South Africa

After being bowled out for 269 in their first innings, England allowed South Africa to recover from a vulnerable 40-3 as Dean Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen piled on 117 for the fourth wicket.

But a rush of five wickets after tea allowed England to reassert themselves in the contest, South Africa ending day two in Cape Town on 215-8 and thoroughly rattled.

Stokes' four catches in the innings put him one short of becoming the first English fielder - other than wicketkeepers - to take five in a Test innings.

The day's play ended with Anderson's third wicket as he had Keshav Maharaj caught by Dom Sibley at third slip.

Anderson's 3-34, Broad's 2-36 and Sam Curran's 2-39 showed up South Africa's limitations against England's seam attack, while heavily-worked spinner Dom Bess took the key wicket of Dean Elgar, who made 88 before skying one to the tourists' captain, Joe Root.

England, on 262-9 overnight, predictably did not go much further, adding only seven runs before Anderson edged a snappy delivery from Kagiso Rabada to Van der Dussen at first slip.

Anderson and Broad were reckoned by some observers to have been fighting for one place in this match, but with both getting the nod it was a familiar attack that awaited South Africa.

The knowledge of what was coming did not help the Proteas in the early stages, however. Broad immediately found his range and had Pieter Malan and Zubayr Hamza caught in the slips, both men gone for five apiece with Root and Stokes holding the catches behind the bat.

When Anderson struck a huge blow by removing home captain Faf du Plessis for just one run - Stokes again taking the catch - England had South Africa on the rack.

England thought they had snared Van der Dussen when he was caught in a tangle by a tasty Anderson delivery, only for a review to show the batsman had managed an inside edge.

Van der Dussen had another life on 16 when Broad looked to have him caught behind, yet the England paceman had overstepped by a couple of inches, and the same batsman was dropped by Stokes.

Just when it looked like Elgar would go to three figures, he lost patience after half an hour of England stemming the flow of runs, took a big swing at Bess and Root snaffled a patient catch at deep mid-off.

Curran got in on the act, having Quinton de Kock caught at mid-off by Anderson and finally removing Van der Dussen, whose luck ran out on 68 when Stokes held a fine low catch down to his right.

Anderson accounted for Dwaine Pretorius, with Stokes redeeming himself for a drop at the start of the 81st over by gobbling up a chance off the Lancastrian three balls later, and Anderson's next strike made it marginally England's day.

McCullum has introduced a thrilling style since taking over as England's red-ball coach in May, leading the side to a whitewash of New Zealand and a terrific chase victory over India at Edgbaston. 

While South Africa dealt the coach-captain duo of McCullum and Ben Stokes their first Test match defeat last month, the hosts are on the brink of completing a 2-1 series triumph over the tourists after impressing with both ball and bat at The Oval on Sunday.

England will require just 33 runs to wrap up a fourth consecutive series win over the Proteas when the decisive third Test resumes on Monday, and Anderson is relishing their revival. 

"It's been amazing, I'll be honest, Baz [McCullum] has been a breath of fresh air. He's come in and it just feels positive, there's a positive atmosphere in that dressing room," Anderson told Sky Sports.

"The messages he sends about going out there and trying to entertain, everyone's bought into it. Some days it hasn't paid off, but when it has, it's spectacular. 

"It's changed the way not only some of the players have thought about Test cricket, but maybe even the way the world thinks about Test cricket. 

"Hopefully we can get the job done tomorrow. Still 33 runs to get on a tricky wicket, we'll just try and get it done as professionally as we can."

With 667 wickets in the format, Anderson is the third most prolific bowler in Test cricket history, behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708).

He was joined in the top five of that illustrious list by Stuart Broad on Sunday, as his three dismissals moved him clear of Glenn McGrath with 566 red-ball wickets.

Anderson was delighted by his team-mate's achievement, adding: "It means a lot to him because of how high he held Glenn in his eyes.

"So for him to go past him, it means a lot to him and shows the amount of work he's put in, the dedication to his job, and his skill as well. It's a pleasure to bowl at the other end."

Having benefited from the decision to stop play for bad light when South Africa were on top on Saturday, England were left frustrated after not being given the opportunity to finish the visitors off a day later.

Despite his annoyance at the umpire's decision to call time, Anderson remains confident England will see the match through on Monday, adding: "It's obviously frustrating from our point of view, because the rate we were scoring at, we might only have needed another five or six overs. 

"The guys were seeing the ball pretty well and with a good crowd in here it would have been nice to finish it. 

"The point of view of the umpires is they took a reading yesterday, that's the precedent for the whole game, and I think their message was if it rained all day tomorrow it would be unfair on South Africa to get the game done today.

"It's frustrating, but hopefully we'll come back and get the job done.

"I'd like to think that common sense would prevail. At the minute, the reading is the precedent for the rest of the game, but in certain situations you do think common sense could come into play."

Anderson, the tourists' all-time leading Test wicket-taker, sustained the damage to his left rib during day five of England's victory in the second Test at Newlands.

The 37-year-old could only bowl eight overs as England strived to level the series in Cape Town and he will play no part in the matches in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg.

The Proteas posted 151 all out at Old Trafford, with Anderson and Broad taking three wickets each, as South Africa's innings victory at Lord's last time out was quickly forgotten.

England moved to 111-3 at the close in reply after an unbroken stand of 68 for the fourth wicket between Bairstow and Zak Crawley.

Bairstow's 38 not out from 45 balls was not quite a full-blown return to 'Bazball', but his positivity was refreshing as Crawley lived up to his name at the other end, trundling to 17 important runs from 77 deliveries.

At the start of the day, Anderson made a breakthrough in the fifth over after finding early movement off the pitch, having Sarel Erwee caught behind off an inside edge.

Broad soon sent South Africa captain Dean Elgar on his way as Bairstow took a sharp low catch, before the same bowler accounted for Keegan Petersen, snaffled by Joe Root at first slip.

Captain Ben Stokes snagged a fortunate fourth wicket when Aiden Markram mistimed a pull and a top edge was pouched by Ben Foakes, and the skipper had Rassie van der Dussen trapped lbw before lunch as South Africa went in on 77-5, in big trouble.

Anderson pinned Simon Harmer in front, and it was two wickets in two balls as the Lancashire paceman, on his home ground, struck in the same way to remove Keshav Maharaj.

When Broad teased an edge out of Kyle Verreynne, South Africa were 108-8, and Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach picked up a wicket apiece to end lower-order resistance, with Kagiso Rabada the last man out for a team-best 36. Petersen and Verreynne were the only other South African batters to reach 20, both out for 21.

England lost Alex Lees (4), Ollie Pope (23) and Joe Root (9) as Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Rabada made early inroads, reducing the hosts to 43-3; however, Bairstow and Crawley saw them through to the close without any further setback, building a platform for day two.

Happy hunting ground

Heading into this match, England had lost only one of their nine Tests against South Africa at Old Trafford (W4, D4), a three-wicket loss in July 1955. They defeated the Proteas by 177 runs in their most recent such meeting (August 2017).

Following a meeting of the Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Board of Directors on Monday, December 19, CWI announced that Coley will oversee the two-Test tour of Zimbabwe from January 28 to February 16, as well as the multi-format tour of South Africa, which includes two Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) from February 21 to arch 28.

Coley said he was honoured to be considered for the task.

“To be asked to oversee the West Indies team on the upcoming tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa is a special honour,” he said. “West Indies cricket holds a special place in my heart. The upcoming assignment will be challenging as we will come up against two teams in their home conditions. We will need to ensure that our planning and preparation are appropriate, and demonstrate consistency in the execution of these plans, to give ourselves the best opportunity to achieve positive results.”

Coley said he is confident the players are eager to achieve success on tour.

“The players, I’m sure, are enthusiastic about the opportunities that both series should offer and are eager to contribute to our team’s success,” he said.

“I look forward to the tours ahead and the opportunity to make a tangible and meaningful contribution to the growth of West Indies cricket.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Adams, CWI Director of Cricket Coley’s experience should serve him well on this assignment that CWI has entrusted him with.

“We welcome Andre back to the West Indies dressing room and with his wealth of knowledge of the game, player-management skills, dedication and hard work, as well as attention to detail, we know he is well equipped,” Adams said.

“He is a highly experienced coach who has functioned at every level within the CWI High-Performance Pathway. This has prepared him for the job at hand and we expect he will again approach this new role with the same vigor and zeal which have characterized his time in the CWI coaching system and has earned the respect of players and everyone who he has interacted with.”

Coley, a former Jamaica wicket-keeper/batter, is currently Head Coach of the CWI Academy programme.

While Andre Coley fulfils the interim role, CWI’s High-Performance Manager Graeme West will oversee the West Indies Academy programme and who will be supported by  Adams to ensure there are no disruptions to the Academy programme during the period.

Coley previously served as the Assistant Academy Head Coach and Interim Academy Head Coach when the Sagicor Academy was launched in 2010. He was also Head Coach of the West Indies U19 Team; Assistant Coach of the West Indies Men’s and Women’s Teams, as well as Head Coach of Jamaica Scorpions and Windward Islands Volcanoes, who were the 2018 Super50 Cup Champions.

 In 2016, he was Assistant Coach of the West Indies Men’s Team which won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and earlier this year he was Assistant Coach of Jamaica Tallawahs when they captured the Caribbean Premier League title.

CWI also confirmed that the contracts of Assistant Coaches Roddy Estwick and Monty Desai had ended.

“I’d like to thank Roddy and Monty for their hard work and dedication in supporting the team over the last few years and wish them the very best in the future,” Adams said.

TOUR SCHEDULES

 West Indies in Zimbabwe

 28 to 31 January: four-day warm-up at Bulawayo Athletic Sports Club

 4 to 8 February: 1st Test at Queens Sports Club

 12 to 16 February: 2nd Test at Queens Sports Club

 West Indies in South Africa

 21 to 24 February: vs South Africa Invitational XI at Willowmoore Park, Benoni

 28 February to 4 March: 1st Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion

 8-12 March: 2nd Test at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion

 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion

 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)

After blasting a 96-ball 130 in a losing cause against the host in West Indies’ opening fixture, Andrew again displayed confidence and poise in his unbeaten 64 off 60 balls, which ensured West Indies successfully chased down Scotland’s 205.

Andrew’s knock includes eight boundaries, as he starred in an unbroken 95-run sixth-wicket stand with Nathan Edward, who capitalised on a promotion up the order, with a patient 27 off 55.

Scores: Scotland 205-9 (50 overs); West Indies 206-5 (35.1 overs)

The two came together with the regional side in a spot of bother at 111-5. This, as Adrian Weir (seven), Captain Stephan Pascal (26), Joshua Dorne (11), Jordan Johnson (24) and Mavendra Dindyal (29), all again failed to make a lasting impression.

Fortunately, Edwards patiently occupied one end, and that allowed Andrew to play with some degree of freedom against the Scottish seamers.

“It was a great knock, and I must say thanks everyone to come out and support us. They (Scottish seamers) are quick, but I like the challenge, so it was just all about learning, improving and ticking the boxes that the coaches have for us,” Andrew said in a post-game television interview.

Earlier, Pascal’s decision to insert Scotland proved right. Apart from Jamie Dunk, who made an 87-ball 57, as well as Adi Hedge (32) and Alec Price (31), the opponents offered very little resistance with the bat, as they found Isai Thorne, in particular, too hot to handle.

Thorne, a right-arm medium fast, bagged a career-best 4-46 from nine overs, with Nathan Sealy 2-38 from then, being the next best figures.

The win, which was also West Indies’ fourth over Scotland at this level, saw them to second in Group B on two points, behind England (four points).

England fast bowler Archer has been unable to recover from an elbow complaint and must now be assessed with regards to his availability for the remainder of the four-match rubber.

The 24-year-old's absence compounds a relentless tale of woe for Joe Root's squad, which has been ravaged by illness for the majority of their tour so far.

One of the victims of the sickness bug, Ollie Pope, is back in after sitting out the opening defeat at Centurion, but England's top scorer in that game, Rory Burns, is out for the rest of the series due to an ankle injury sustained while playing football in training on Thursday.

It means a second Test cap and first as an opener for Kent youngster Zak Crawley, who will face up to the new ball on the first morning after Root won the toss and elected to bat.

Pieter Malan is a debutant at the top of the Proteas order, as expected, with Aiden Markram out for the remaining Tests due to a broken finger.

Archer has endured a torrid time with injuries across the last three years, and has not featured for England in any format since March 2021.

However, he is set to play against South Africa in a three-match ODI series, which starts in Bloemfontein on Friday.

"Hopefully it can be a repeat of 2019," Archer told reporters. "We've got again a 50-over World Cup and an Ashes in the same year so more of the same, please.

"There's no reason to look back. I've done my time and I'm here now. That's the most important thing.

"I'd probably say I'm about 80 per cent [fit]. Just some fine-tuning now.

"I know whenever I'm fully fit, I don't think there's much that can stop me, it's just a matter of when that was going to be."

Archer has warmed up for England's tour of South Africa by taking eight wickets for MI Cape Town in the SA20.

"Playing cricket again for the first time a few weeks ago, I'm still riding off that wave of emotions right now," said Archer, who is not expected to play in all three ODIs.

"Hopefully in two days it can go up another level. It's just been good to play cricket and actually not have to worry about if my body's going to give way. I think that was the most important tick for me so far."

England white-ball coach Matthew Mott is willing to be cautious with Archer's recovery.

"We will work through it with him, see how his body is coping," Mott said. "I definitely think he is a high priority and he will be managed as well as possible. 

"What he is very big on is not wasting too many balls in practice. He really loves his match balls and that's a great attest of his resilience.

"We will keep talking to him about his bowling loads and how he's going."

South Africa head into the series with ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year on board, Marco Jensen.

However, only two of his 39 wickets, and 16 of his 234 runs, have come in ODIs.

Archer was pushing for a return in Johannesburg, but the paceman was troubled by his right elbow in the warm-up after the start was delayed due to rain on Friday.

The quick missed the tourists' victories at Newlands and St George's Park due to an elbow injury and will play no part as Joe Root's side, leading 2-1, attempt to complete a series win.

England have gone with an all-seam attack, Woakes making his first appearance of the series, Mark Wood retaining his place and spinner Bess missing out despite claiming a maiden five-wicket Test haul in Port Elizabeth.

Fast bowler Hendricks gets the nod to make his Test bow in the absence of the banned Kagiso Rabada, while batsman Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius replaces Zubayr Hamza and Keshav Maharaj respectively.

Root won the toss and elected to bat in Vernon Philander's final Test, with play due to start at 1.20pm local time. 

South Africa: Malan, Elgar, van der Dussen, du Plessis (captain), de Kock (wk) Bavuma, Pretorius, Philander, Nortje, Paterson, Hendricks.

England: Crawley, Sibley, Denly, Root (captain), Stokes, Pope, Buttler (wk), Curran, Woakes, Wood, Broad.

An elbow injury kept Archer out of victories at Newlands and St George's Park that have given the tourists a 2-1 lead with one match to play at the Wanderers.

The quick could come back into the side in Johannesburg on Friday after catching the eye in practice, while England are monitoring Mark Wood after he played his first Test for 11 months in Port Elizabeth.

England assistant coach Graham Thorpe told talkSPORT: "Jofra had good rhythm and bowled nice and quick today.

"That's where we want Jof to be. He looks good, but he will have to come in again tomorrow and back it up.

"The elbow problem has been a big issue for him. You can't force that, you have to wait for the player to be confident with it.

"Mark Wood hasn't played back-to-back Test matches for a while, but he bowled exceptionally well for us in Port Elizabeth. He bowled at high speeds of 90mph plus and gave us an X-factor. We'll have to see how he is and I'm sure Woody will be really honest with us.

"Historically, it's a pitch which has good carry and pace and generally starts softer then quickens up. It has that carry which bowlers, batters and spinners alike enjoy.

"It would be tough if [spinner Dom] Bess didn't play this Test. He has done himself no harm, though, in the way he has come into the set-up and the way he's bowled.

"He's progressed from the last time I saw him about six months ago and when you perform it gives you confidence. So we won't rush straight into a decision, it'll be nice to have all those options on the table."

The fast bowler has endured a torrid time with injuries across the last three years and had not featured for England in any format since March 2021, before the white-ball series against the Proteas.

Archer managed just one wicket for 81 runs on his long-awaited return as England succumbed to a 27-run opening defeat on Friday in Bloemfontein.

The 27-year-old was rested as South Africa wrapped up the ODI series with a five-wicket win in the second encounter, but helped England avoid a 3-0 whitewash in the last clash.

He took 6-40, the third-best bowling figures for England in an ODI, as England cruised to a 59-run victory after Jos Buttler paved the way with a dominant 131 in the first innings.

"It is good being back. It has been a long road," Archer said after his maiden five-wicket haul in 50-over international cricket.

"This is a small tick but I want to see how I am in April, June, July and September.

"Being back after however many weeks, months it is kind of surreal. This is just the first series, there is loads of time to get the fine-tuning done."

A fearsome pace-bowling display reinvigorated memories of the 2019 Cricket World Cup victory and the Ashes series in the same year when Archer caused Australia problems with his aggressive style.

"He is like gold dust," former England captain Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports. "He is so valuable for English cricket and world cricket.

"What I took today, was not just his class and wicket-taking potential, but what I've missed is just the effortless grace he has."

Archer will head to the Indian Premier League to test his T20 credentials before returning to train for the upcoming Ashes series with Australia, which starts on June 16.

Former England captain Michael Atherton wants the star bowler to be managed carefully, though, with his previous injuries remaining a concern.

"Back and elbow are absolutely critical so there would have been some doubt there about whether he would get back," Atherton told Sky Sports.

"He's got some way to go yet to show he can do it across formats and then cope with an ever-demanding schedule but it was a wonderful day for him."

The problem forced Archer to miss the final three Tests of the four-match series with the Proteas.

In his absence, England overturned a 1-0 deficit, winning in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg to clinch the series 3-1.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday that Archer had returned home to focus on regaining fitness, the decision likely made with an eye on the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka in March.

Archer will be replaced in the squad by Saqib Mahmood, who - along with Olly Stone and Craig Overton - became one of the first recipients of a pace bowling development contract from the ECB on Wednesday.

The three-match T20I series starts on February 12 at Buffalo Park in East London. England will first contest a three-match ODI series, with the series opener taking place at Newlands on Tuesday.

Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan led the tourists' recovery after a poor start, with England setting a target of 347.

It appeared South Africa would once again respond – having produced a record chase in Bloemfontein – as Heinrich Klaasen hitting 80 from 62 balls.

However, Archer brought an end to his charge on his way to a maiden six-for in ODIs.

A woeful start for England saw Jason Roy (1), Ben Duckett (0) and Harry Brook (6) all dismissed by Lungi Ngidi inside the first six overs, leaving them 14-3.

The tourists recovered though, with Buttler (131) and Malan (118) sharing a stand of 232 for the fourth wicket. 

Wicketkeeper Klaasen caught Malan after a stray shot straight up in the air but Moeen Ali (41) helped steer England past the 300 mark, before he and Buttler fell in quick succession. 

South Africa's chase began well enough with an opening partnership of 49, but dangerous duo Temba Bavuma (35) and Rassie van der Dussen (5) were removed by Chris Woakes and Archer. 

Beuran Hendricks (52) pushed the hosts into three figures before he was bowled by Adil Rashid, while Aiden Markram hit 39 from 35 balls to strengthen the hosts' response, but a looped hit was caught comfortably by Moeen off Archer's delivery, who also claimed David Miller for 13.

Klaasen hit seven fours and two sixes as he and Wayne Parnell kept South Africa in the hunt, combining for 85 before Archer and Ducket combined to dismiss Klaasen.

Rashid forced Sisanda Magala (2) to edge through the Buttler before Archer dismissed Parnell (34) and Tabraiz Shamsi (1) to take the next step on his comeback from injury and hand England victory.

England's big stand

Buttler and Malan's partnership led England's revival, with a total of 232 representing the fourth-biggest stand for England in ODIs and helping to set the highest ever ODI total in Kimberley.

The pair hit 26 boundaries combined, compared to the nine from England's seven other batters.

Archer's arm

Having made his return after a near two-year absence earlier in the series, Archer returned to his brilliant best in some style to finish with figures of 6-40, the third-best men's ODI bowling figures for an England player ever.

The dismissal of Klaasen was the most crucial, with the 31-year-old providing South Africa with momentum that abruptly disappeared once he departed.

With a potentially busy schedule to come, Rajasthan Royals duo Archer and Stokes, along with Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Curran will get a well-earned break when England take on the Proteas in three 50-over fixtures in early December. 

Those games follow on from a trio of T20 internationals between the countries as part of a tour cleared to proceed by the South African government amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Jos Buttler has also been on duty at the IPL for the Royals yet the wicketkeeper-batsman – England's vice-captain in white-ball cricket - is set to be involved in both formats. 

Reece Topley is in the 20 and 50-over squads too, the left-arm paceman having featured in the one-day series against Ireland on home soil earlier this year, his first international appearance in over four years. 

There are also places for Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone and Olly Stone in a 15-man ODI party, along with Test captain Joe Root and fellow World Cup winner Chris Woakes. 

However, Tom Banton has been left out. The batsman is instead on a three-man reserve list alongside Jake Ball and Tom Helm. 

England's players and staff are to depart on November 16 and will play two intra-squad practice matches before the first T20 contest on November 27.

All games will be played behind closed doors as the tourists base themselves in a bio-secure bubble in Cape Town. Newlands will be one of the venues used, along with Boland Park in nearby Paarl. 

England Twenty20 squad

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.

England ODI squad

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Fielding coach Paul Collingwood revealed the trio were all in contention to replace the injured James Anderson in Port Elizabeth.

With the series tied at 1-1, the tourists will hope to build on their impressive 189-run victory in the second Test, with Archer, Wood and Woakes eyeing a spot in the line-up.

"They've an opportunity over the next two training sessions to prove to us they should be the one in the team," said Collingwood.

"It's actually really nice to be able to come into a Test being able to choose from players who are 100 per cent ready to go.

"Here at PE [Port Elizabeth] it's generally a slower pitch, so sometimes having that kind of X-factor can be great.

"Sunday's training session was one of the best we've had for a long time.

"We saw bowlers really running in against the batters. They were really making it difficult for them. If we can do that more often, then our education as a team will grow very strongly and very quickly."

Responding to suggestions that Archer had lost his way after bursting onto the scene with England last year, Collingwood jumped to the 24-year-old's defence.

"He's very early on in his international career," he said. "He hasn't bowled a lot with the Kookaburra ball, which requires a completely different skillset from the Dukes. 

"His main skill is bowling 90 miles per hour plus. We have enough bowlers in and around the county circuit who can bowl at 82 to 85 miles per hour and try to nip it around. 

"You want the likes of Wood and Archer to give you that X-factor.”

The third Test begins on Thursday.

During the series that the West Indies won 3-2 over Pakistan, the Caribbean women benefitted from players like Kyshona Knight and Britney Cooper stepped up with the bat to support Captain Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews, especially in light of Deandra Dottin’s poor form.

On the eve of the series against South Africa, Walsh says he expects even better performances from his players against a tough South African contingent.

“We are looking to execute a lot better than we did against Pakistan. Obviously, South Africa being ranked above us we have to be a lot more consistent than we were against Pakistan, so we will be looking to execute a lot better and improve. We know that they are a decent team and we have to be ready for that,” said Walsh.

He said it was a good sign to see players other than the ‘big three’ step up and wants to see more of that against South Africa.

“That’s the only way we are going to get the team where I think we can compete against the top teams and give ourselves a chance of winning major competitions.

“We have to move away from one or two players consistently getting us out of trouble so it was very good to see all the other players who performed well in the last series and we want that to continue and to try to extend that consistency from them, and once we can complement it with both departments, batting and bowling it will be good for us.

“And then, if we can complete the whole thing when we are in the field it would be excellent. So we just need to keep improving, raising the bar in those areas that we have to. It’s good to see other players putting their hands up and we want to see more of that.”

Athanaze, the left-handed batter, is the captain of Windward Islands Volcanoes while Jordan, the right-arm seam bowler, plays for Barbados Pride.

Both have demonstrated good form in the first two rounds of the current four-day West Indies Championship.

Athanaze had scores of 41 and 51 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in Round 1 and followed up with a career-best 141 against Guyana Harpy Eagles in Round 2. He is a product of the West Indies Under 19s Rising Stars where he was one of the stand-out players at the 2018 ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup.

Jordan had match figures of 5-86 against Guyana and followed up with 7-113 against Jamaica Scorpions to be one of the leading wicket-takers in the West Indies Championship after two rounds of matches.

Athanaze and Jordan replace left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and batter Nkrumah Bonner who are part of the squad for the just-concluded series in Zimbabwe.

Jayden Seales is unavailable for selection following a knee injury and subsequent surgery, while Anderson Philiip has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.

Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “Athanaze is one of the young players who we have invested in, and he played well in the ‘A Team’ and CWI President’s XI. He showed great promise in the CG United Super50 last year and then got his first hundred in the West Indies Championship last week. We believe he should be given an opportunity at this level. He has also showed leadership, as captain of the Windwards at the start of this season.”

Haynes added: “Jordan has been very impressive from last year, he has continued to bowl well, and has been excellent in the first two matches so far this year. He is very skilful, can bowl the new ball, and looks to put the ball in the right areas. He is also a sharp fielder and good catcher close to the wicket. This will be a challenging tour. There is no easy away tour in Test cricket. South Africa have a good team, but I am sure we will be up for the task and will do well in these two Test matches.”

The upcoming Series is the final Test fixture for both teams in the ICC World Test Championship. West Indies are currently in sixth place and have the opportunity, with a Series win to move above South Africa, currently in fourth place, in the final table.

West Indies are due to arrive in South Africa on 17 February. They will face South Africa in two Test matches at SuperSport Park in Centurion (28 February to 4 March) and the Wanderers in Johannesburg (8 to 12 March). Following the Tests, West Indies will then play a white ball series. The squads for these will named at a later date.

FULL SQUAD

Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)

Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)

Alick Athanaze

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Roston Chase

Joshua Da Silva

Shannon Gabriel

Jason Holder

Akeem Jordan

Alzarri Joseph

Kyle Mayers

Gudakesh Motie

Raymon Reifer

Kemar Roach

Devon Thomas

The hosts and reigning champions posted 134-5 in a match at first delayed and then truncated by rain, with the earlier semi-final between England and India having been a washout.

While Australia were able to bat their full allocation, their opponents were limited to 13 overs and required 98 runs.

However, they were only able to reach 92-5 as Australia won by five runs, with maiden finalists India up next in Melbourne on Sunday.

Captain Meg Lanning led by example with an unbeaten 49, while disciplined bowling from Megan Schutt (2-17 off three overs) helped to limit a South Africa side for whom Laura Wolvaardt top-scored on 41.

The Proteas had resumed 15-1 on the fourth day chasing the improbable target of 387 to make the hosts bat again, but were all out for 204 with the tea break delayed with play extended before the 10th wicket fell.

Spinner Nathan Lyon led the way with 3-58 while Mitchell Starc bravely bowled through pain with an injured finger, taking the opening wicket of the fourth day to finish with 1-62.

Temba Bavuma offered the Proteas' toughest resistance with 65 across more than three hours, but had little support, with Kyle Verreynne the next best with 33.

The tourists were not helped by two run outs on the fourth day, but they appeared a side deflated by the task at hand and the gulf in quality.

South Africa had got through to lunch at 120-4 with Bavuma and Verreynne combining for a 63-run stand, but when the latter was trapped LBW by Scott Boland, the side quickly fell apart in the second session.

Lyon trapped Marco Jansen LBW before Keshav Maharaj was run out by Marnus Labuschagne, with Australia's off-spinner dismissing Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada in quick succession shortly after, before Steve Smith bowled the wild-swinging Lungi Ngidi to seal victory.

Warner crowned for double hundred

Opening batsman David Warner was named Player of the Match after his second-day double century, which reinforced his worth in the side, having come into the game under pressure to hold his spot. Warner's century, coming in his 100th Test match, was the 25th of his Test career.

Walked wounded for Aussies

Australia's victory means they have an unassailable lead in the series but they have a list of headaches ahead of the third Test in Sydney next week. Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green both have finger injuries, with both set to miss the game at the SCG, while Lyon required treatment on day four for a shoulder concern. Australia's next Test series after this is in India in February.

The Proteas had resumed 15-1 on the fourth day chasing the improbable target of 387 to make the hosts bat again, but were all out for 204 with the tea break delayed with play extended before the 10th wicket fell.

Spinner Nathan Lyon led the way with 3-58 while Mitchell Starc bravely bowled through pain with an injured finger, taking the opening wicket of the fourth day to finish with 1-62.

Temba Bavuma offered the Proteas' toughest resistance with 65 across more than three hours, but had little support, with Kyle Verreynne the next best with 33.

The tourists were not helped by two run outs on the fourth day, but they appeared a side deflated by the task at hand and the gulf in quality.

South Africa had got through to lunch at 120-4 with Bavuma and Verreynne combining for a 63-run stand, but when the latter was trapped LBW by Scott Boland, the side quickly fell apart in the second session.

Lyon trapped Marco Jansen LBW before Keshav Maharaj was run out by Marnus Labuschagne, with Australia's off-spinner dismissing Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada in quick succession shortly after, before Steve Smith bowled the wild-swinging Lungi Ngidi to seal victory.

Warner crowned for double hundred

Opening batsman David Warner was named Player of the Match after his second-day double century, which reinforced his worth in the side, having come into the game under pressure to hold his spot. Warner's century, coming in his 100th Test match, was the 25th of his Test career.

Walked wounded for Aussies

Australia's victory means they have an unassailable lead in the series but they have a list of headaches ahead of the third Test in Sydney next week. Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green both have finger injuries, with both set to miss the game at the SCG, while Lyon required treatment on day four for a shoulder concern. Australia's next Test series after this is in India in February.