• All-round Subrayen strengthens SA A’s position

    Prenelan Subrayen starred with bat and ball to further strengthen the position of South Africa A over West Indies A after the third day of the first four-day match in Saint Lucia.

    The KZN Dolphins captain first hit an unbeaten half-century that took his team up to 600-7, where they declared with a 360-run lead, before claiming 3-71 with his spin, which left the hosts at 251-6 at stumps.

    It meant they still trailed the tourists by 109 with the final day to come on Wednesday.

    After playing the better cricket for the first half of the game, the South Africans continued to assert their dominance in the match thanks in the main to Subrayen.

    He began the day batting unbeaten on 31 and having strung together 97 for the sixth wicket with Rivaldo Moonsamy (68 off 104 balls; eight fours, one six).

    But the visitors lost their wicketkeeper first up as he fell to Ronaldo Alimohamed (2-88). However, Subrayen kept going, first reaching a half-century and then taking his side to 600 alongside Tristan Luus (15*). The 31-year-old ended unbeaten on 64 off 77 balls (seven fours, one six).

    With a big innings deficit between the teams, the hosts fell into further trouble when John Campbell was caught and bowled by Tshepo Moreki (1-53) for a four-ball duck.

    However, the innings was then given a boost thanks to an 87-run second-wicket stand between Mikyle Louis (34) and Kevlon Anderson (52 off 101 balls; five fours).

    Subrayen was the man to break the stand with his off-breaks, first removing the former and then the latter to reduce West Indies A to 108-3.

    Kavem Hodge (38), Alick Athanaze (49) and captain Tevin Imlach (31) then all got strong starts, but failed to kick on – as the South African bowlers continued to chip away.

    Luus took out the first two of those three players to fall with his seam, while Subrayen, who sent down 27 overs in total, accounted for the key wicket of the skipper with just under three overs of the day remaining.

    Alimohamed (34*) at the other end was holding up the visitors’ charge, though they still ended the day in pole position to push for a result.

    Scorecard

    Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images

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    Simon Borchardt