[WATCH] Blown away: Temba Bavuma stars as SA waai West Indies weg
|Published
A helluva knock: Proteas Test captain Temba Bavuma was yster
Proteas Test captain Temba Bavuma led from the front as they whitewashed the West Indies 2-0 at the Wanderers on Saturday.
After winning the first Test at Centurion Park by 87 runs, South Africa blew away the Windies by 264 runs in the second and final match of the series.
And they have their skipper to thank for the big win. After scoring a pair of ducks in his first Test as red-ball leader, Bavuma bounced back by breaking a seven-year century droogte to score 172 runs off 280 balls and help his team to 321 all out in their second innings.
🚨 RESULT | SOUTH AFRICA WINS BY 284 RUNS
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) March 11, 2023
The bowling unit brought their A-game as the wickets were shared among them to dismiss the West Indies for 106 in the second innings and claim the Betway Test Series 2-0#SAvWI #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/kLFDrtf74t
Having scored 320 in their first innings, with the Windies replying with 251, SA were in trouble on 8/2 when the skipper asked for middle.
And despite wickets tumbling around him, Bavuma played a true captain’s knock to give SA the upper hand again.
But the job was not yet done and with the tourists needing 391 for the win, SA’s bowlers still had to get them out.
Gerald Coetzee (3/37) and Simon Harmer (3/34) then led the way to guide SA to a big win in coach Shukri Conrad’s first series in charge of the team.
"It was freaking awesome" - @Tonydezorzi33 sums up securing the #SAvWI Betway Test series 😁#BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/4NLml6wBh8
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) March 11, 2023
Having scored only his second ton in 56 Tests, with the last (102*) being at Newlands against England in January 2016, Man of the Match Bavuma says: “It gives me a lot of confidence. As a leader you want to be leading from the front with whatever your discipline is. So me being a batter, it’s always at the top of my mind that I want to score runs.”
Coach Shukri Conrad adds of his skipper: “He’s always under a lot of pressure for no good reason sometimes. But I think the knock was monumental in so many respects. The series was on a knife-edge… when he walked in at 8/2 and a couple more wickets fell, it was really someone needed to stand up and move the momentum in our favour. It was Temba.
“It’s a language we use about match-defining innings and spells with the ball and that was both match and series defining. Every single body in the team is so thrilled for him…
“That was a helluva knock…”
The two teams now get ready for the first of three ODIs at Buffalo Park on Thursday.
Time to whip out the coloured clothing and bring on limited overs cricket 🏏#BePartOfIt and get your tickets today 🎟️https://t.co/fR4pwv6pJ1#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/6HWwC0xwS2
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) March 12, 2023
The Proteas, meanwhile, will be without spinner Keshav Maharaj, who will undergo surgery today after rupturing an Achilles tendon while celebrating a wicket against the Windies.