The South African team poses with the trophy after winning on day three of the second Test match between West Indies and South Africa at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, Guyana. | Photo Credit: AFP
Keshav Maharaj took three wickets to guide South Africa to a 40-run win over the West Indies in the second Test in Georgetown on Saturday and become his country’s most successful spin bowler.
South Africa won the match within three days after bowling out West Indies for 222 and setting them a target of 263 runs to win the match.
The rain-affected first match in Trinidad was drawn, but victory in the second Test means South Africa have won their 10th consecutive series against the Windies.
Maharaj, named player of the series, took three wickets for 37 runs and set a new standard for South African spin bowling by surpassing Hugh Tayfield’s record of 170 Test wickets.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rababa, who also took three wickets, is now on 299 Test wickets.
It was a low-scoring match in which the visitors had a close contest and the Windies fell behind badly.
They began their chase two days before the close of play but opener Michael Lewis fell cheaply for four when he nicked a Rabada delivery to Wiaan Mulder at slip.
Captain Craig Brathwaite was the next batsman out, but not before he added 42 for the second wicket with Casey Carty.
When the veteran Jason Holder was dismissed without scoring any runs and West Indies were reduced to 104/6, it looked like a tough task for the home team.
However, Joshua da Silva and Gudakesh Moti made the best Windies partnership of the series, adding 77 runs to reduce the target to 82 runs before Moti was trapped LBW by Maharaj for a Test-best 45.
Maharaj had Da Silva trapped LBW for 27 and a brilliant one-handed catch from skipper Temba Bavuma sent Shamar Joseph to the pavilion before Maharaj had Jayden Seales caught by close-in fielder David Bedingham.
South Africa resumed their innings at 223/5 in the morning, with a lead of 239 runs. But the 22-year-old Seales dismissed the last five batsmen to take 6 for 61 as the last five wickets fell for 22 runs.