De Zorzi passes fifty after Markram falls for 96

Aiden Markram, who was arguably the difference between South Africa and West Indies in the first Test that ended within three days, led his team's progress once again in the second on an atypically dry Wanderers pitch. He eased to a 68-ball half-century but fell agonisingly short of back-to-back hundreds when he miscued a sweep off Gudakesh Motie for 96.

Tony de Zorzi then reached his maiden half-century, in his second Test, to ensure South Africa kept motoring along at almost four runs an over. South Africa were 247 for 2 at tea on the second day, with de Zorzi unbeaten on 75 and his captain Temba Bavuma on 27.

Markram had torched the first two sessions with a variety of drives, both off the front foot and back foot, in front of the wicket. When he was on the verge of his hundred, though, he tried to manufacture a sweep behind the wicket and ended up lobbing it to slip off the toe end.

De Zorzi continued to score freely, as did Bavuma, who had bagged a pair in the Centurion Test. He was assured in defence against West Indies' fast bowlers and once the ball grew softer and older, he lined up left-arm fingerspinner Motie, taking him for 25 off 24 balls so far.

Motie had also dismissed Dean Elgar earlier in the morning, but he looked rusty at various points on his return from a lower-back injury that had sidelined him from the first Test. Roston Chase, the offspinner, also struggled with his lines and lengths as South Africa's batters picked him away easily.

South Africa had also picked two specialist spinners - Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer - in a rare instance. It was so rare that the last time South Africa played two spinners in Johannesburg was way back in 1965.

For Markram, it was business as usual, after South Africa had opted to take first strike. He scored 17 fours in all and was fluent against both pace and spin.

West Indies' fast bowlers looked to pepper Elgar with short balls at the other end, but every time they dug the ball into the pitch, it sat up, allowing the batter more time to put them away. Motie then dropped one just short of a sweeping length and had Elgar caught at short fine leg for 42, but that was the only success West Indies had on the first morning.

When Motie struck again before tea, West Indies threatened a proper fightback, with their fast bowlers also tightening up, but de Zorzi and Bavuma combined well to re-establish South Africa's command over the visitors.