GROS ISLET, St. Lucia — In a efficiency that left no room for ambiguity, South Africa ‘A’ crushed West Indies ‘A’ by an innings and 88 runs on the ultimate day of the primary unofficial Check on the Daren Sammy Nationwide Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The hosts, teetering in a single day at 251 for six, have been bowled out inside the first session, managing a feeble 273 of their second innings — a mere 22-run addition that underscored a grim narrative of collapse.
Luus and Subrayen slice by means of the tail
The morning started with faint hope for West Indies ‘A’, needing 109 extra runs to keep away from an innings defeat. That hope was extinguished in a flurry of wickets. With solely three runs added, medium-pacer Tristan Luus opened the day’s account by eradicating Khary Pierre for a 19-ball duck, setting the tone for what adopted.
Off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen then stepped in with medical precision. He dismissed Johann Layne and Oshane Thomas in fast succession, dismantling any remaining resistance earlier than Luus returned to uproot Ronaldo Alimohamed for 40 and seal the emphatic victory.
Subrayen ended with standout figures of 5 for 82 from 30 overs, whereas Luus backed him with 4 for 86 — a devastating duo that accounted for 9 of the ten second-innings wickets.
Batting blues: One other disappointing outing for WI ‘A’
It was yet one more underwhelming efficiency with the bat for West Indies ‘A’. After managing solely 240 of their first innings, the Caribbean aspect had no solutions to South Africa’s self-discipline and aggression. Their incapacity to capitalize on begins, paired with technical shortcomings, turned the competition right into a lopsided affair.
This newest defeat solely provides to issues concerning the depth and growth of the regional aspect on the ‘A’ stage.
Ackerman’s masterclass anchors South Africa’s onslaught
The groundwork for South Africa’s dominance was laid with the bat — and led from the entrance by captain Marques Ackerman in spectacular vogue. His commanding 209 got here off simply 170 deliveries, laced with 32 boundaries and two towering sixes, a efficiency that not solely demoralized the West Indies bowlers but in addition showcased the stark hole in batting class.
Ackerman’s innings was fantastically supported by a string of half-centuries that compounded West Indies’ distress. Opener Jordan Hermann contributed 52, Jason Smith added 56, and wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy chipped in with a composed 68 from 104 balls. Subrayen added insult to damage with an unbeaten 64 earlier than South Africa ‘A’ declared on a mammoth 600 for seven.
Innings defeat displays deeper points for regional cricket
For West Indies ‘A’, the defeat was not simply numerical — it was symbolic. It mirrored an all-too-familiar sample of inconsistency, fragile batting, and ineffective response to strain. With extra fixtures within the sequence nonetheless to return, pressing introspection and recalibration are wanted if the hosts are to keep away from one other mauling.
