WI vs. SA 2nd Test
Day two of the 2nd Test between South Africa and the West Indies saw the visitors gain an undeniable upper hand after Aiden Markram and Kyle Verreynne grounded out half-centuries in their second innings on a surface at the Providence National Stadium that got better as the day wore on.
Thanks to the pair of half-centuries, South Africa closed out day two on 223/5 (70 overs), building a lead of 239 with three more days to go.
While the West Indies had begun day two on 97/7, still 63 adrift of South Africa’s first innings total of 160, they lost two more wickets early on, but the last pair of Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph got them close to the South Africans total, eventually ending on 144 all out.
Africans second innings effort with a gritty 51
In front of a much larger turnout that the first day at the Providence Stadium, Holder notched up his 14th test half-century, ending unbeaten on 54 from 88 balls (4sx6, 6sx1) while Joseph played fearlessly for 25 (27 balls), smashing four fours and a six in an eventful morning session.
Wiaan Mulder was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa, grabbing 4-32 (9 overs). He was supported by Nandre Burger, who had figures of 3-49 (12 overs).
With a slender lead of 16, the South Africans’ second turn at the crease saw Tony de Zorzi (39) and Aiden Markram compile an opening stand of 79 as they made the West 
Indians toil under the almost unbearable heat at Providence for the remainder of the morning session. The South African opening pair went into lunch unscathed, but de Zorzi was the first to fall, nicking Jaden Seales to Joshua Da Silva for the breakthrough just after lunch.
Tristan Stubbs joined Markram, and together they added 41 runs for the second wicket as Markram got to his half century; however, Gudakesh Motie, playing on home soil, outfoxed Markram, trapping him Leg Before Wicket (LBW) for 51 (108 balls) to spark a mini-collapse.
Motie struck again, bowling wicket to wicket, the uneven bounce on the pitch getting the better of South Africa’s skipper Temba Bavuma, who advanced down the wicket, only to be struck plumb in front of the stumps, dismissed for just 4.
South Africa, now on 134/3, lost Stubbs without further addition to their total, as Seales induced the edge to claim his second wicket of the innings.
by Jayden Seales
134/4 became 139/5 as Seales served up a gem of an in-swinger to comprehensively bowl David Bedingham for a 10-ball duck.
Despite the loss of quick wickets in that period just after tea, an unbeaten 84-run sixth-wicket partnership between Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder, notably the highest of the series so far, put the South Africans in firm control of the game by the time the umpires called stumps.
Verreynne in particular, during his unbeaten 50 (71 balls), pounced on anything loose, stroking seven fours, while Wiaan Mulder (34 not out) nailed two maximums to complement his pair of fours.
Seales was the pick of the bowlers, ending the day with 3-52 from 16 overs, while Motie bowled a marathon 22 overs, returning figures of 2-61.
The South Africans will resume day three today looking to pile the pressure on the West Indian bowlers to take the game out of their reach, and with three days remaining in this decisive test, an outright victory will be foremost on their minds.
