opening day of the second Test in Guyana on Thursday.
Proteas opener Aiden Markram is bowled by Shamar Joseph on the opening day of the second Test in Guyana on Thursday.
Image: Daniel Prentice/Gallo Images

The West Indies’ star young fast bowler Shamar Joseph, playing in his first Test on his home ground, put South Africa in early trouble when he picked up two wickets on the opening morning of the second Test in Georgetown on Thursday. 

Joseph, who made his debut against Australia this year and bowled the West Indies to a sensational victory in Brisbane, claimed the wickets of Aiden Markram and Proteas captain Temba Bavuma in his third over.

South Africa, after choosing to bat, were reeling at 66/4 at lunch, with Jayden Seales and former West Indies skipper Jason Holder picking up a wicket apiece. 

Joseph, who missed the first Test in Trinidad, led a disciplined display by the home team’s bowlers, who maintained tight lines and lengths and made excellent use of movement through the air and off the seam to create pressure on the Proteas batters. 

After scoring eight runs in the first over, which included a characteristically stylish cover drive by Markram, the Proteas found scoring difficult in the first hour. The West Indies smartly adjusted their lengths, bowling just short of a full length and targeting the stumps, with the movement making life hard for the openers.

Tony de Zorzi was beautifully set up by Jayden Seales, who, having held a wide length outside the left-hander’s off stump, then got a delivery to swing back through the batter's defence.   

It was the fifth time in 10 innings that De Zorzi, who scored one, has been dismissed by a right-arm seamer bowling around the wicket and, while the West Indies deserve credit for scratching at what appears to be a weakness, De Zorzi will probably feel the lavish movement Seales achieved played a bigger role in his dismissal. 

Joseph then delivered a double blow, bowling Markram with a ball that also seamed into the batter and which Markram, who made 14, attempted to leave based on length only for the ball to clip the top of his off stump. 

Bavuma lasted just two deliveries, also succumbing to a ball angling into him, trapping him lbw. 

There followed a 37-run partnership between Tristan Stubbs, eschewing his usually attacking game, and David Bedingham, which for an hour steadied the South African innings. Stubbs, who took 20 balls to get off the mark, had struck a couple of lovely boundaries through the covers but with the West Indies continuing to probe outside his off stump, he succumbed 10 minutes before lunch, caught by a diving Kavem Hodge at deep third slip, for 26. 

Stubbs, still adjusting to a new role at No. 3, was understandably furious, slamming his fist into the back of his bat, not only because of the timing of his dismissal, but also because he’d just survived a chance against a similar delivery in Holder’s previous over, which Jomel Warrican dropped at first slip.

Bedingham was unbeaten on 16 at the break in the company of Kyle Verreynne, on four, the latter fortunate to survive a run-out when attempting a sneaky single to get off the mark. 

The Proteas’ decision to make two changes to the team that drew the first Test was understandable, given the history, albeit a limited one as a Test venue, of the Providence Stadium. It has hosted just two Tests, the second 13 years ago, but both of those matches were dominated by spinners. 

South Africa duly opted for Dane Piedt, to relieve some of the workload on the willing Keshav Maharaj, in place of Ryan Rickelton, while Nandre Burger, the left-arm seamer, it will be hoped can provide more of a threat than Lungi Ngidi showed in Trinidad a week ago. 

In addition, with Burger bowling over the wicket, he’ll create rough outside the right hander’s off stump, something Piedt can exploit. 

However, as they tucked into their lunch on Thursday, bowling would not have been at the forefront of the Proteas’ thinking. They need to get sufficient runs on the board first.


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