West Indies vs South Africa – 2nd Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs South Africa taking place? Friday, June 18th, 2021 – 15:00 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs South Africa taking place? Daren Sammy National Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs South Africa? 18-25c with sunshine forecast across all five days and light winds on Day 2
What channel is West Indies vs South Africa on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport in the UK
Where can I stream West Indies vs South Africa? BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match live via the BT Sport website and app
LAST MEETING
South Africa beat West Indies by an innings and 63 runs.
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- It was a disastrous performance from a West Indies batting perspective against South Africa, as they were dismantled by a fierce Proteas bowling attack after winning the toss and batting first.
- Whilst 19-year-old fast bowler Jayden Seales impressed on debut by taking three wickets with the ball, supporting the likes of Kemar Roach and Jason Holder as the latter picked up four wickets, the batters never gave their bowling unit any chance hope of getting them back into the game
- After being dismissed for 97 and 162 to lose by an innings, captain Kraigg Brathwaite and the Windies coaching staff must be considering changes to the batting lineup, with Nkrumah Bonner unlikely to feature after top edging the ball onto his helmet following an attempted hook shot in the first test and diagnosed with concussion.
SOUTH AFRICA
- Dean Elgar’s reign as South African captain got off to the perfect start in Saint Lucia, after a totally dominant performance from his side saw them thrash West Indies in the first Test of this two-match series in what was their first away test victory since 2017.
- After bowling West Indies out for just 97, wicketkeeper batter Quinton De Kock took centre stage with the willow, hitting a magnificent 141 to help his side reach 322, giving the bowlers a platform to bowl West Indies out cheaply again and secure the innings and 63-run win.
- The pace bowling unit of the Proteas were on fire, with both Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi each gaining five-wicket hauls, whilst Anrich Nortje took seven wickets across the course of the match and with that in mind, Elgar is expected to stick with the same side for this second test.
THE PREDICTION
Such an emphatic result in the opening test between these two sides surprised everyone, with South Africa’s brilliant fast bowling attack laying down a marker ahead of the second test back in Saint Lucia, where there could be further assistance for the quick bowlers with swing in the air. This doesn’t bode well for West Indies, whose batters were consistently edging the ball to the slip fielders and the hosts must find a way to temper their technique with the bat against a high class opposition.
South Africa’s batting wasn’t perfect however, with 201 of their 322 runs accrued in the first innings contributed by only two players in De Kock (141*) and opener Aiden Markram (60). The rest of the Proteas batters will need to provide more of a contribution in the second test and give their bowlers enough runs to play with when they come to bowl. A low scoring affair may be on the cards with the bowling attacks of both sides far superior to the batting units. Ultimately, when taking into account the brilliance of the South African quicks combined with Keshav Maharaj’s spin-bowling that will likely come into play as the pitch wears down, the tourists should overwhelm the West Indies’ batters once again and go on to secure a second successive test victory.
