Nicholas Pooran’s blistering 35 off just 13 deliveries powered the West Indies to an eight-wicket triumph over South Africa in the rain-shortened third T20I on Tuesday, securing a 3-0 series victory. A weather delay of an hour postponed the match’s start, and additional interruptions in the fifth over of South Africa’s innings reduced the contest to 13 overs per side.
Toss
West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Team Line-ups
West Indies (Playing XI):
Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Roston Chase (C), Shimron Hetmyer (In for Rovman Powell), Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Fabian Allen (In for Sherfane Rutherford), Gudakesh Motie, Obed McCoy (In for Shamar Joseph).
South Africa (Playing XI):
Ryan Rickelton (WK), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (C), Tristan Stubbs, Jason Smith (On T20I debut) (In for Rassie van der Dussen), Wiaan Mulder (In for Donovan Ferreira), Patrick Kruger, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman, Lizaad Williams, Kwena Maphaka.
South Africa Innings
Akeal Hosein and Matthew Forde bowled some economical overs early on to restrict the scoring. In Forde’s second over, Ryan Rickelton broke loose, hitting a boundary and a six. Shortly after, rain interrupted play for an hour, reducing each side’s innings by seven overs.
Upon resumption, Reeza Hendricks fell to a Fabian Allen catch at deep midwicket off a short delivery from the left-arm spinner. Rickelton survived a scare in the next over, getting dropped at cover, but made up by hitting Gudakesh Motie for a six. Aiden Markram then smashed Motie for a four and a six in a 16-run over.
Romario Shepherd dismissed both Rickelton and Markram, bringing Tristan Stubbs to the crease. Stubbs attacked Obed McCoy with two sixes and a four, then targeted Forde with two boundaries and a maximum. His explosive 40 off 15 balls ended when he mistimed a slower delivery from Forde to Allen. South Africa ended at 108 for 4 in their 13 overs.
West Indies Innings
Chasing a revised target of 116 in 13 overs, Bjorn Fortuin dismissed Alick Athanaze early, caught by Aiden Markram at mid-on. Pooran immediately went on the offensive, hitting Fortuin’s first ball for six and following it up with two huge sixes off Lizaad Williams over deep square. Shai Hope then took charge against Kwena Maphaka, smashing three sixes on the onside.
Pooran continued his assault on Ottneil Baartman, adding a six and two boundaries before being caught at deep midwicket. West Indies surged to 60 for 2 at the end of the four-over PowerPlay.
Though Patrick Kruger managed to tighten the scoring temporarily, Shimron Hetmyer broke free with a six off Maphaka. Hetmyer then attacked Baartman with three successive boundaries, before Hope sealed the victory with a towering six over cover.
Brief Scores
- South Africa: 108 for 4 in 13 overs (Tristan Stubbs 40, Ryan Rickelton 27; Romario Shepherd 2-14)
- West Indies: 116 for 2 in 9.2 overs (Shai Hope 42*, Nicholas Pooran 35; Bjorn Fortuin 1-8) – match reduced to 13 overs per side due to rain.