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*Official* South Africa in West Indies 2021

grecian

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Despite all the hysteria about losing some Fast bowlers, Ngidi, Rabada, Nortje look like they could be pretty good for a bit.
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Watched most of the Windies 2nd innings; can't recall a Caribbean Test where the ball was swinging so consistently throughout an innings. Rabada, Ngidi and North were lethal in those conditions.

Having said, Windies batsmen largely got themselves out instead of to unplayable dismissals; Holder's the most disappointing.

Also, don't usually like to criticise umpires but there were some really poor decisions that innings, especially the Brathwaite LBW.
 

Shady Slim

International Coach
what exactly went wrong for the windies? i'm reading that a lot of batmsen threw their wickets away which is a great shame, especially when the best showings from the windies in the past five years or so have been when their bats, whether youthful or experienced have stood up to be counted and batted with some grit.

as @Bijed says, even if the windies threw a lot of their wickets away, perhaps credit should also go to SA if they were as good as i'm reading
 

WICFan

State 12th Man
what exactly went wrong for the windies? i'm reading that a lot of batmsen threw their wickets away which is a great shame, especially when the best showings from the windies in the past five years or so have been when their bats, whether youthful or experienced have stood up to be counted and batted with some grit.

as @Bijed says, even if the windies threw a lot of their wickets away, perhaps credit should also go to SA if they were as good as i'm reading
A bit of everything.

Good bowling, bad shot selection and a tendency to get bogged down and play in a survival/ultra defensive mode.
 

Beamer

International Vice-Captain
A bit of everything.

Good bowling, bad shot selection and a tendency to get bogged down and play in a survival/ultra defensive mode.
Agree with the above. Though I would say I thought SA's pacers were outstanding in their consistency and not giving scoring opportunities.

I do also have some real questions about our ability to play quality swing and seam bowling. The Dukes ball in the Caribbean moves more than anywhere else, so I have some sympathy, especially as on another day SA may well have been bowled out cheaply too given the number of close shaves they had.

But the SA batsman generally looked like they had a plan. Ours were stuck on the crease. The batting coach Monty Desai is not there. He has a great relationship with our batsmen so that's a big miss but is no excuse for being bundled out like that twice.

Lets see what they come up with tomorrow. In fairness, up until now this new batting unit has stood up more often than not. One thing they mustn't do is mess Shai Hope about. He came back as an opener so let him open for a few matches. He played one innings and then ended up as number 3, where he had failed for 2 years previously!
 

Beamer

International Vice-Captain
2nd test squad announced. Darren Bravo comes in for the concussed Nkrumah Bonner and Shannon Gabriel is declared fit and comes in for Alzarri Joseph. I think they'll drop Rakheem on this pitch. So XI will be:

Braithwaite
Hope
Bravo
Chase
Mayers
Blackwood
Holder
Da Silva (wk)
Roach
Seales
Gabriel

Shannon has an excellent record in St Lucia and so should boost the bowling attack. Batting still looks awful, but lets see how the likes of Mayers and Da Silva react to their first real set back in test cricket.
 

StephenZA

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Ngidi looks like a man who should have pace, but he does not. Occasional effort ball gets him over 140 but really he is a low 130 bowler. What he has is movement, both seam and swing. It amazes me how much he can seam the ball even when bowling back of a length. Needs to just get his line more consistent.
 

Bahseph

International Debutant
Seales has some skill other than just pace. If he can get his body used to long format cricket he will be a weapon for West Indies. I'm happy that Bavuma didn't just come back into the team. I don't think he has built up enough credit to just walk back in.
 

Bahseph

International Debutant
Ngidi looks like a man who should have pace, but he does not. Occasional effort ball gets him over 140 but really he is a low 130 bowler. What he has is movement, both seam and swing. It amazes me how much he can seam the ball even when bowling back of a length. Needs to just get his line more consistent.
Nortje has the pace and Ngidi the movement. It shows how good Rabada is that he can operate with both those qualities at such a high level.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Extras playing a nice hand. Terrible over from Gabriel.

According to the graphic, 100% more movement today than day 1 of the 1st test. 200 could be a winning total.
 

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