Temba Bavuma congratulates Aiden Markram who was awarded the player of the series against the West Indies at the Wanderers on Saturday. Picture: Christiaan Kotze, BackpagePix
Cape Town – The Proteas completed a 2-0 clean sweep over the West Indies to hand captain Temba Bavuma and coach Shukri Conrad their first series victory at the Wanderers over the weekend.
Here, based on the series, are Proteas player ratings:
Aiden Markram – 9
Runs: 275, Ave: 69, HS: 115, 100x1, 50x1
The undoubted player of the series was the recalled Markram who enjoyed a bountiful return to the top of the order. Unlucky to miss out on consecutive centuries, Markram has fully repaid Conrad’s faith in him.
Dean Elgar – 6.5
Runs: 119, HS: 71, Ave: 29.75, 50x1
The former captain provided the Proteas with two solid first innings starts that set up their victories, but would have felt that he should have at least converted one into a more meaningful score.
Tony de Zorzi – 7
Runs: 114, Ave: 28.50, HS: 85, 50x1
A solid performance from the Western Province top-order batter in his maiden series, and showed his potential with a half-century at the Wanderers. Has all the building blocks for a promising Test career.
"It was freaking awesome" - @Tonydezorzi33 sums up securing the #SAvWI Betway Test series 😁#BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/4NLml6wBh8
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) March 11, 2023
Temba Bavuma – 7.5
Runs: 200, Ave: 50, HS: 172, 100x1
After a nightmare start to his Test captaincy reign with a pair at Centurion, Bavuma hit back in the most emphatic fashion at the Wanderers with a career-best 172 under severe pressure to seal the series win.
His leadership was also good throughout – bar the West Indies’ final wicket partnership in the first innings.
Heinrich Klaasen – 4
Runs: 56, HS: 20, Ave: 14
Comfortable behind the stumps, but did not do enough with the bat to keep Kyle Verreynne out in the shadows for too long.
Wiaan Mulder – 6
Runs: 52 HS: 42, Ave: 27
The all-rounder played a pivotal role in the partnership with Bavuma that swung the Wanderers match, and ultimately the series, in favour of the Proteas.
Simon Harmer – 6.5
Wickets: 5 Ave: 21.60 BBI: 3/45
Bowled decently in the second innings at the Wanderers, especially after Keshav Maharaj went down injured. Could play an important role going forward.
Keshav Maharaj – 5
Wickets: 3 BBI: 2/4
A tough series for the left-arm spinner after he was left out of the first Test. A recall at the Wanderers was, however, cut short when he suffered a freak injury while celebrating a wicket.
Kagiso Rabada – 9
Wickets: 12 Ave: 11 BBI: 6/50
“KG” was excellent throughout the series and finished as the leading wicket-taker for the Proteas.
Gerald Coetzee – 8
Wickets: 9 Ave: 15.88 BBI: 3/37
An excellent debut series for the young Free State fast bowler. He was particularly good in the second innings at the Wanderers when he had to take on the responsibility of bowling the majority of the overs.
Anrich Nortjé – 9
Wickets: 6 Ave: 14.00 BBI: 5/36
The most fearsome moustache in world cricket terrorised the Windies in the first Test at Centurion before being ruled out of the second through injury.
Marco Jansen – 6
Wickets: 3 Ave: 32.33 Runs: 29 HS: 23*
Another who played the solitary first Test, but did enough to earn himself a rest for the second much to everyone’s surprise, including Dale Steyn.
Keegan Petersen, Senuran Muthusamy – 3
Both Petersen and Muthusamy were discarded after Centurion and will have to put in the hard yards during the winter to get back into the starting XI.