The West Indies had cause to rue four missed chances as South Africa moved steadily towards a substantial first innings total on the first day of the second Test at St George's Park on Friday. South Africa were 157 for one at tea after being sent in to bat in overcast conditions. Dean Elgar (85 not out) and Faf du Plessis (42 not out) put on an unbeaten 110 for the second wicket but both should have been dismissed.
Du Plessis was put down by Marlon Samuels at gully off Jerome Taylor when he had made eight and again by Devon Smith diving to his right off left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn when he was on 26.
One ball after Du Plessis' second escape, the left-handed Elgar went down the wicket to Benn and was well out of his ground as the ball squeezed through to hit low on the pad of captain and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.
Elgar was on 48 and to add insult to injury for the disappointed bowler he went down the wicket again just after that and lofted Benn to the straight boundary to raise his fifty.
Elgar could have been run out on 73. After a mix-up with Du Plessis, he was several metres short of safety when Kenroy Peters' throw from midwicket missed the stumps at the bowler's end.
West Indies only wicket came after Elgar and Alviro Petersen had put on 47 for the first wicket.
Petersen played a rash stroke against Shannon Gabriel and was caught by Leon Johnson, running back from cover.
Gabriel was one of three changes in the West Indian bowling line-up. Gabriel, debutant Peters and all-rounder Jason Holder all bowled accurately in overcast conditions.
Gabriel and Holder were particularly effective in tandem, conceding only ten runs in nine overs after Petersen's dismissal.
South Africa made two changes from the side that won the first Test at Centurion by an innings and 220 runs.
Batsman Temba Bavuma became the sixth black African - and the first since Lonwabo Tsotsobe four seasons ago - to play Test cricket for South Africa. He replaced the injured Quinton de Kock and is the 85th player to be capped since South Africa returned to Test cricket in 1992.
In a second change for the hosts, Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir replaced seamer Kyle Abbott, with spin expected to be a factor on the St George?s Park pitch.
AB de Villiers, who will continue to keep wicket as he did in both West Indies innings in the first Test after De Kock's injury, is playing in his 97th consecutive Test since his debut ten years ago.
By doing so he moved one ahead of Australia's Adam Gilchrist, the previous record-holder for most consecutive Tests from debut.
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