(CMC) – Off-spin bowling all-rounder Kevin Sinclair further enhanced his reputation with a destructive spell that defied half-centuries from Khayelihle Zondo and Neil Brand and enabled West Indies A to gain an edge against hosts South Africa A in the deciding third “Test” yesterday.
The 24-year-old Guyanese ended with five for 44 from 14.4 overs, and the South Africans were bowled out for 274 in their first innings after they chose to bat on the first day of the four-day, first-class match at Mangaung Oval.
Pace bowling fellow Guyanese Shamar Joseph supported with three for 65 from 15 overs, and Grenadian pacer Shermon Lewis bagged two for 68 from 13 overs to give the Caribbean side a strong start to the match.
Zondo hit the top score of 70 for South Africa A; their captain Brand supported with 62; Zubayr Hamza made 30; Raynard van Tonder and Clyde Fortuin added 25 each; and Hardus Viljoen got 24.
West Indies A reached 17 for one at the close, with opener Zachary McCaskie not out on 12 and left-hander Kirk McKenzie not out on two. The visitors lost left-handed opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul caught in the slips off pacer Duanne Olivier for three in the fifth of the eight overs possible before stumps were drawn.
The three-match series between the two sides is tied 1-1 after West Indies A won the first match, which went down to the wire, by one wicket two Fridays ago at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, and South Africa A rebounded to win the second match by 232 runs at Buffalo Park in East London.
West Indies A toiled for more than an hour and a-quarter before Joseph made the breakthrough when he got opener van Tonder caught behind down the legside, essaying a flick. Lewis gave the Caribbean side another reason to celebrate three overs later when he got David Beddingham, who received his maiden Test call-up on Monday for the senior Test series against India. Beddingham faced 11 balls before he was caught in the deep on the leg-side for five from a miscued pull, and South Africa A were 69 for two.
For close to an hour, either side of the South Africans reaching 102 for two at lunch, the visitors failed to make further headway, with Hamza joining Brand, whose 50 came from 64 balls, to put on 51 for the third wicket.
Joseph broke the stand in his eighth over when he got Hamza caught behind, top edging an ill-advised cut, and he followed up in his next over with the scalp of Brand caught at second slip, sparring at rising ball outside the off-stump, and the home team stumbled to 129 for four.
West Indies A met resistance when Zondo absorbed the pressure and batted purposefully to reach his 50 from 77 balls and stitched together a few tidy stands to carry South Africa. past 200.
Regular strikes from Sinclair prevented the last recognised batsmen for the South Africans from converting starts into big scores, but a 68-run stand for eighth wicket between Zondo and Viljoen helped to beef up the total before the last three wickets fell for no runs in the span of seven balls.
The visitors made three changes to their side, with teenaged batsman Jordan Johnson, as well as pacers Jayden Seales and Lewis, coming into the side to replace wicketkeeper-batsman Tevin Imlach, spinner Abhijai Mansingh, and pacer Jair McAllister.
The hosts made four changes to their side, with Bedingham and Hamza replacing Tony de Zorzi and Keegan Petersen, and pacers Olivier and Viljoen returning in place of Tshepo Moreki and Dane Piedt.
