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Spinners stop rain-soaked Proteas

Offspinner Shane Shillingford took two cheap wickets on debut as West Indies stifled South Africa on a weather-spoilt first day of the opening cricket test at Queen's Park Oval on Thursday.

The visitors, who won the toss, limped to 70-3 after the entire opening session and half of the post-lunch session were lost to rain.
Shillingford, a 27-year-old from Dominica, grabbed 2-5 from six overs.

Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn supported well with 1-21 off 11 overs.

Captain Graeme Smith (23) and Alviro Petersen (31) shared an opening stand of 55 to give South Africa a solid platform. The visitors went to tea on 45-0 but the West Indies spinners dominated after the break.

Shillingford made the initial breakthrough when Smith prodded forward and edged low to slip where Dwayne Bravo claimed a comfortable catch.

 

After a brief delay through bad light, Benn snared the key wicket of in-form Hashim Amla for 2. Amla was also pouched at slip as he pushed hard at a Benn turner.

Petersen, who had earlier survived a dropped catch off Benn by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and a desperately close lbw appeal that the West Indies failed to overturn on TV review, fell to Shillingford just before the close.

Jacques Kallis (6 not out) and nightwatchman Paul Harris (0 not out) survived 14 deliveries before bad light again ended a truncated day.

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