South Africa inch closer to series win by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

---

Ground:	Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
Scorecard:	West Indies v South Africa
Player:	DW Steyn, J Botha, SJ Benn, AG Prince
Event:	South Africa in West Indies 2010

---

DateLine: 29th June 2010

 

The South African side inched closer to claiming the series 2-0 as West Indies once again collapsed spectacularly. Dale Steyn and Johan Botha bowled South Africa to the verge of victory in the third and final Test.

 

Steyn captured three wickets for 31 runs from nine overs, and off-spinner Botha three for 34 from 18 overs, as West Indies, trailing by 115 runs on first innings, reached 134 for seven in their second innings at the close on the third day. Only a typically dogged, unbeaten 57 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and an enterprising 25 from Shane Shillingford stood in the way of the South Africans.

 

The Proteas had been bowled out for 346 replying to West Indies' first innings total of 231, with left-hander Ashwell Prince finishing unbeaten on 78, and Sulieman Benn ending with six wickets for 81 runs from 46.4 overs.

 

Ashwell Prince held things together, as South Africa suffered a lower-order batting collapse. South Africa wobbled, after they resumed from their overnight total of 285 for six. Mark Boucher was run out for 17, Botha lbw for nine off Benn, and Steyn was comprehensively beaten and bowled with a delivery from Kemar Roach for four to leave South Africa 342 for nine at lunch. Morne Morkel was caught at slip for nine to become Benn's last victim before South Africa set their sights on victory.

 

Steyn then ripped away the top-order to wobble West Indies on 36 for three, before Botha delivered the blows to the middle-order that had them on their knees at 75 for six. Steyn struck in his third over, when Dale Richards miscued a hook and then in the next delivery, he had left-hander Narsingh Deonarine caught at square cover for a first-ball duck.

 

In his fifth over, Steyn removed Chris Gayle caught behind for 10 playing defensively forward to a perfectly-pitched delivery that bounced and moved away from the big left-hander.

 

South Africa made further inroads into the West Indies batting after the host resumed from their tea-time position of 70 for three. Botha struck with the third ball after the break, when Brendan Nash was caught at slip for 12, and three overs later, left-arm spinner Paul Harris bowled Dwayne Bravo for two.

 

Botha then had Denesh Ramdin caught behind for one, and South Africa looked like they would wrap-up their second victory of the series inside three days. But they hit a roadblock, when Shillingford joined Chanderpaul, and the pair added 53 for the seventh wicket that brought some respectability to the West Indies batting. Botha broke the partnership in the last half-hour before the close, when he trapped Shillingford lbw.