JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — West Indies ended their three-match T20I series against South Africa on a high, claiming a dramatic six-run victory via the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method in a rain- and lightning-affected thriller on Saturday.
The win allowed the Windies to finish the series on a positive note, overcoming interruptions and intense pressure to keep South Africa just short of their revised target.
Lightning delays set the stage for drama
The contest was fraught with interruptions from the outset. Play was delayed by 75 minutes when lightning was spotted in the area, reducing the match first to 16 overs per side and later to just 10. Despite the disruptions, West Indies’ top order came out aggressive, determined to set a competitive total.
An early blow struck when Johnson Charles fell for a duck with the score at five, but captain Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer steadied the innings, racing to 66 for one after six overs before the players were sent off due to the storm.
Hetmyer blazes the trail
When play resumed with only four overs remaining, West Indies began cautiously. Corbin Bosch kept the runs in check, conceding just six in his over. The momentum shifted dramatically when Hetmyer and Hope attacked Keshav Maharaj, sending three of the first four balls over the ropes for sixes.
Hope eventually fell for 48 from 25 balls while attempting to clear the boundary, caught at long off. Rovman Powell continued the assault with two towering sixes in the penultimate over but departed for 13 off seven. Hetmyer finished the innings emphatically, hitting Bosch’s final delivery over midwicket for six to remain unbeaten on 48 from 22 balls, including six sixes and a four.
West Indies posted 114 for three in 10 overs, setting a challenging revised target of 125 under the DLS method.
South Africa fight back
Chasing the revised target, South Africa started explosively, blasting 19 runs off Jason Holder’s opening over. Early wickets from Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie quickly slowed the home side’s charge: captain Aiden Markram was caught and bowled for two, while Motie claimed the scalps of Quinton de Kock (28), Ryan Rickelton (15), and Dewald Brevis (17), reducing South Africa to 63 for four after six overs.
With the required run rate climbing above 15, South Africa appeared on the brink of collapse, but a counterattack from George Linde and Jason Smith reignited hope. Linde hit 14 off Joseph’s over, followed by 21 off Hosein’s, leaving South Africa needing 27 from the final 12 balls.
Holder removed Linde in the penultimate over, leaving 16 required from the last six deliveries. Despite conceding a boundary early in the final over, Joseph executed a tight finish, bowling Smith and allowing only two additional runs to seal a tense six-run victory for the Windies.
Motie stars with the ball
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was named Player of the Match, finishing with 3-17 from his two overs. His disciplined performance under pressure proved decisive, restricting South Africa and giving West Indies the edge in a nail-biting finale.
The Windies’ victory ensured they concluded the series on a high after back-to-back losses in the opening T20Is. Despite the weather interruptions and the electrifying counterattacks from South Africa, the team’s composure and ability to execute in the final overs highlighted their resilience ahead of upcoming challenges.
