In a tight encounter between West Indies and South Africa, the first Test match of their two-match series culminated in a draw after a tense final day on Sunday at Queen’s Park Oval. Both teams batted hard, but West Indies ultimately fell short of the target set by South Africa on Day 5.
South Africa, having won the toss, decided to bat as they posted a competitive total of (357) before losing all of their wickets. The solid contribution came from Tony de Zorzi and Temba Bavuma, scoring (78) and (86) respectively.
In response, West Indies started strongly, with their openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis contributing (35) runs each and laying a solid foundation. However, South Africa’s disciplined bowling attack made inroads into the middle order, with Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada claiming four and three wickets respectively.
In their second innings, South Africa declared after setting a challenging target of (298) for West Indies. The hosts began their chase on a faltering note, with openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis losing their wickets for (0) and (9) respectively. Late surge from Alick Athanaze, scoring (92), helped West Indies manage to hold on for a draw.