WEST Indies have won their third successive series against South Africa by defending 179 at the Brian Lara Academy, where they dismantled a chase that was well set-up.
South Africa were 129 for 3 in the 14th over but lost 7 for 20 in 35 balls and were bowled out for 149 in 19.4 overs to fall short by 30 runs.

Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie made the crucial breakthroughs when they removed Tristan Stubbs and Donovan Ferreira respectively but then it was over to Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph to finish off. Shepherd ended with 3 for 15 from his four overs and Joseph with a career-best 3 for 31. Between them they took South Africa’s chances of levelling the series from on track to derailed.

West Indies would have known that the total they posted was gettable after they pulled off the highest successful chase at the venue – 175 – two days ago and South Africa were off to a quick start. They raced to 100 inside 10 overs but West Indies conceded only one boundary between 10th and 14th overs and forced South Africa into making mistakes that ultimately cost them the game.

South Africa’s middle-order will be a cause for concern after only one batter from No.3 down got past 20 in a match where individual run-scoring accolades were scarce. There were no half-centuries across the two teams but West Indies were clearly the better big-hitting side. They hit 13 sixes compared to South Africa’s six, which may be one marker of where the game was won.

Another is that West Indies scored 50 runs in their last five overs and the 47-run stand between Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford also gave West Indies the edge.

HOPE FLOATS AND FLIES
After a match-winning 51 in the opening game, Shai Hope announced his intent in this match when he slog-swept Bjorn Fortuin over midwicket to score his first boundary of the innings. Hope’s pull off Kwena Maphaka in the next over, which went between the wicketkeeper and short fine, opened up a scoring area in the v behind the stumps which Alick Athanaze also exploited when he played Lizaad Williams late through third. West Indies finished the Powerplay on 43 for 1 before Hope’s best came out.

He smashed Aiden Markram for back-to-back sixes over midwicket as South Africa’s captain turned the ball into him and Hope was able to hit with the wind. Two more sixes came when he pulled Maphaka over cow corner and flicked Patrick Kruger over a wide fine leg to underline his preference for leg-side play. Hope scored 39 of his 41 runs on the on-side, and had a third fifty in four innings in his sights, before he reached for a wide Kruger delivery and was caught at deep point.

KRUGER DOUBLES-UP
Hope was Kruger’s first T20I wicket and it only took two more balls before he had his second. After a change of ends, but with the same plan, Kruger struck with the first ball in the 12th over. He maintained a wide line outside off and Roston Chase was enticed into attempting a big shot. He only got enough to find Maphaka on the edge of the point boundary, who took a good low catch to leave West Indies 94 for 3. Kruger is not South Africa’s first-choice allrounder, even in this squad, but has done enough to keep Wiaan Mulder on the bench and perhaps even edge out Donovan Ferreira.

REEZA’S RETURN
The last ball of Hosein’s opening over was not particularly short, but Hendricks pulled it for four over midwicket for the first boundary of South Africa’s reply. And it was as though a switch had flipped. Hendricks went on to hit a wide ball from Matthew Forde over point, a full delivery through the covers and then seemed to do nothing more than attempt a back foot defensive block but timed it well enough to get past mid-off for four more.

His coup de grâce came against Roston Chase, who he hit for 22 runs including back to back sixes either side of the wicket to give South Africa fifty inside four overs, and 71 in the Powerplay albeit that he fell on the penultimate ball. Hendricks under-edged Romario Shepherd onto his stumps and was out for 44 but showed signs that he was back to his best. In 11 innings before this one, Hendricks had only got past 40 once and though he would have been disappointed not to get a half-century, he set up the chase well.