Carnage on Day 1 as Proteas fight back against West Indies

The West Indies would finish an action-packed day at Providence Stadium 63 runs behind the Proteas' seemingly mediocre score with just three wickets in hand.

With Proteas' management opting for two spinners in Keshav Maharaj and Dane Piedt, the plan was clear: win the toss and bat first. So when captain Temba Bavuma called correctly and sent his openers in, the Proteas already had the edge.

But the surface had other ideas. It was far from the slow wicket in Trinidad and the hosts' seamers - Jayden Seals and the deadly Shamar Joseph - had the ball hooping and zipping. Joseph's pearler to Tony de Zorzi, which swung prodigiously from outside off to go through the gate a rattle the stumps, was a sign of things to come.

The visitors were soon struggling at 57/4 with a surprised Bavuma already back in the hut for a duck. The middle-lower order of the Proteas' batting line-up was put to the sword by Joseph, with Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada all departing without troubling the scorers. Joseph would pick up 5/33 before going off with an injury.

Teetering on 97/9, tailenders Piedt and Nandre Burger took advantage of Joseph's absence and showed an incredible aptitude with the willow. The pair would strike seven boundaries and put together a vital 63-run partnership before Motie trapped Burger in front. Piedt would top score, stranded on 38.

And that laid the basis for the Proteas fightback. Burger got things rolling in his opening over with a superlative inswinger that castled Mikyle Lewis. Introduced to the attack early, Mulder more than made amends for his duck. He clean-bowled captain Kraigg Braithwaite, took a sharp catch off his own bowling to dismiss Alick Athanaze and nicked off Kavem Hodge and Joshua da Silva.

Keacy Carty, the lone resistance, put on 26 before chipping one straight to Maharaj of Burger's bowling. Finally, Maharaj dismissed fellow tweaker Gudekesh Motie with a straight one that hit the pad. This left Jason Holder unbeaten on 33 and the hosts at 97/7 at the end of an entertaining day's play.

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