Cricket : Kieran Powell Stars but Windies Suffer Series Loss

The West Indies team entered day four of the second test match versus South Africa, fully aware that the required target of 324 runs, was going to always require a herculean effort from their batsmen.

To make matters worse, one of their more steady batsmen, in Roston Chase was hobbling on one leg and more than likely would not participate further in the game.

Well, it did not take long before the seasoned South Africa attack started to make inroads.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite edged and was caught in the slips. The steady Shai Hope did not handle a Rabada bouncer well and got a glove to the wicketkeeper.  Thereafter, Kieran Powell teamed up with Kyle Mayers and hopes of another Bangladesh miracle started to beckon for the die-hard Windies fans.

Then Mayers got carried away, after a couple of cracking boundaries and then top-edged an ill-advised pull shot, to be brilliantly caught by Skipper Elgar.

Powell who had looked in control for the most part suddenly decided to slog-sweep left arm leg spinner Maharaj and was caught by the lone man at deep midwicket.

Then the slide gained rapid momentum. The very next ball Jason Holder pushed tentatively forward and was caught at short leg.

Then the out of form Joshua Da Silva, also pushed tentatively at the next delivery, only to be superbly caught, one-handed at leg slip, to complete a hat trick for the South African spinner.

Vice-captain Blackwood and Roach delayed the inevitable with a couple of lovely strokes, but the fat lady had already entered the grounds, with her full choir.  When Jayden Seales hoisted a ball to deep long-on, the agony was finally over.

South Africa had not only sealed the win but a series whitewash as well.  Two games to nil.

The action now moves on to Grenada, where it is hoped that the Windies white-ball team would fare much better, in the upcoming T-20 series, which commences on June 26th.

Summarized scores: South Africa 298 (de Kock 96, Elgar 77 Mayers 3-28, Roach 3-45) and 174 (van der Dussen 75*, Roach 4-52) beat West Indies 149 (Blackwood 49, Mulder 3-1) and 165 for 6 (Powell 51, Maharaj 5-36, Rabada 3-44) by 158 runs

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