The Resilience of Alick Athanaze and Favor From the Nature Deny South Africa Victory

Courtesy of a gritty and resolute knock from Alick Athanaze, well-supported by the West Indies’ middle order, the first test ended in a draw. This was the first drawn test of 2024 and, in fact, the first in over 12 months. Athanaze, who stole the show with a 92-run innings, was highly regarded by the legendary Brian Lara, who once pronounced him as “the most talented” batter in the West Indies from the current generation. Playing in only his eighth test match, Alick Athanaze proved Brian Lara’s cricketing insight to be spot on. However, it wasn’t just the talented batter who helped the home side avoid defeat. Rain played a significant role in the outcome, with as many as 142 overs lost throughout the course of the test. Even on the final day, rain interruptions occurred, and had the Proteas been granted more overs to challenge the West Indian batters, the result might have been different. One of the highlights of the test was the approach South Africa took on the last day. Their determination to achieve a result made the test particularly exciting, with all three outcomes possible until the very end.

Foundation Set by De Zorzi and Captain Bavuma in the First Innings

Winning the toss, the touring side decided to bat first. However, they surprised everyone with their team selection by opting for only one specialist spinner. The West Indies, on the other hand, fielded a fairly predictable playing eleven. Although expectations were not particularly high for the West Indies, they were still thought to have a slight edge over the tourists, given that the series was being played in the Caribbean. A good fight was especially anticipated from the home side’s bowlers.

The experienced Markram failed to get going, departing after scoring only nine runs. He was followed by Tristan Stubbs, who came in at number three but managed to score just 20 runs. Bavuma entered the crease at number four and joined Tony de Zorzi, with both playing excellent knocks of 86 and 78, respectively, to help South Africa reach a respectable total of 357 in the first innings. The lower middle order also made significant contributions. Jomel Warrican was the standout bowler for the West Indies, taking four wickets, including the crucial wicket of Tony de Zorzi. Jayden Seales also performed excellently, taking three wickets, while the ever-reliable duo of Kemar Roach and Jason Holder claimed two and one wicket, respectively.

The West Indian batters, as usual, disappointed once again, trailing behind South Africa’s total of 357 runs. Even though five of the top six batters got off to good starts, none were able to convert them into significant scores, which has been an ongoing issue for the West Indies’ Test side for quite some time. The West Indies managed only 233 runs in their first innings, leaving them 124 runs behind South Africa. Keacy Carty, who was making his debut and playing his first-ever Test innings, top-scored for the West Indies with a 42 off 81 balls.

South Africa’s Second Innings and Quick-Fire Knocks from Tristan Stubbs

South Africa began their second innings in the last session of day four. They played only five overs before stumps were drawn, scoring 30 runs at a run rate of 6. When everyone thought the final day would be a boring day of Test cricket and that the game would definitely end in a draw, South Africa decided to make things exciting. They went all guns blazing on the fifth day, adding 143 more runs in just 24 overs before declaring the innings at 173 for the loss of only three wickets. The equation was simple for both teams: with just over two sessions remaining, one team had the option to chase down South Africa’s target of 298 or survive for more than two sessions, while the other team simply had to take 10 wickets.

West Indies’ Stumbling Start and the Incredible Arrival of Alick Athanaze

West Indies got off to one of the worst possible starts, losing both of their openers for just 18 runs. With the young Keacy Carty and highly-regarded Alick Athanaze at the crease, they decided to show glimpses of their incredible talents to the world, as they partnered up for a stand of over 40 runs, which in the context of the game was a much-needed partnership. With rain looming, the play for two complete sessions was looking highly doubtful, so survival was more important than winning. However, the phenomenal Athanaze had other plans, scoring runs at a rate that showed intent. Unfortunately, he got out after scoring 92 runs from 116 balls. Kavem Hodge and Jason Holder also played excellent knocks and ultimately West Indies scored 201 runs for the loss of five wickets before the day was called off and the game ended in a draw.

Keshav Maharaj was awarded player of the match for his eight wickets. However, with South Africa choosing to play only one spinner, there was definitely a lot of load on the spinner and South Africa may have to consider adding one more specialist spinner in the eleven. The West Indies face South Africa for the second and the last test of the series on 15th August at National Stadium, Guyana.