Cricket Highlights, 28 March: South Africa vs West Indies (3^rd T20I)

South Africa vs West Indies (3rd T20I) – Highlights

The third edition of the three-match T20 series between South Africa and West Indies occurred yesterday. The Proteas were defeated by West Indies by 7 runs in the most recent game in Johannesburg. West Indies made 220 runs for 8 wickets in their opening innings of batting. By the conclusion of the allotted over, South Africa’s batting totaled 213 runs for 6 wickets. With 5 wickets in that game, Alzarri Joseph was named the player of the match. Johnson Charles also won the man of the series by scoring 146 runs in just two games.

With that, West Indies ended their losing streak. In July of last year, West Indies defeated Bangladesh in a T20 series. In the shortened format, they then dropped four straight series. Other than this, the two-time world champions leave the series in the first round of the World Cup for their really poor performance. The Caribbeans have finally settled back into their routine rhythm. In the three-match T20I series, they defeated South Africa by 2-1. 

West Indies began the game much like the previous one despite losing the toss and going into bat. The Caribbean scored 62 runs in 6 overs in the power play when batting first in the second T20 of the series on March 26 at Centurion, losing 1 wicket. The power play also netted 61 runs in this game, although West Indies lost 2 wickets.

But the day before, West Indies’ rate of scoring accelerated as the innings went on. But on this particular day, the middle overs suffered a little. Within 4 overs, Kyle Meyers and Johnson Charles, the match’s centurion, returned. On the first ball, Charles got bold out! By returning two players in two consecutive balls, Kagiso Rabada also increased his chances of completing a hat-trick. But Nicholas Pooran stopped that from happening. He scored a partnership of 55 runs off 30 balls with Brandon King.

Once King returned with 36 runs off 25 balls, West Indies’ inning started suffering somewhat. Powell, the captain, returned with 11 runs off of 4 balls, and then Pooran eventually joins him. Two fours and four sixes were part of his innings of 41 runs off 19 balls.

Then for the sixth wicket, Raymon Reifer and Jason Holder shared a 17-ball, 31-run partnership where Reifer played the most of the innings. He used 18 balls to score 27 runs. As a result of losing wicket after wicket in the middle overs, West Indies’ run rate decreased. The Caribbean had 168 runs and 8 wickets lost after 17 overs. 

From there, the team’s run increased to 220 in an unbroken pair of 59 off 26 balls for the ninth wicket between Romario Shepherd and Alzarri Joseph. Shepherd hit three sixes and two fours while scoring 44 runs off just 22 balls. Joseph provided excellent support, scoring 14 runs off just 9 balls. In the last storm of these two, West Indies scored 52 runs in the final three overs and 43 in the final two overs!

In the run chase, Reeza Hendricks, the starter, was on point and chasing runs. Yet in the end, he was unable to help the squad to win. Reeza was out in a stressful situation after reaching 83 runs off 44 balls. Rilee Rossouw made for excellent company, but none of the others were able to significantly impact the score. In just 21 balls, Russouw scored 42 runs. 

Markram scored 35, Quinton de Kock scored 21, and Klaasen scored 6 runs, among others. They ultimately exited the field having lost with additional 13 runs.

West Indies’ five wickets came from Joseph’s bowling who spent 40 runs in five overs. Other than that, Holder also got one wicket.

South Africa vs West Indies Scoreboard

West Indies – 220/8 (20.0) 

South Africa – 213/6 (20.0)

Result – West Indies won by 7 runs

Player of the match – Alzarri Joseph

Player of the series – Johnson Charles

Johnson Charles

South Africa vs West Indies Playing XIs