Daily Times

Half-centuries by Aiden Markram at the top of the innings and Kyle Verreynne at the end of the day put South Africa in charge of the second Test against the West Indies on Friday.

At stumps on the second day, the Proteas were 223 for five in their second innings, for an overall lead of 239 runs.

Having dismissed the home side for 144 in the morning session to earn a nominal 16-run first innings lead, the Proteas go into day three looking to Verreynne and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder to further extend a sixth-wicket partnership that has already realised 84 runs.

After 17 wickets tumbled on a frenetic opening day, day two saw a return to regular Test match match programming with the typical ebbs and flows of a long, energy-sapping day.

Starting the morning at 97 for seven in reply to South Africa’s first innings total of 160, Jason Holder’s unbeaten 54 (88 balls, six fours and one six) was vital in getting the home side closer to their opponents’ first day effort.

He put on 40 for the last wicket with considerable assistance from local hero Shamar Joseph.

Buoyed by a five-wicket hall on his first day of senior international cricket in his homeland, Joseph took advantage of being dropped first ball to belt 25 with four fours and one six before falling leg-before to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj. “I was just trying to eke out as many runs as we could,” said Holder at the end of the day.