Alviro Petersen hit 52 to help South Africa make a confident start to the second Test against the West Indies today, before rain prompted an early lunch.
Petersen struck three fours and two sixes from 70 balls before Shane Shillingford claimed his scalp, as the South Africans reached 104 for one at the interval on the opening day at Warner Park.
Petersen put on 99 for the first wicket with captain Graeme Smith, after the Proteas won the toss and chose to bat on a hard, flat pitch. He reached his 50 with two to fine leg off Sulieman Benn, but had little time to celebrate before he top-edged a sweep and was caught at deep backward square leg by a diving Kemar Roach.
Hashim Amla joined Smith and they were busy batting South Africa to the scheduled interval, when a steady drizzle drove the players off the field about 15 minutes before lunch. Smith, too, was eyeing a half-century, not out on 45, and Amla, the most prolific batsman in the preceding limited-overs matches, if not the first Test, is yet to score.
The South Africans are unchanged, but West Indies have included Roach for fellow fast bowler Nelon Pascal. The Proteas lead the three-Test series 1-0, after they won the first Test by 163 runs inside four days last Sunday at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.
{{/usCountry}}The South Africans are unchanged, but West Indies have included Roach for fellow fast bowler Nelon Pascal. The Proteas lead the three-Test series 1-0, after they won the first Test by 163 runs inside four days last Sunday at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.
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