West Indies clinches series to South Africa, Shepherd hits fifer

On Thursday, in the decider match between West Indies and South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium, the Caribbean side defeated South Africa by 7 runs and grabbed the T20I series by 2-1.
West Indies bowling all-rounder Romario Shepherd stole the limelight with his unbeaten quick-fire knock of 44(22)*, taking the visitors’ total to 220. Even though he failed to impress with his bowling skills, his heroics in batting played a huge role in West Indies’ victory over the hosts. South Africa almost managed to replicate their dauntless performance in the second T20I. However, they ended up falling short in the end by a matter of few runs.
In the post-match conference, West Indies skipper Rovman Powell emphasised on his team’s performance in the final T20I.
“We treated this like a final. We knew early wickets will put them under pressure. King and Mayers have been giving us good starts throughout the series. Our batting was very long today. We have quality bowlers as well. South Africa is a good place for bowlers. I knew Alzarri would like the wickets here. The natural thing would have been to give it to Cottrell. We knew who are the players who can nail 4 yorkers out of 6 balls,” Powell said.
In the second T20I West Indies fell short even after putting up a massive score of 258 on the board. But they bounced back from their misery and stood victorious in a nail bitting thriller. Powell pointed out a few players who stood above the rest.
“After the last game, the guys were disappointed. The way Shepherd and Alzarri batted was pleasing. Alzarri got us wickets as well. As a new international captain, I want them to be fearless and be natural. But they need to be smart as well. We knew 250 was a very rare game,” Powell continued.
Alzarri Joseph took a five-wicket hall in his four overs which turned the momentum in favour of West Indies. He was awarded Man of the Match for his game-changing performance. In the post-match conference, he gave his views on the match, “We got a good total. Was up to the bowlers to defend it. It is always good to have the confidence of the captain. It has been a long tour. I enjoy a challenge. I enjoy leading the pack,” Joseph said.