South Africa vs. West Indies, 2nd Test, Day 2: Highlights, Scorecard and Report

South Africa’s dominance of the first Test with West Indies continued on Day 2, but they were denied a chance to attack the tourists’ batting by rain.

Hashim Amla helped himself to a double-century and Stiaan van Zyl bagged a maiden Test ton, as South Africa declared on 552 for 5.

Shortly afterward, the rain arrived at Centurion and forced an early end to the day’s play.

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Minutes	Balls
AN Petersen	c Smith b Roach	27	59	44
D Elgar	c Samuels b Cottrell	28	66	42
F du Plessis	c †Ramdin b Roach	0	13	8
HM Amla	c Taylor b Benn	208	475	371
AB de Villiers	c Blackwood b Benn	152	318	235
S van Zyl	not out	101	171	130
Q de Kock†	not out	18	20	15
Extras	(b 8, lb 6, w 2, nb 2)	18
Total	(5 wickets dec; 140.3 overs)	552
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
JE Taylor	26.1	5	108	0
SS Cottrell	28	1	124	1
KAJ Roach	15.5	4	52	2
SJ Benn	46	7	148	2
MN Samuels	20	0	89	0
KC Braithwaite	1	0	2	0
J Blackwood	3.3	0	15	0

West Indies were in dire need of a wicket, and they got it 25 minutes into the second day.

AB de Villiers, as he had done so superbly on countless occasions in his innings, went to drive through the covers. However, on this occasion, on 152, he miscued slightly and picked out Jermaine Blackwood at backward point.

It was an innings deserving of a standing ovation, and it is what it received, as the superstar batsman took the acclaim of the Centurion crowd as he departed the scene.

"

#CricketFacts"@LulamaMevana: Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Graeme Pollock & AB de Villiers are South African greatest batsmen ever."

— Lwandile (@StylzTd) December 18, 2014"

It is not clear if Stiaan van Zyl required treatment overnight for padrash, having spent most of the previous day watching from the pavilion as Amla and De Villiers scored freely.

Having waited so long for his Test debut, Van Zyl should have departed on two. He turned a ball from Sulieman Benn off his pads to leg gully, but Kraigg Brathwaite shelled the chance. It was a moment that typified the West Indies effort.

Effort is a loose term to throw at their display in the field. Shorn of the services of Kemar Roach—the pick of the West Indies bowlers on the first day—the tourists looked completely flat.

Van Zyl took advantage of the less-than-testing bowling to ease himself into the Test arena, while the juggernaut that is Amla continued on his merry way.

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On 180, Amla offered up another chance. A loose flick to midwicket off Jerome Taylor picked out Blackwood, but he coughed up the chance.

Amla took advantage to rack up his third double-century, but on 208, he miscued a lofted drive and was pouched on the boundary by Taylor off Benn.

"

There's no denying genius of Hashim Amla, wristy flick through midwicket for 2 off Cottrell & he has his 3rd double-century, 457 mins, 359b

— Ken Borland (@KenBorland) December 18, 2014"

In his first Test as skipper on home soil, it truly was a captain’s innings.

With a declaration looming, Van Zyl was given the chance to make a Test century on debut, and he did not pass up the chance.

"

What a fantastic start to Stiaan van Zyl's international career! 100 for him on debut! THAT is #ProteaFire pic.twitter.com/T5jNph7BwS

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) December 18, 2014"

The declaration followed shortly after South Africa had gone past 550, and the rain arrived to deny Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Co. a crack at the West Indies batsmen.

The pressure is firmly on the West Indies batsmen to show up in a manner their bowlers did not, as they will need to bat for long spells to save the game.