Cricket

In the highly anticipated first Test match at Guyana since 2011, South Africa has opted to bat first after winning the toss against hosts West Indies. The match marks a crucial encounter for both teams, with South Africa aiming to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final and West Indies seeking to improve their position on the points table.South Africa's lineup features two notable changes: left-arm seamer Nandre Burger and offspinner Dane Piedt. Burger replaces Lungi Ngidi, while Piedt, who last played a Test in 2018, joins Keshav Maharaj as the team's second specialist spinner. Allrounder Wiaan Mulder will bat at No. 7.West Indies, on the other hand, has made only one change from the drawn Trinidad Test. Shamar Joseph, who will be making his international debut at home, replaces Kemar Roach. The team retains its three-seamer, two-spinner combination, with Gudakesh Motie holding his place despite going wicketless in the previous match.With the first Test ending in a draw, this match becomes a winner-takes-all affair. For South Africa, it is the first of seven must-win Tests if they hope to qualify for the World Test Championship final without relying on other results. West Indies, currently ninth on the points table, will be eager to secure a victory to improve their chances of reaching the final.The Providence Stadium, which is hosting its third Test match, is expected to witness a thrilling contest between two evenly matched teams. South Africa's batting lineup, led by Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma, will face a stern test against the West Indies bowling attack, which includes the experienced Jason Holder and the promising Jayden Seales.The match promises to be a captivating spectacle, with both teams determined to emerge victorious and secure a crucial advantage in the series.

Alick Athanaze's valiant 92 propelled the West Indies to a hard-fought draw against South Africa in the rain-marred first Test at Queen's Park Oval. The Proteas set a daunting target of 298, but Athanaze's resilience and a crucial partnership with Jason Holder kept the hosts in contention.Athanaze, batting at a precarious 18 for two, displayed remarkable patience and composure. He faced 116 deliveries, hitting nine boundaries, and anchored the West Indies' innings for over three hours. His partnership with Holder, worth 65 runs, lifted the hosts from a shaky 127 for four to a more stable position.However, as the close of play approached, Athanaze's concentration wavered. Eager to reach his century, he top-edged a sweep off Keshav Maharaj to Ryan Rickelton at backward square-leg. Maharaj, who finished with match figures of eight for 164, proved to be the most potent threat to the West Indies.Earlier in the day, Tristan Stubbs led South Africa's charge for quick runs with an aggressive 68 off 50 balls. Stubbs' maiden Test half-century, coupled with contributions from Tony de Zorzi (45) and Aiden Markram (38), allowed South Africa to declare their second innings at 173 for three.West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who fell cheaply in the first over, expressed confidence in his team's ability to chase down the target. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy, but my message to the boys was to back themselves and fully commit to their plans at the crease," he said.However, rain played a significant role in the match, with more than two days of playing time lost. This raises concerns for the second and final Test, scheduled to take place at the Guyana National Stadium from Thursday.

The fourth day of the Test match between South Africa and West Indies at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago witnessed a dramatic turn of events, setting the stage for a thrilling final day. Despite rain interruptions and a delayed start, South Africa seized control of the game, leaving West Indies facing an uphill battle.After bowling out West Indies for 233 in their first innings, South Africa gained a 124-run lead. The Proteas then added 30 runs in five overs before the close of play on Saturday, putting themselves in a strong position to push for a victory.On Sunday, with a yellow-level weather alert in place and heavy rainfall in the area, it seemed that the match would be further delayed or even abandoned. However, after a six-hour delay, play finally commenced. South Africa wasted no time in asserting their dominance, triggering a West Indian collapse of 6 for 60 in just 16.1 overs.The Proteas' bowlers, led by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, wreaked havoc on the West Indian batting lineup. Rabada claimed three wickets, while Ngidi picked up two. The West Indies were eventually bowled out for 162, giving South Africa a commanding lead of 286 runs.With only one day remaining in the Test, South Africa will be looking to press home their advantage and secure a victory. However, the weather remains a major concern, and further rain interruptions could potentially spoil the Proteas' plans.Despite the challenges posed by the weather, this Test match has been a captivating affair, with both teams showing resilience and determination. The final day promises to be a thrilling spectacle, with South Africa aiming to complete a memorable victory and West Indies fighting to salvage a draw.

South Africa's captain, Temba Bavuma, once again fell short of a century but emerged as the top scorer as the Proteas reached 344-8 at the end of the second day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Queen's Park Oval.Bavuma contributed a valuable 86 runs before being dismissed leg before wicket to a full toss from Jayden Seales that swung away. Opener Tony de Zorzi also made a significant contribution, scoring 76 runs.At the close of play, Wiaan Mulder (37) and Kagiso Rabada (12) remained unbeaten and will resume batting on Friday. The hosts will be eager to dismiss the remaining batters quickly and gain an advantage in the match.After South Africa resumed on 45-1, with most of the first day's play lost due to rain, several batsmen made useful contributions. De Zorzi, who was 32 not out overnight, quickly reached his half-century off 78 balls.However, his partner Tristan Stubbs was the first to be dismissed, caught at first slip off Kemar Roach for 20. De Zorzi followed soon after, gloving a reverse sweep off spinner Jomel Warrican to leg slip. David Bedingham was out for 29, caught at deep forward square leg off Seales.Bavuma and Ryan Rickleton added 57 runs for the fifth wicket before Rickleton was trapped leg before wicket by Roach for 19, immediately after the new ball was taken. Bavuma's dismissal highlighted his ongoing struggle to convert half-centuries into Test hundreds, having only two centuries in 57 matches for South Africa.In the final 20 minutes of play, Warrican claimed two wickets in consecutive deliveries, both caught and bowled. Kyle Verreynne was out for 39, ending a 57-run partnership with Mulder, and Keshav Maharaj was dismissed for a first-ball duck. Rabada survived the hat-trick ball but nearly edged Warrican's next delivery to the slips.The flat track made it a challenging day for the bowlers, with Warrican's figures of 3-66 being the best among them. The Proteas will be hoping to build on their solid start and post a competitive total in the first innings.

South Africa's decision to bolster their batting lineup with Ryan Rickelton at No. 6 has resulted in a 7-4 split in their playing XI for the opening Test against West Indies in Trinidad. The move forced the Proteas to bench a bowler, with left-arm seamer Nandre Burger missing out.Wiaan Mulder will operate as the third seamer alongside Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, while Keshav Maharaj will be the lone specialist spinner. West Indies, on the other hand, have handed a debut to batter Keacy Carty and opted for a twin spin combination of Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican. Shamar Joseph has been omitted from the XI.Kemar Roach returns to the West Indies side after missing the series against Australia earlier this year and will lead the attack in the absence of Alzarri Joseph. Both teams are eager to revive their World Test Championship campaigns, with South Africa currently seventh and West Indies ninth in the standings.South Africa's batting lineup boasts a mix of experience and youth, with Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, and Tristan Stubbs at the top of the order. Temba Bavuma will captain the side, while David Bedingham and Ryan Rickelton provide depth in the middle order. Kyle Verreynne will don the wicketkeeping gloves.West Indies' batting lineup will be led by Kraigg Brathwaite, who will open alongside Mikyle Louis. Keacy Carty will make his Test debut at No. 3, followed by Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, and Jason Holder. Joshua Da Silva will be responsible for the wicketkeeping duties.The bowling attack for West Indies will be spearheaded by Kemar Roach, who has 253 Test wickets to his name. Jayden Seales, Gudakesh Motie, and Jomel Warrican will provide support.The match marks the first Test between South Africa and West Indies in Trinidad since 2005. West Indies have not beaten South Africa in a home Test since 2001 and have not won a Test against them in 17 years.

West Indies have taken a slender lead over England in the final Test at Edgbaston, thanks to half-centuries from Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge.Resuming on a precarious 33 for 2, West Indies lost Alick Athanaze early on to Shoaib Bashir. However, Louis and Hodge steadied the innings with a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket.Louis, who resumed on 18, added 39 runs to his overnight score before being dismissed for 57. He struck two sixes and four fours in his innings.Hodge, who scored a century in the second Test at Nottingham, continued his good form with an unbeaten 52. He hit seven fours in his innings.Ben Stokes provided England with a breakthrough when he had Louis caught at second slip by Zak Crawley. Stokes also removed Jason Holder, who was trapped lbw by an inswinger from Gus Atkinson.Joshua Da Silva survived a nasty blow to his right biceps from a Stokes lifter to be 2 not out at the break.West Indies lead by 57 runs with five wickets remaining. England will need to take early wickets in the afternoon session to get back into the match.

The second Test match between England and West Indies commenced at Trent Bridge on Thursday, with West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite opting to field after winning the toss. The visitors were forced to make a late change to their playing XI, with spinner Gudakesh Motie ruled out due to illness and replaced by Kevin Sinclair.England's openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, faced the first over from Alzarri Joseph. Crawley was dismissed for a duck in the third over, caught at third slip by Alick Athanaze after edging a delivery that shaped away. Ollie Pope joined Duckett at the crease and the pair put on a 23-run partnership before Duckett was caught behind off Jayden Seales for 19.Pope continued to score freely, hitting four boundaries in his innings of 24 before he was dismissed by Joseph. Harry Brook and Joe Root then steadied the England innings, adding 45 runs for the fourth wicket. Brook was eventually dismissed for 25, caught at gully off Seales, while Root was out for 26, caught at short leg off Sinclair.Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith put on a brief partnership before Stokes was dismissed for 18, caught at mid-wicket off Sinclair. Smith and Chris Woakes then added 30 runs for the seventh wicket before Smith was dismissed for 20, caught at slip off Seales.Woakes and Gus Atkinson put on a further 25 runs before Woakes was dismissed for 24, caught at mid-wicket off Sinclair. Atkinson and Mark Wood then added 15 runs for the ninth wicket before Atkinson was dismissed for 12, caught at slip off Seales.Wood and Shoaib Bashir added a further 10 runs before Wood was dismissed for 15, caught at mid-wicket off Sinclair. Bashir remained unbeaten on 10 as England were bowled out for 219 in 64.3 overs.Seales was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, taking 4-55, while Sinclair claimed 3-33. Joseph and Shamar Joseph also took two wickets each.

West Indies coach Andre Coley has urged his team to draw inspiration from their resilience in Australia earlier this year as they seek to bounce back from a heavy defeat in the first Test against England at Lord's.In January, West Indies were thrashed by 10 wickets by Australia in the first of two Tests at Adelaide Oval. However, they responded with a famous victory at the Gabba, with Shamar Joseph taking seven second-innings wickets.Ahead of the second Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday, Coley implored his players to believe they can set up a decider at Edgbaston."They would've taken a lot of positives from that," Coley said on Monday, when asked about the Gabba Test. "In terms of how we were able to bounce back, the process that we went through to be able to do that I believe is a lot more powerful [than the result].""It reinforces the fact that in a series you could actually not start well but then compose yourself and come back in the series and be quite competitive, potentially set it up for a game-three decider. So there are real positives to be taken away, not only from the first Test here, but what we would've [faced in the] last six months."Coley suggested that his side have learned from the first Test, despite their heavy defeat."Having been here now about two weeks, having a bit of time to acclimatise to conditions and actually getting time in the middle… yes, the result was not what we would've wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there's a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways.""We admit that the side we have, it is young and emerging… but we are still very positive about how we are approaching the second Test. Everybody's in good spirits. We've been catching up with the players one-on-one and this will really be the first time that we'll be settled as a squad.""There's been quite a bit of activity on and off the field leading up to the first Test and it's been a lot, I can imagine, for some of our players to have been able to absorb. So it's a massive learning for everyone, players and staff, and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham."Coley said there were positives to take from how his team fared with the ball in the first Test, having bowled England out for 371 in their only innings. But he called on his batters to try and put longer partnerships together, and also told them to raise their intensity in the field."We know the conditions will be testing: that's why it's called a Test match," he said. "We're not playing at home. Our conditions are going to be slightly different, but we do have it within our ranks to be at our best and to compete with England.""There were periods in the game where [England] actually had to show really good application and grit… Jayden Seales, Jason Holder; you had Alzarri Joseph, his pace was back up; Gudakesh Motie played a fantastic role in terms of helping the captain, Kraigg [Brathwaite] to be able to control and [took the] key wicket of the captain [Ben] Stokes.""So yes, quite a few positives. I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that we're known to show in the field. I thought in this Test match, we weren't at our best in terms of imposing ourselves on the England batters. That is definitely something that we need to be better at for the next Test."Shamar Joseph suffered stiffness in his left hamstring during the first Test, at one stage leaving the field mid-over. A CWI spokesperson said that no decision has been made on his availability for the second Test, with West Indies due to train at Trent Bridge on Tuesday morning.

England's dominance over West Indies continued at Lord's as they secured a resounding innings and 114-run victory, completing a comprehensive triumph in the first Test.After posting a mammoth 371 in their first innings, England's bowlers wreaked havoc on the West Indies batting lineup. Gus Atkinson, making his Test debut, emerged as the star performer, claiming 12 wickets for 106 runs in the match. His exceptional performance marked the best figures by an Englishman on Test debut since 1890.James Anderson, the veteran seamer, also made a significant contribution, taking four wickets in the match, including three in the second innings. Despite missing out on a fairytale five-wicket haul, Anderson's 704th Test wicket cemented his status as one of the greatest bowlers of all time.England's batting lineup also impressed, with Zak Crawley (76), Alex Smith (70), Joe Root (68), Ollie Pope (57), and Harry Brook (50) all contributing to the team's imposing total.In the second innings, Atkinson continued his demolition of the West Indies batting order, claiming five wickets for 61 runs. Anderson chipped in with three wickets, while Stuart Broad and Jack Leach also played their part in the rout.West Indies' batting woes were evident throughout the match, with only Kyle Mayers (31) and Nkrumah Bonner (35) offering any resistance. The team's inability to build partnerships and their susceptibility to Atkinson's pace and accuracy proved costly.England's victory sets the tone for the remaining two Tests in the series. The team will be confident of continuing their dominance, while West Indies will need to find a way to improve their batting performance if they are to avoid a series whitewash.