West Indies leaves South Africa with immense room for improvement: Player Ratings for the visitors

The West Indies cricket team arrived in South Africa on the back of a series win against Zimbabwe, but the Proteas proved why there is a huge difference between the two African sides as they handed the visitors a 0-2 whitewash.

The Caribbean boys were simply blown away by the raw pace of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje in the first Test, where they lost by 87 runs. Kraigg Brathwaite’s team then lost the second match by 284 runs, in a match where opposition skipper Temba Bavuma had a field day.

Let us check out the report card of the West Indies players:

Top Order

Kraigg Brathwaite (3/10): Being among the most reliable batters in the team, expectations were high for Brathwaite. However, he failed to live up to those expectations, scoring just 46 runs in the two matches at an average of just 11.50.

The 30-year-old scored 11 runs in the first innings of the first Test, before getting out for a duck in the second innings. In the second innings, he registered scores of 17 and 18 in the first and second innings respectively.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul (2/10): Coming into this series with a huge reputation, Tagenarine Chanderpaul was another player whom the Windies supporters had expected to light up the stage. However, he was not successful in his task, scoring 35 runs at an average of just 8.75.

Son of the legendary Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagenarine scored 22 runs in the first innings of the first Test and 10 runs in the second. But the second Test was a nightmare for the 26-year-old, as he scored 3 runs in the two innings combined.

Raymon Reifer (6/10): Unlike the openers, Raymon Reifer did manage to get some runs under his belt against South Africa’s superb bowling attack. He scored 85 runs in the two matches at an average of 20+ and also picked up a wicket.

His best performance came in the first innings of the Centurion Test, where he scored 62 runs before getting out for 8 runs in the second Test. Though he scored just 15 runs in the Johannesburg Test, the Barbadian cricketer got a wicket to his name.

Middle Order

Jermaine Blackwood was West Indies’ highest run-scorer

Jermaine Blackwood (7/10): Jermaine Blackwood was undoubtedly West Indies’ most convincing player with the bat. He topped the run-scorers list for his team with his 126 runs, which came at an average of 31.50 and included one half-century.

The 31-year-old put on a brave battle to score 37 runs in the first innings of the Centurion Test, before bettering his own record with a 79-run knock in the second Test. But in the Johannesburg Test, he could only score 10 runs.

Joshua Da Silva (5/10): While many experienced players failed miserably in this series, youngster Joshua Da Silva can hold his head high for at least trying to negate South Africa’s pacers. He scored 81 runs in the two matches at an average of 20.25.

The Trinidad and Tobago lad scored just 21 runs across the two innings in the first match, but he did much better in the second game. At Johannesburg, Da Silva registered scores of 26 and 34 in the first and second innings respectively.

All-Rounders

Kyle Mayers (7/10): Kyle Mayers should be happy with his performance in this series, as though he could not deliver with the bat, he was influential with the ball in hand. The all-rounder scored 54 runs at an average of 13.50, but also picked up 7 wickets.

In the Centurion Test, Mayers scored 18 runs across the two innings and picked up 1 wicket. However, he was among his team’s best performers in the second Test at Johannesburg, where he scored 36 runs and picked up 6 wickets.

Roston Chase (2/10): Roston Chase’s story is a lot like Brathwaite’s because he is another player from whom his team had enormous expectations, but his performance was nowhere near good enough. Chase could only score 50 runs without any wickets to his name.

In the first Test at Centurion, the 30-year-old scored 22 runs and conceded 33 runs. The showing in the second Test at Johannesburg was even worse, as not only did Chase score just 28 runs but he also conceded 99 runs.

Jason Holder (9/10): Beyond any doubt, Jason Holder was West Indies’ best performer in this series as he delivered across all departments. The veteran cricketer scored 118 runs at an average of nearly 40, while he also picked up 7 wickets at a bowling average of less than 25.

Jason Holder was West Indies’ best player in this series

In the first Test, Holder picked up 3 wickets and scored 18 runs. He was seen at his best in the second match at Johannesburg, where the 31-year-old picked up 4 wickets and also scored 100 runs across the two innings, including a first-innings 81.

Bowlers

Shannon Gabriel (3/10): Shannon Gabriel got only one chance in this series, mainly because he did not do anything in that match to secure his place for the second Test. Playing the Centurion Test, the pacer could pick just 2 wickets while conceding 75 runs. As for his batting performance, Gabriel scored 8 runs.

Alzarri Joseph (8/10): While Holder might have been West Indies’ best all-round performer, their best bowler was Alzarri Joseph. The pacer was his team’s highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets, which came at a bowling average of just 18.33.

The Antiguan had an excellent first match in Centurion, where he picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings before picking up 2 more wickets in the second innings. In the second match, he picked up 5 wickets in total but also contributed 22 runs with the bat.

Kemar Roach (5/10): While Joseph had a great time in South Africa, the same cannot be said about veteran pacer Kemar Roach. The 34-year-old picked up 7 wickets, with his bowling average being 30+. As for his batting stats, Roach scored 31 runs.

The Barbados-born player did have a good first Test, as he picked up 6 wickets in that game which included a five-wicket haul in the second innings. But in the second match, he took just 1 wicket and also ended up conceding 109 runs.Gudakesh Motie (5/10): With Gabriel proving to be unconvincing in Centurion, the West Indies team management gave left-arm orthodox spinner Gudakesh Motie a chance in the Johannesburg Test. The player did well in the first innings as he scored 17 runs and picked up 3 wickets, although he went wicketless in the second innings.