South Africa Crush West Indies
Match Scorecard: South Africa Crush West Indies
Series: West Indies tour of South Africa, 2023
Match: 2nd Test (Decider)
Venue: The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Dates: March 8-11, 2023
Toss: South Africa won the toss and elected to bat
Result: South Africa won by 284 runs (Series drawn 1-1)
Player of the Match: Temba Bavuma (172 runs)
Player of the Series: Alzarri Joseph (12 wickets in match)
Table of Contents
South Africa 1st Innings: 320 all out (92.2 overs)
| Batter | How Out | Bowler | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Elgar | c Da Silva | b Joseph | 42 | 70 | 8 | 0 |
| Aiden Markram | c Athanaze | b Holder | 18 | 38 | 2 | 0 |
| Tony de Zorzi | c & b | b Joseph | 28 | 63 | 5 | 0 |
| Temba Bavuma (c) | c Da Silva | b Joseph | 28 | 52 | 5 | 0 |
| Ryan Rickelton | c & b | b Joseph | 21 | 52 | 4 | 0 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | c Athanaze | b Joseph | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiaan Mulder | c Da Silva | b Joseph | 12 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| Simon Harmer | c sub (Blackwood) | b Joseph | 15 | 37 | 3 | 0 |
| Gerald Coetzee | not out | 20 | 23 | 4 | 0 | |
| Kagiso Rabada | c Chanderpaul | b Joseph | 6 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Anrich Nortje | b Joseph | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | (b 10, lb 7, nb 13) | 30 | ||||
| Total | (all out, 92.2 overs) | 320 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-53 (Markram), 2-99 (Elgar), 3-125 (de Zorzi), 4-166 (Rickelton), 5-166 (Klaasen), 6-195 (Mulder), 7-257 (Harmer), 8-287 (Bavuma), 9-320 (Rabada), 10-320 (Nortje).
West Indies Bowling:
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kemar Roach | 17 | 1 | 58 | 0 | 3.41 |
| Alzarri Joseph | 20.2 | 2 | 81 | 7 | 3.98 |
| Jason Holder | 19 | 6 | 54 | 1 | 2.84 |
| Kyle Mayers | 13 | 3 | 39 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Jomel Warrican | 18 | 2 | 57 | 0 | 3.16 |
| Raymon Reifer | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 2.80 |
West Indies 1st Innings: 251 all out (75.5 overs)
| Batter | How Out | Bowler | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraigg Brathwaite (c) | c Rickelton | b Coetzee | 17 | 34 | 3 | 0 |
| Tagenarine Chanderpaul | c Harmer | b Rabada | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Raymon Reifer | c Rickelton | b Coetzee | 11 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| Jermaine Blackwood | c sub (Petersen) | b Harmer | 12 | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| Kyle Mayers | c Klaasen | b Coetzee | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Joshua Da Silva (wk) | b Nortje | 26 | 47 | 3 | 0 | |
| Jason Holder | c Rickelton | b Nortje | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Alick Athanaze | c Rickelton | b Harmer | 8 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| Kemar Roach | b Rabada | 7 | 20 | 1 | 0 | |
| Alzarri Joseph | not out | 22 | 40 | 2 | 1 | |
| Jomel Warrican | c Rickelton | b Nortje | 9 | 35 | 2 | 0 |
| Extras | (b 10, lb 6, nb 10) | 26 | ||||
| Total | (all out, 75.5 overs) | 251 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-8 (Chanderpaul), 2-32 (Brathwaite), 3-37 (Reifer), 4-51 (Mayers), 5-87 (Blackwood), 6-87 (Holder), 7-107 (Athanaze), 8-134 (Roach), 9-169 (Da Silva), 10-251 (Warrican).
South Africa Bowling:
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagiso Rabada | 18 | 7 | 37 | 2 | 2.05 |
| Anrich Nortje | 16.5 | 5 | 46 | 3 | 2.73 |
| Gerald Coetzee | 15 | 1 | 78 | 3 | 5.20 |
| Wiaan Mulder | 8 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 2.75 |
| Simon Harmer | 18 | 7 | 52 | 2 | 2.88 |
South Africa 2nd Innings: 321 all out (90.2 overs)
| Batter | How Out | Bowler | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Elgar | c Brathwaite | b Mayers | 10 | 31 | 2 | 0 |
| Aiden Markram | c Da Silva | b Roach | 18 | 36 | 3 | 0 |
| Tony de Zorzi | c Da Silva | b Holder | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Temba Bavuma (c) | c Brathwaite | b Joseph | 172 | 280 | 20 | 0 |
| Ryan Rickelton | c Athanaze | b Mayers | 10 | 21 | 2 | 0 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | c Da Silva | b Joseph | 14 | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Wiaan Mulder | c Da Silva | b Joseph | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Simon Harmer | b Roach | 19 | 50 | 3 | 0 | |
| Gerald Coetzee | lbw | b Roach | 9 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Kagiso Rabada | c sub (Blackwood) | b Joseph | 10 | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Anrich Nortje | not out | 4 | 14 | 1 | 0 | |
| Extras | (b 14, lb 10, w 5, nb 15) | 44 | ||||
| Total | (all out, 90.2 overs) | 321 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-25 (Elgar), 2-34 (de Zorzi), 3-49 (Markram), 4-66 (Rickelton), 5-85 (Klaasen), 6-89 (Mulder), 7-155 (Harmer), 8-192 (Coetzee), 9-218 (Rabada), 10-321 (Bavuma).
West Indies Bowling:
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kemar Roach | 22 | 5 | 72 | 3 | 3.27 |
| Alzarri Joseph | 21.2 | 1 | 112 | 4 | 5.25 |
| Kyle Mayers | 17 | 2 | 47 | 2 | 2.76 |
| Jason Holder | 20 | 9 | 40 | 1 | 2.00 |
| Jomel Warrican | 10 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 2.60 |
West Indies 2nd Innings (Target: 391): 106 all out (35.1 overs)
| Batter | How Out | Bowler | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraigg Brathwaite (c) | c Klaasen | b Coetzee | 18 | 44 | 2 | 0 |
| Tagenarine Chanderpaul | c Rickelton | b Coetzee | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Raymon Reifer | c Harmer | b Rabada | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Jermaine Blackwood | lbw | b Rabada | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Mayers | c Rabada | b Harmer | 12 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| Joshua Da Silva (wk) | lbw | b Harmer | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Holder | c de Zorzi | b Harmer | 19 | 29 | 3 | 0 |
| Alick Athanaze | c sub (Petersen) | b Harmer | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Kemar Roach | b Coetzee | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Alzarri Joseph | not out | 18 | 12 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jomel Warrican | c Coetzee | b Harmer | 14 | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| Extras | (b 5, lb 2, nb 13) | 20 | ||||
| Total | (all out, 35.1 overs) | 106 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-13 (Chanderpaul), 2-16 (Reifer), 3-16 (Blackwood), 4-34 (Mayers), 5-38 (Da Silva), 6-68 (Brathwaite), 7-71 (Athanaze), 8-71 (Roach), 9-71 (Holder), 10-106 (Warrican).
South Africa Bowling:
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagiso Rabada | 9 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 2.11 |
| Gerald Coetzee | 10 | 1 | 37 | 3 | 3.70 |
| Anrich Nortje | 6 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 2.33 |
| Simon Harmer | 10.1 | 3 | 29 | 5 | 2.85 |
Match Officials: Umpires: Marais Erasmus (SA), Paul Reiffel (Aus); TV Umpire: Ahsan Raza (Pak); Match Referee: David Boon (Aus).
Player of the Match: Temba Bavuma (South Africa) – 172 runs.
Player of the Series: Alzarri Joseph (West Indies) – 12 wickets in the match.
Detailed Match Report and Analysis
Prologue: A Series on a Knife-Edge
The Wanderers Test of March 2023 was a decisive showdown. The West Indies, against all expectations, had triumphed in the first Test at SuperSport Park by an emphatic innings margin. This victory on South African soil was historic and rare, putting immense pressure on the Proteas, who were also grappling with leadership questions after Dean Elgar’s captaincy tenure was ending. For South Africa, this was more than a match; it was a test of character.
Day 1: Joseph’ Fire and Bavuma’s Foundation
South Africa, winning the toss on a green-tinged Wanderers pitch, chose to bat—a decision fraught with risk. Their innings was a story of two halves: a collapse and a recovery, both orchestrated by one man from either side. Alzarri Joseph produced a career-defining spell of fast bowling. Generating disconcerting bounce and seam movement, he single-handedly ripped through the Proteas’ top and middle order. His 7/81 was a masterpiece of sustained hostility, reducing South Africa to a precarious 287/9.
However, standing firm amidst the carnage was the South African captain, Temba Bavuma. Displaying immense grit and technical proficiency, Bavuma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 28 in the first innings, but more importantly, he found a resilient partner in young Gerald Coetzee. Their last-wicket partnership of 33 pushed the total to a fighting 320, a score that looked competitive as the pitch continued to offer assistance.
Day 2: Pace Parity and a Slender Lead
The West Indies reply started shakily against the relentless South African pace trio of Rabada, Nortje, and the fiery Coetzee. The tourists slumped to 87/7, seemingly handing South Africa a massive lead. But cricket, especially with these two teams, is never linear. A counter-attacking cameo from Joshua Da Silva (26) and a thrilling, boundary-laden knock from Alzarri Joseph (22*) turned frustrator. Joseph, riding a wave of confidence, swung hard, adding crucial runs with the tail. The last three wickets added 82 runs, limiting South Africa’s first-innings lead to just 69. It was a psychological victory for the Windies, proving their lower-order fight.
Day 3: The Bavuma Masterclass and Setting the Stage
This day belonged entirely to Temba Bavuma. In what he later described as one of the most significant innings of his career, the captain played a knock of monumental importance. Coming in at 34/2, with the lead still under 100, he witnessed a mini-collapse (66/4, 85/5, 89/6). The match was in the balance. What followed was a masterclass in concentration, shot selection, and leadership.
Bavuma’s 172 was not just about the runs; it was about the context. He farmed the strike, shielded the tail, and launched calculated attacks when with Simon Harmer and the lower order. He transformed a potential lead of 150 into an impregnable 390. His innings was a blend of crisp drives, deft deflections, and unwavering temperament. It was a statement innings that shifted the momentum irrevocably. West Indies’ bowlers, especially Joseph (4/112), toiled hard, but they were worn down by Bavuma’s relentless resolve.
Day 4: The Harmer-Hex and a Crumbling Finale
Chasing 391 was always a Herculean task on a wearing fourth-day pitch. The West Indies needed a miraculous rearguard. What they got, instead, was a spin storm from an unexpected quarter. Simon Harmer, the specialist off-spinner playing his first Test at home, exploited the rough created by the seamers and the pressure they built.
Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee provided the early breakthroughs with fiery spells, reducing the Windies to 16/3 and then 38/5. The door was slammed shut by Harmer. He bowled with impeccable control, extracting sharp turn and bounce. His 5/29 was a exhibition of classical off-spin—beating batters in the air and off the pitch. Wickets fell in a heap. From 71/7, only some wild swings from Alzarri Joseph and Jomel Warrican delayed the inevitable. The innings folded for 106, handing South Africa a massive 284-run victory and squaring the series 1-1.
Key Performances and Turning Points
- Alzarri Joseph’s 11-wicket Haul: His 7/81 in the first innings was one of the great fast bowling performances in recent Wanderers history. It kept West Indies in the game when South Africa threatened a big score.
- Temba Bavuma’s Captain’s Knock (172): The definitive turning point. It took the game away from West Indies. It was an innings that combined survival with controlled aggression, a true captain’s contribution.
- Simon Harmer’s 5-wicket Finale: On a pace-friendly venue, Harmer’s second-innings spell was a decisive surprise. He completely dismantled any remaining resistance, showcasing the value of a quality spinner in any conditions.
- The Last-Wicket Stands: Both teams benefited from irritating last-wicket partnerships. South Africa’s 33-run stand (Bavuma-Coetzee) in the first innings and West Indies’ 82-run tail-end rally (led by Joseph) were crucial in shaping the first-innings balance.
Tactical Analysis
South Africa’s decision to play both Harmer and Mulder provided balance that West Indies lacked. While the Windies relied heavily on Joseph’s brilliance, South Africa had multiple wicket-taking options. Bavuma’s leadership in managing his bowlers, particularly in using Harmer aggressively on Day 4, was astute. For the West Indies, the over-reliance on Joseph with the ball and the continued fragility of the top-order against high-quality pace were starkly exposed in the final innings.
Conclusion: A Tale of Redemption and Resilience
This Wanderers Test was a microcosm of the spirit of both teams. For the West Indies, it was a match that showed their explosive potential (through Joseph) and their frustrating inconsistencies. For South Africa, it was a story of redemption. After the humiliation of the first Test, they responded under immense pressure. Led philosophically and literally by Temba Bavuma’s epic century, and backed by a disciplined, multi-pronged bowling attack, they showcased the resilience that defines Test cricket.
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