AHMEDABAD: Skipper Aiden Markram’s brilliant half-century and fiery spells from Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi kept South Africa unbeaten in the T20 World Cup, as they overcame West Indies by nine wickets in a one-sided contest at Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The Proteas are the only team that is left unbeaten throughout the tournament. With two wins in two matches, South Africa have one foot in the semifinals, while West Indies, with a win and a loss each, need to win their last encounter against India to keep themselves in contention. South Africa’s win also keeps the hopes of Team India alive, who have to win their matches against Zimbabwe and WI and hope for the Proteas to go unbeaten for an easy route to the semifinals.
During a run-chase of 177 runs, the Proteas openers Quinton de Kock and skipper Aiden Markram started well, cracking a boundary each in Matthew Forde’s first over. QDK spent the next few overs being a spectator from the non-strikers’ end, as his captain collected fours and sixes against Forde, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder, singlehandedly bringing the 50-run stand in 30 balls.
In Shamar Joseph’s first over, the final one of the powerplay, de Kock decided to tee off, with two sixes and a four. Proteas stood tall at the end of powerplay at 69/0.
De Kock took his turn to attack the spin, collecting a four and six each against Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase. Chase ended the 95-run stand, with QDK giving a simple catch to Jason Holder at long on, dismissed for 24-ball 42, with four boundaries and sixes each. SA was 95/1 in eight overs.
Markram reached his third half-century of the tournament with six fours and two sixes, and Proteas reached the 100-run mark in just 8.5 overs.
Halfway through their innings, SA was 109/1, dominating the proceedings. Courtesy of some quick runs from Rickelton and a Markram catch drop by Roston, the equation reached under 50 runs needed by the time the 12th over ended.
The run-chase produced a massive 14th over by Chase, as Markram launched for three sixes, one straight down the ground, one over long-on and the other a slog sweep over deep midwicket. The 150-run mark was up for SA in 13.4 overs.
Proteas ended the run-chase courtesy a straight four by Markram, winning by nine wickets with 23 balls left. Markram was unbeaten at 82* in 46 balls, with seven fours and four sixes, while Rickelton made 45* in 28 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes.
Earlier, a sensational, counter-attacking 89-run stand for the eighth wicket between half-centurion Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder helped West Indies overcome a pace barrage from South Africa in the first half, ending their innings at 176/9 in 20 overs.
At one point, WI was 83/7 in 10.2 overs, but Shepherd (52 in 37 balls, with three fours and four sixes) and Jason Holder (49 in 31 balls, with three fours and three sixes) put up a brave 89-run stand, collecting 50 runs in the final five overs.
After South Africa won the toss and elected to field first, skipper Shai Hope put spinner Keshav Maharaj under pressure right from word go, hammering a pull for six in the third ball of the innings, followed by an inside out shot for four and a lucky six to end the first over with 17 runs.
In the next over, Marco Jansen took some beating from Brandon King, who hammered the Proteas pacer for three fours, getting 12 more runs.
In the third over, Kagiso Rabada, who had been wicketless in the past three matches, stalled WI’s momentum with two cruel blows. First, it was skipper Hope feathering an edge to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, ending his cameo of a six-ball 16. In the same over, the pacer made a mess out of Shimron Hetmyer’s stumps, sending him back for just two runs in three.
Brandon King looked in fluent touch, producing back-to-back boundaries against Lungi Ngidi in the fourth over. However, Proteas pushed WI two steps back again, as Ngidi removed King for a quickfire 11-ball 21, with five fours. The batter feathered an edge to QDK behind the stumps. The over concluded with Roston Chase being clean bowled for just two in two. WI was on a downward spiral at 43/4 in four overs.
With a drive past mid-off for four, Rovman Powell helped WI end their powerplay at 52/4 in six overs.
Sherfane Rutherford, the man in form, looked to counter-attack, launching Corbin Bosch for a six over deep mid-wicket. However, Bosch got him on the next ball, courtesy of some excellent glove work from Quinton behind the stumps. Sherfane was gone for 10-ball 12, with half the side gone for 60 in 8.3 overs.
Ngidi rocked WI once again in the ninth over, removing Rovman for an 11-ball nine, as he drove the ball straight into Dewald Brevis’s hands at covers.
