GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – Keshav Maharaj snatched a dramatic hat-trick in a devastating five-wicket haul as West Indies suffered a 158-run crushing, half-hour before tea on the fourth day of the second Test, to slide to a 2-0 series whitewash here yesterday.
Resuming the morning on 15 without loss in search of a victory target of 324, the Caribbean side crashed from 90 for two to 109 for six at lunch, as left-arm spinner Maharaj knocked over Kieran Powell (51), Jason Holder (0) and Joshua Da Silva (0) with successive deliveries in the penultimate over before the first interval.
After the break, Kemar Roach resisted with 27 and vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood got 25 but West Indies collapsed for 165 with 4-¼ sessions left in the contest at the Daren Sammy National Stadium, with the injured Roston Chase unable to bat.
“As a batting unit, we didn’t put any partnerships together and obviously we have to do better as batsmen, including myself.” said a dejected captain Kraigg Brathwaite.
“We have to learn from this as batsmen – myself included. We let down the people of the Caribbean. South Africa played well but we have to do better as batsmen.”
Maharaj finished with five for 36 – his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests – while the exceptional Kagiso Rabada supported with three for 44 to be adjudged Man-of-the-Match, after claiming two wickets in the first innings and hitting a critical 40 in a low-scoring second innings on Sunday.
He did the damage in the first hour, removing Brathwaite in the morning’s third over, caught at first slip by captain Dean Elgar for six, the right-hander trapped on his crease defending after adding the day’s only run.
And it was the 26-year-old fast bowler who ensured Shai Hope’s rocky return to Test cricket continued, getting the stylish stroke-maker to glove a nasty, short ball to Aiden Markram at second slip for two, South Africa only earning the decision on referral.
Rabada, who finished with a series-leading 11 wickets, said he was proud to lead the young Proteas attack especially following the recent high-profile retirements.
“A few great names have retired – Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Kyle Abbott – I can name a big list,” he said.
“Now it’s for the next generation to come on board and I’ve really enjoyed bowling with them.”
Powell, who hit nine fours off 116 deliveries in 2-¾ hours, then anchored a 64-run, third wicket stand with fellow left-hander Kyle Mayers whose 34 came from 56 deliveries and included four fours.
Mayers avoided a first-ball ‘duck’ when he was given out lbw to Rabada off a no-ball, and combined with Powell to take West Indies to the drinks break on 60 for two.
With lunch beckoning, it was Mayers’s indiscretion which opened the door for South Africa, needlessly pulling at a short ball outside off-stump from Rabada, and skying a catch to Elgar running back from the cordon at 90 for three.
Powell reached his first fifty in three years with a streaky boundary to third man off Rabada but then lost concentration and lifted Maharaj to Antich Nortje at deep mid-wicket, off the third ball of the penultimate over before lunch.
His dismissal at 107 for four triggered the slide that saw Holder caught at forward short leg off the very next delivery and Da Silva brilliantly taken brilliantly one-handed at leg slip by Wiaan Mulder, as Maharaj became only the second South African to claim a Test hat-trick.
“On the hat-trick ball, I had so many things going through my head about where to bowl the ball but I said ‘just bowl it normally’ and Joshua followed it down leg,” said an elated Maharaj.
A 40-run, seventh wicket stand between Roach and Blackwood only delayed the inevitable.
Blackwood reined in his aggression to hit one four off 63 balls but perished on the stroke of the first hour after lunch, caught at the wicket pushing tentatively at seamer Lungi Ngidi.
And Roach lashed four fours and a six before failing to clear Ngidi at long on while Jayden Seales (7) holed out to deep square, as Maharaj grabbed the last two wickets to earn South Africa their first series win on the road in four years.
“This is huge. We obviously came here with a challenge as a squad and a management group, to get a series win which we knew wasn’t going to be easy,” Elgar said.
“But this speaks volumes. I don’t think we understand how big this series win is.”