DUBAI: South Africa hammered holders West Indies by eight wickets in a game overshadowed by Proteas star Quinton de Kock’s refusal to take the knee prior to Tuesday’s ICC Twenty20 World Cup clash.

Aiden Markram smashed 51 to lead South Africa’s chase of 144 in an unbeaten 83-run third-wicket stand with Rassie van der Dussen (43) to achieve their target with 10 balls to spare in the Super 12’s Group 1 contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

South Africa bounced back from their opening loss to Australia, while two-time champions West Indies have lost both their matches.

Cricket South Africa ordered its players to kneel in Dubai and lend their support to the anti-racism movement but de Kock pulled out of the game due to ‘personal reasons’. But despite the controversy, South Africa were in command on the field.

Opener Evin Lewis hit 56 in West Indies’ 143-8 as they suffered another heavy loss, having made just 55 in a crushing defeat by England three days ago at the same venue.

Seam bowler Dwaine Pretorius took three wickets as West Indies again failed to fire after a painstaking 16 off 35 balls from Lendl Simmons at the top of the order.

Skipper Kieron Pollard hit a useful 20-ball 26 before falling to Pretorius, who was on a hat-trick only for Dwayne Bravo to hit a boundary.

“I’m obviously disappointed. I thought we left about 20, 25 runs short out there when we batted, and that could have made a difference...” Pollard said after the game. “We got off to a pretty decent start in terms of getting that 40-odd in the Powerplay without losing a wicket, and that was our opportunity to... try to get to that 160.”

After a sedate start, Lewis took the attack to South Africa by smashing boundaries off pace bowler Kagiso Rabada and spinner Markram, who opened the bowling.

The left-handed Lewis reached his 10th T20 fifty with a six before getting out to Keshav Maharaj.

Maharaj struck again with his left-arm spin to send back Nicholas Pooran for 12 and Rabada ended Simmons’ struggle the following over.

West Indies dropped Chris Gayle from three to four in the batting order but the change in position barely helped as the big-hitter fell for 12.

Anrich Nortje bowled the powerful Andre Russell for five and returned economical figures of 1-14 from his four overs of pace.

“After six overs he [Lewis] was there and we wanted to bat a couple more overs without losing wickets,” said Pollard. “Having said that you are not going to get me here throwing my teammates under the bus. It was a disappointing total batting effort not getting 160 plus.”

In reply, South Africa lost Bavuma, run out for two, but Reeza Hendricks and Van der Dussen put the innings back on track with their partnership of 57.

Hendricks fell to Akeal Hosein for 39.

Van der Dussen was joined by Markram and the two helped South Africa cruise across the line in a game that began with the shocking news of de Kock’s pull-out.

Markram brought up his fifty in 25 balls with a six off Russell and then hit the winning runs.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

L.M.P. Simmons b Rabada 16

E. Lewis c Rabada b Maharaj 56

N. Pooran c Miller b Maharaj 12

C.H. Gayle c Klaasen b Pretorius 12

K.A. Pollard c vd Dussen b Pretorius 26

A.D. Russell b Nortje 5

S.O. Hetmyer run out 1

D.J. Bravo not out 8

H.R. Walsh c Hendricks b Pretorius 0

A.J. Hosein not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-4, NB-1) 7

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 143

FALL OF WKTS: 1-73 (Lewis, 10.3 ov), 2-87 (Pooran, 12.2 ov), 3-89 (Simmons, 13.2 ov), 4-121 (Gayle, 17.1 ov), 5-132 (Russell, 18.2 ov), 6-133 (Hetmyer, 18.4 ov), 7-137 (Pollard, 19.2 ov), 8-137 (Walsh, 19.3 ov).

DID NOT BAT: R. Rampaul.

BOWLING: Markram 3-1-22-0 (1w); Rabada 4-0-27-1 (1nb, 1w); Nortje 4-0-14-1; Maharaj 4-0-24-2 (1w); Shamsi 3-0-37-0 (1w); Pretorius 2-0-17-3.

SOUTH AFRICA:

T. Bavuma run out 2

R.R. Hendricks c Hetmyer b Hosein 39

H.E. van der Dussen not out 43

A.K. Markram not out 51

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-8) 9

TOTAL (for two wkts, 18.2 overs) 144

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4 (Bavuma, 0.6 ov), 2-61 (Hendricks, 9.2 ov).

DID NOT BAT: D.A. Miller, H. Klaasen, D. Pretorius, K.A. Maharaj, K. Rabada, A.A. Nortje, T. Shamsi.

BOWLING: Hosein 4-0-27-1 (1w); Rampaul 3-0-22-0 (1w); Russell 3.2-0-36-0; Walsh 3-0-26-0 (2w); Bravo 4-0-23-0 (1w); Pollard 1-0-9-0.

RESULT: South Africa won by eight wickets.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and P.R. Reiffel (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: C.M. Brown (New Zealand).

MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia),

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Anrich Nortje (South Africa).

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2021