GROS ISLET (Saint Lucia): West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat first against South Africa on the opening day of the first match of a two-Test series in St Lucia on Thursday.
West Indies gave a debut to 19-year-old fast bowler Jayden Seales, who has played just one first-class match previously.
In contrast, South Africa’s two debutants, middle-order batsmen Keegan Peterson and Kyle Verrynne, who got his chance because of a hip injury to the experienced Temba Bavuma, have both played more than 40 first-class matches.
This is the first meeting in Test cricket between the two teams in the West Indies since 2010 and the first time since their historic one-off meeting in 1992 in Barbados that the Caribbean side are ranked higher than the Proteas ahead of a series.
TeamsWest Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Shai Hope, Nkrumah Bonner, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Jason Holder, Joshua da Silva (wkt), Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales South Africa: Dean Elgar (capt), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verrynne, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS), Gregory Brathwaite (WIS) Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)