Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada took three wickets apiece to lead South Africa to a 40-run win over the West Indies in the second and final Test at Providence on Saturday.

South Africa completed the victory in three days after bowling the Windies out for 222, having set them a target of 263 to win the Test.

The rain-affected first game in Trinidad was drawn but the second Test victory means South Africa have won 10 successive series against the Windies.

Maharaj, named Player of the Series, finished with 3/37, going past off-spinner Hugh Tayfield’s tally of 170 wickets to become South Africa’s most successful spinner in Test cricket.

Senior pacer Rababa, also crucial to the Proteas’ win, is now on 299 Test scalps.

For Maharaj, it was about trying to understand his team’s requirements from him. “I just want to play, to be honest. I haven’t played a Test in quite some time, so I just wanted the opportunity to play continuously.

“I just tried to keep getting better and understanding what the team wanted from me,” the left-arm spinner said at the post-series presentation. Talking about bowling on that Providence Stadium surface which kept the bowlers in the contest right through the Test, Maharaj said: “To be honest, I tried to bowl as many wobble-seam balls as I could because of the kind of pitch.

“I still managed to move it even though I was bowling wobble seam mostly.”

Nonetheless, it was a close call for the Proteas in a low-scoring game as the Windies fell agonisingly short. They began their chase with more than two days of play remaining but lost opener Mikyle Louis cheaply for four as he nicked a catch to Wiaan Mulder at slip off Rabada.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was the next man out but not before adding 42 runs with Keacy Carty for the second wicket. When the experienced Jason Holder fell without scoring to leave the Windies on 104/6, it looked an uphill task for the home team.

Keeper Joshua da Silva and Gudakesh Motie, however, shared the best partnership of the series for the hosts, adding 77 runs to reduce the target to 82.

Motie then was lbw off Maharaj for a Test-best 45.

Brief scores: South Africa 160 & 246. West Indies 144 & 222 (Keshav Maharaj 3/37, Kagiso Rabada 3/50). South Africa won by 40 runs.