JOHANNESBURG: Reeza Hendricks smashed 83 from 44 balls but it was not enough for South Afr­ica, who fell seven runs short of their massive target as the West Indies claimed a 2-1 series win following the third Twenty20 International at The Wand­erers Stadium on Tuesday.

South Africa had chased down a record 259 for victory in the second game in Pretoria on Sunday, and this time were set 221 having elected to bowl first on a cold night in Johannesburg.

West Indies total of 220 for eight was powered by an unbeaten 44 from number nine Romario Shep­herd, who smashed 26 off the final over of the innings in an impressive display of six hitting.

Nicholas Pooran also pitched in with 41 from 19 balls on an another excellent batting wicket on the Highveld.

South Africa were up with the run rate for most of their reply, boosted by Hendricks excellent innings and 42 from 21 balls by Rilee Rossouw.

But they lost their way in the final five overs due to some good death bowling from the visitors, not least seamer Alzarri Joseph who picked up 5-40. The home side needed 26 from the final over them­selves, a task too great in the end.

“Players responded well to the call to be fearless and to be natural — but be smart about it too,” said the new West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell. “The guys were excellent in this series.”

Joseph, who missed the second match in Centurion when South Africa achie­ved a world record run chase of 259, struck crucial blows when he took the wickets of T20 stars Quin­ton de Kock (21) and David Miller (11).

Joseph wra­pped up the match in the penultimate over when he dismissed top-scorer Hend­ricks and followed up with the wickets of Heinrich Klaa­sen and Wayne Parnell.

“We made a total and it was up to the bowlers to defend it,” said Joseph, who was named player of the match.

The last two overs of the West Indian innings were match-changing as Shepherd and Joseph scored 17 off Parnell and 26 in the final over bowled by Kagiso Rabada.

“I thrive on the opportunity to make an impact. We would have liked to wrap up the last two wickets but bar the last two or three overs we were really good with the ball,” said South Africa captain Aiden Markram.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES:

B. King b Nortje 36

K. Mayers b Rabada 17

J. Charles b Rabada 0

N. Pooran c de Kock b Ngidi 41

R. Powell b Markram 11

R. Reifer run out 27

J. Holder c Miller b Nortje 13

R. Chase c Klaasen b Ngidi 6

R. Shepherd not out 44

A. Joseph not out 14

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-2, W-6) 11

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 220

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-39 (Mayers), 2-39 (Charles), 3-94 (King), 4-107 (Powell), 5-110 (Pooran), 6-141 (Holder), 7-149 (Chase), 8-161 (Reifer)

DID NOT BAT: S. Cottrell

BOWLING: Fortuin 2-0-22-0, Parnell 4-0-43-0 (2w), Ngidi 4-0-45-2 (2w, 2nb), Rabada 4-0-50-2 (1w), Nortje 4-0-36-2 (1w), Markram 2-0-21-1

SOUTH AFRICA:

Q. de Kock c Chase b Joseph 21

R. Hendricks c Powell b Joseph 83

R. Rossouw c Charles b Holder 42

D. Miller c Cottrell b Joseph 11

A. Markram not out 35

H. Klaasen c Cottrell b Joseph 6

W. Parnell b Joseph 2

B. Fortuin not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-11) 13

TOTAL (for six wkts, 20 overs) 213

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-32 (de Kock), 2-112 (Rossouw), 3-149 (Miller), 4-186 (Hendricks), 5-192 (Klaasen), 6-194 (Parnell)

DID NOT BAT: K. Rabada, A. Nortje, L. Ngidi

BOWLING: Cottrell 3-0-24-0 (2w), Chase 4-0-43-0, Joseph 4-0-40-5 (1w), Holder 4-0-42-1 (4w), Shepherd 4-0-44-0 (3w), Reifer 1-0-18-0

RESULT: West Indies won by seven runs.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2023