South Africa vs West Indies Test Cricket Head-to-Head & Stats

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 07 Oct 2024

Simon Lewis 07 Oct 2024

Share this article

South Africa and the West Indies have played each other in 32 Test matches.
South Africa have won nine of the 10 Test series between the nations, with no drawn series.
The first Test between the two nations was in 1992 at Bridgetown, Barbados.

Jacques Kallis scored 8 Test tons against the West Indies. (credit: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

South Africa’s first Test since readmission was against the West Indies at Bridgetown, Barbados. The West Indies won that Test in dramatic fashion, but South Africa have been the stronger side over the last 31 years.

South Africa vs West Indies Head-to-Head Record

South Africa won the first Test between the sides at Bridgetown, Barbados, in the one-off Test that was South Africa’s reintroduction to Test cricket after isolation.

Brian Lara scored 17 and 64 in what was his 2nd Test cap. Three West Indians and 10 South Africans made their Test debut in this match. SA captain Kepler Wessels had played 24 Tests for Australia. South African Andrew Hudson scored 163 in his first Test innings but was one of four SA second-innings ducks as the Proteas lost eight second-innings wickets for 26 runs to lose dramatically by 52 runs after having victory within their grasp.

After losing the one-off Test in 1992, South Africa won the next nine series, totalling 22 wins for South Africa with the West Indies claiming just two wins up until the end of the 2022/23 series in South Africa.

The first series after the one-off Test saw South Africa claim a 5-0 clean sweep in South Africa in 1998/99. The 2007/08 series in South Africa saw the West Indies claim a 128-run win, only for South Africa to win eight of the next 10 Tests against the West Indies, along with two draws, in a period of complete dominance

Info	Played	Won by South Africa	Won by West Indies	Drawn
Overall	34	23	3	8
In South Africa	17	14	1	2
In West Indies	17	9	2	6

Latest Results, South Africa vs West Indies

Start Date	Result	Margin	Venue	Country
15 August	South Africa	40 runs	Providence	West Indies
7 Aug, 2024	Drawn	–	Port of Spain	West Indies
8 Mar, 2023	South Africa	284 runs	Johannesburg	South Africa
28 Feb, 2023	South Africa	87 runs	Centurion	South Africa
18 Jun, 2021	South Africa	158 runs	Gros Islet	West Indies
10 Jun, 2021	South Africa	inns & 63 runs	Gros Islet	West Indies
2 Jan, 2015	South Africa	8 wickets	Cape Town	South Africa
26 Dec, 2014	Drawn	–	Gqeberha	South Africa
17 Dec, 2014	South Africa	inns & 220 runs	Centurion	South Africa
26 Jun, 2010	South Africa	7 wickets	Bridgetown	West Indies
18 Jun, 2010	Drawn	–	Basseterre	West Indies
10 Jun, 2010	South Africa	163 runs	Port of Spain	West Indies
10 Jan, 2008	South Africa	inns & 100 runs	Durban	South Africa
2 Jan, 2008	South Africa	7 wickets	Cape Town	South Africa
26 Dec, 2007	West Indies	128 runs	Gqeberha	South Africa
29 Apr, 2005	Drawn	–	St John's	West Indies
21 Apr, 2005	South Africa	inns & 86 runs	Bridgetown	West Indies
8 Apr, 2005	South Africa	8 wickets	Port of Spain	West Indies
31 Mar, 2005	Drawn	–	Georgetown	West Indies

Test batting records South Africa vs West Indies

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis is the leading run-scorer in Tests between the two nations, with his 2356 Test runs against the West Indies coming from 43 innings at an average of 73.62. Following Kallis is Brian Lara with 1715 runs (ave 49.00) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (1710 at 46.21). In fourth place is Graeme Smith with 1593 runs at 69.26 runs per innings.

The highest score was Chris Gayle’s monster 317 off just 483 balls at St Johns in 2005, but unusually it included just three sixes from the big-hitting left-hander. There have been five double-centuries scored, including Gayle’s 317, but just one was scored by a South African (Hashim Amla, 208 at Centurion in 2014).

The other doubles were scored by Wavell Hinds (213), Chanderpaul (203*) and Lara (202). Lara also has a 196 and 176 to his credit, giving him three of the top 10 scores in these Tests.

Kallis has plundered eight tons, followed by Smith (7), AB de Villiers (6) and Chanderpaul (5).

The most notable batting averages are De Villiers (84.18), Ashwell Prince (77.75), Kallis (73.62), Smith (69.26) and Lara (49.00).

Test bowling records South Africa vs West Indies

Considering that South Africa have won 23 Tests to the three wins for the West Indies, it’s no surprise that South Africa’s bowlers dominate the bowling stats. Leading the wicket-taking list is Shaun Pollock, who captured 70 West Indies wickets across 31 bowling innings at an average of 22.95.

Curtly Ambrose (18.57), Dale Steyn (19.62) and Courtney Walsh (19.80) are the only three bowlers with a sub-20 average, but Dale Steyn is lord of the strike rate kings, taking a wicket every 35.66 balls. Allan Donald is down in second place with a strike-rate of 43.16, followed by Andre Nel (44.44) and Kemar Roach (48.04).

South Africans number six of the top seven leading wicket-takers in Tests between the teams. After Pollock is Makhaya Ntini with 63 wickets, Nel (52), Kallis (52), Walsh (51), Steyn (48) and Donald (43).

Ntini picked up the best bowling figures in an innings with his 7/36 in the West Indies' second innings at Port of Spain in 2005… and in the first innings he had returned figures of 6/95. Franklyn Rose is the only other player to take seven wickets in an innings, his 7/84 coming against South Africa at Durban in 1998 – and he also made a run out in the same innings!

Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Steyn have all taken six wickets in an innings on two occasions in these Tests. Ntini’s 13/132 at Port of Spain are the best match figures, and Nel (10/88, Bridgetown, 2005) is the only other bowler to have taken 10 wickets in a match.

Test form

Prior to the 2024 Test series in the West Indies, South Africa had lost three and won two of their previous five Tests, including losing their last three on the bounce. They lost their last Test to New Zealand by seven wickets. The West Indies have lost four of their last five Tests, and have won just one of those Tests. They lost their last Test against England by 10 wickets.

2024 South Africa vs West Indies Test Series

South Africa toured the West Indies in August 2024 and played two Tests and three T20Is. The 1st Test at Port of Spain (7-11 August) was drawn. The 2nd Test at Providence in Guyana (15-19 August) was won by South Africa by 40 runs, to secure a 1-0 series win.