Ruan de Swardt and Okuhle Cele shared seven wickets for South Africa A on the first day of the second four-day match against West Indies A in Saint Lucia.
The tourists fully vindicated their decision to bowl first after winning the toss, with the hosts bowled out for just 220, before then replying with 44-2 by stumps.
All-rounder De Swardt was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 4-62 in 18.1 overs, with seamer Cele providing apt support with 3-52 in 15 overs.
Two players managed half-centuries for the home side – Alick Athanaze (65 off 94 balls; eight fours, two sixes) and Justin Greaves (57 off 100 balls; nine fours).
Both then held on to important catches to just about keep their side in touch in the final few minutes of the day when openers Jordan Hermann (18) and Lesego Senokwane (23) were dismissed, their side still 176 runs adrift.
That was the only real disappointment for the South Africans, though they will be pleased with their overall effort as they look to seal the two-match series after a big innings victory in the first game.
West Indies A had started the game well thanks to an opening stand of 53 between John Campbell (18) and Kraigg Brathwaite (35).
But the introduction of De Swardt to the attacked tipped matters South Africa A’s way. He broke the opening stand by accounting for Campbell and then got Kevlon Anderson for two, either side of the miserly Mihlali Mpongwana (1-18) removing Brathwaite.
That left the hosts on 57-3, before Jewel Andrew (17) was Cele’s first victim with the score on 90.
Athanaze and Greaves restored some stability to the innings with their stand that yielded 71 for the fifth wicket, but Cele then struck again to account for the former.
Wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach was smartly caught and bowled for a four-ball duck by De Swardt as he bagged his fourth and Cele completed his three-wicket haul with a double strike.
After Nqaba Peter (1-8) bowled Anderson Phillip (eight), captain Marques Ackerman ended the innings by running out the stubborn Greaves to end the innings on 220 in 68.1 overs.
SA A progressed well for most of the final hour they were required to face, reaching for none in the 14th over.
But then came the despair, Hermann fell to Johann Layne (1-13) and Phillip (1-20) got rid of Senokwane with what proved to be the final delivery of the day.
Photo: @ProteasMenCSA/X
