Aiden Markram announced his return to the top of South Africa’s Test batting lineup in style on Tuesday, with a knock of 115 against the West Indies at Centurion Park.
Markram and fellow opener Dean Elgar got the new era under Shukri Conrad off in style on the opening day of the first Test, scoring 141 runs for the first wicket after captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and decided to bat first.
But once their partnership was broken, wickets continued to fall as South Africa ended the day on 314/8.
THERE IT IS 💯
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) February 28, 2023
Aiden Markram cracks it top the backward point boundary to bring up his 6th Test century! #SAvWI #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/7V47pqdB2n
Elgar, dropped in the slips with his score on 10, was brilliantly caught in the deep by Jermaine Blackwood off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph 3/60 with his score on 71 and the grand total on 141.
Centurion Aiden Markram reflects on Day 1 of the first Test against the West Indies 🏏#SAvWI #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/ti1F0x38xB
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) February 28, 2023
Western Province ace Tony de Zorzi then asked for middle in his first Test and got off the mark with an edged four. He scored three more boundaries on his way to 28 before he was run out with the scoreboard then reading 221/2.
.@Tonydezorzi33 receiving his maiden Test cap gives us all the feels 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦#SAvWI #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/JYqLABA0nF
Captain Bavuma was back in the hut two balls later without scoring, trapped leg before by Joseph.
The big wicket of Markram fell 15 runs later when Joseph’s yorker hit his stumps.
Keegan Petersen (14), Heinrich Klaasen (20) and Senuran Muthusamy (3) all failed to trouble the scorers much, as Marco Jansen 17 and Gerald Goetzee 11 were at the crease when bad light stopped play.
Play will resume on Wednesday at 10am.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za