Alick Athanaze fell short of his first Test century but played a crucial role in securing a draw for the West Indies against South Africa in the rain-affected first Test match at Queen’s Park Oval. Despite facing a challenging target of 298 runs set by South Africa, Athanaze’s resilient 92 runs and a partnership of 65 with Jason Holder helped the West Indies reach 201 for five by the end of play.
Keshav Maharaj was the standout performer for the Proteas, claiming four wickets in the second innings to finish with match figures of eight for 164. Athanaze showed great composure during his innings but was dismissed just short of his century, trying to accelerate the scoring towards the end.
South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs played aggressively to set the stage for a declaration, but captain Temba Bavuma admitted that they lacked time to force a result due to weather interruptions. West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite remained optimistic about chasing the target, despite early setbacks.
The match ended in a draw due to lost playing time from rain interruptions, leading to concerns about the upcoming Test match in Guyana facing similar challenges. The decision to schedule matches during the rainy season in the southern Caribbean has come under scrutiny.
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