(ESPNCRICINFO) – West Indies completed a clean sweep of the T20I series to underline a period of dominance against South Africa in this format. Since March 2023, they have played South Africa ten times in T20I cricket and won eight matches, including back-to-back 3-0 series victories either side of the T20 World Cup. The last of those wins came in a shortened affair in Trinidad.

A rain delay caused the series finale to start an hour later than the scheduled 3pm start time but no overs were lost when play got underway. Another weather interruption, midway through the fifth over of South Africa’s innings, took 70 more minutes out of the game and reduced it to 13 overs a side.
South Africa’s total of 108 for 4 lacked significant individual contributions, which has been a concern for them throughout the series. They were kept quiet by two West Indies’ spinners, Akeal Hosein and stand-in captain Roston Chase, who conceded 22 runs in five overs between. Only Tristan Stubbs scored more than 30 and West Indies’ target was adjusted to 116.

The hosts were on the back foot early when Bjorn Fortuin had Alick Athanaze caught at mid-on in the first over but the rest of the batters grabbed the contest by the scruff of the neck. Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran shared a second-wicket partnership of 58 off 20 balls to put West Indies in a position to push for victory before an unbeaten 56-run stand between Hope and Shimron Hetmyer ended the match with 22 balls to spare.

Shepherd’s double strike

Romario Shepherd became the leading wicket-taker of the T20I series with two wickets in his first over, and South Africa’s tenth, to push the visitors back in their pursuit for quick runs. His first ball brought success as Aiden Markram went after a back of a length ball and nicked it off. South Africa’s T20 captain has not got past 20 in his last six completed innings in the format and only once in his 12 knocks. Three balls later, Shepherd’s slower ball had Ryan Rickelton caught at mid-off to send South Africa from 61 for 1 to 66 for 3, with 20 balls left in their innings.

Stubbs signs off on a high

After registering his first Test half-century in Trinidad earlier this month, Stubbs finished the T20I series as the highest run-scorer and displayed a level of maturity that bodes well for his future with the South African side. With South Africa in need of quick runs, he took on West Indies senior seamer Obed McCoy in his first over of the series to announce himself, even as he got his eye in. Stubbs had faced just four deliveries when he pulled McCoy over backward square leg for his first six, then hit a full ball through cover for four and finally smashed a short ball over deep mid-wicket for a 101-metre six. Stubbs took 16 runs off three balls and finished his innings on 40 off 15 balls to push South Africa over 100 and towards a competitive total.