Elgar full of praise for the Proteas

Dean Elgar said he was pleased with the Proteas’ all-round performance after winning his first match as Test captain, the South Africans thrashing the West Indies inside three days in St Lucia.

Elgar’s men overwhelmed their hosts at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground to win the first Test by an innings and 63 runs and go one-up in the two-match series. Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada took five-wicket hauls apiece as the SA pace attack ripped through the West Indies batting unit on a wicket that assisted the bowlers.

“I think it was a proper professional performance by everyone. Clinical is one word‚ ruthless might be another word [to describe it]‚” said the new man in charge of the Test team.

“It’s a bit more of an oldschool SA style of cricket that I have been pushing for, knowing that we have it within us. I just need to get it out of the guys and once you get them thinking that way‚ it is something that I am striving for.”

WE SCORED OVER 300 RUNS ON A WICKET THAT IS QUITE FAVOURABLE TO SEAM BOWLERS. SO CREDIT HAS TO GO TO OUR BATTING UNIT AS WELL

Dean Elgar Proteas captain

Elgar lost his first toss and the Proteas were asked to bowl first on a lively wicket. The Proteas responded well as Ngidi took five wickets‚ Anrich Nortjé four and Rabada one in the first innings to blow away the hosts for 97.

Captain Elgar faced just five balls before he fell to Kemar Roach without scoring. His opening partner, Aiden Markram, scored a half-century but it was Quinton de Kock’s classy century that took the match away from the West Indies as his highest Test score of 141 steered the Proteas to 322.

The South Africans never had to bat again. Rabada was rampant in the hosts’ second innings as he helped himself to a fivewicket haul‚ Nortjé with three scalps and spinner Keshav Maharaj claiming two wickets as the West Indies posted 162.

“The feelings are good. Three really tough days‚ or two-and-ahalf days‚ really tough days of cricket climate that we are not used to‚ and the wicket that obviously assisted the bowlers in quite a big way‚” Elgar said.

“In saying that, we scored over 300 runs on a wicket that is quite favourable to seam bowlers. So credit has to go to our batting unit as well.

“Test wins are something that we do not take for granted. I certainly don’t take it for granted because I know the effort that goes into the game.”

The Proteas will be determined to win the second and final Test starting on Friday at the same venue to clinch the series.