So that concludes this intriguing competition. South Africa has won for the first time in their history. With two losses and the lowest net run rate in the group, West Indies are in last place. To get anywhere from here, they’ll have to put in a tremendous amount of work. There’s still time. For the time being, let’s switch tabs and watch New Zealand’s thrilling match against Pakistan. I hope to see you all there!
Temba Bavuma
Definitely a step up from our first game. We were well aware of the areas in which we needed to improve, notably our batting, as our bowling was excellent. Today is a good day for us. I believe the chats we have on the field are much shorter, and they (Rabada and Nortje) pass along information to other bowlers as well. For us, their knowledge has been beneficial. We were all watching the (ENG v WI) game and weren’t sure how the wicket would behave, so we thought Aiden could give it a shot, which he did admirably. These are the sorts of performances we expect from our hitters, and Aiden is now hitting the ball quite effectively. I suppose a little bit of both (got in the way and inspired), because when the news (of de Kock) reached us, it took us a step back as a team. Quinny is an important member of the squad, not just as a batsman but also as a veteran player, but with Klaasen coming in, it was a chance for him. After all, it was just another game of cricket to play for our nation, and we had to make sure we delivered. The lads have been playing with their hearts and would have put everything on the line, and that is exactly what we are looking for as the tournament progresses.
Kieron Pollard
We haven’t been able to score enough runs. Batters haven’t shown up, which is unfortunate again again today. I predicted the first six overs would end up with a score of 43/0, which we’ll accept. It was crucial not to lose wickets in the powerplay. After that, we lost a couple of wickets and it was all over. Yes, he (Simmons) became trapped; it happens. He was there after six overs, and we wanted to bat a few more overs without losing wickets, but you’re not going to have me pinpointing and putting my teammates under the bus. He was out there trying for us at the end of the day. Yes, he may not have completed the task, but when you consider it… Rassie was a member of their team; the only difference was that he did not come out, and his strike rate was also poor. It was a dreadful batting performance. We must first win before considering net run rate. I think the bowlers did a good job keeping it under 18 overs. We have been let down by our bats, which is why we lost today.
Anrich Nortje
100%, (playing in the IPL in the UAE) has been really beneficial to me. It has also aided us in being able to provide some information to the team about the conditions, which is likely the case for all of the players in all of the teams. Coming here with the confidence of knowing the circumstances and knowing what to do and when to do it has really aided me. It was a nice pitch, similar to the IPL, with the bowlers tinkering with the ball with the grip – it definitely adds some more variety and something different to the bowlers. Working with him (Rabada), his thoughts and expertise of the game in the circumstances, is always a pleasure. It’s no longer about skill, but more about comprehension and communication on the field. It’s wonderful to have him around. We stated that we were pleased with what occurred throughout the game (against Australia). We wanted to get better at hitting. The boys did a fantastic job out there. Hopefully, we’ll be able to expand on this. I don’t think we’re anywhere near a flawless game, but we can keep working on it and attempt to come as close as possible. That’s all I want to do: keep becoming better every day.
Bavuma chose to bowl, and his bowlers were outstanding at first. In the first three overs, the West Indies only managed to score six runs. Lewis then faced Markram, who had been overbowled by Bavuma, who was attempting to purchase another cheap/wicket-taking opportunity. West Indies scored 30 runs in the following two overs, but Lendl Simmons couldn’t seem to find the gaps, much alone middle the ball. Lewis hit a 35-ball 50, but it was overturned because Simmons wasn’t even hitting 50. After then, the Proteas utilised their bowlers. Maharaj was fearless in his bowling to left-handed batters, dismissing two of them in his stint. Shamsi was having a bad day. Rabada’s bowling and catching were both excellent. Nortje surpassed herself once more. Pretorius’ variations were impossible to ignore, and South Africa outsmarted strong hitters by designing cunning fields.
The West Indies were defeated 2-3 in their own home a few months ago, and South Africa had also defeated them at the World Cup. They actually sealed the deal with the ball in their hands. We’ll get there in a minute. How impressive was Reeza Hendricks’ performance at the top? While RVD dropped anchor, he looked sharp with his strokes, even against spin, and he never gave West Indies a chance. It wasn’t a tremendous chase. Hendricks was doing well, so RVD could take his time. When West Indies got the rate up with a few dots, Markram stepped in and took charge. West Indies were heavily hammered by Hayden Walsh’s 16-run third over. Hosein, on the other hand, lacked control. Markram travelled to and over the fence to negate every time the West Indies retreated. He finished with the quickest fifty of the event, a 25-ball superbly timed fifty. RVD threw a few as well, ensuring a victory with 10 balls to spare.
WESTINDIES INNINGS
| BATTING | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lendl Simmons | b Rabada | 16 | 35 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 45.71 |
| Evin Lewis | c Rabada b Maharaj | 56 | 35 | 47 | 3 | 6 | 160.00 |
| Nicholas Pooran † | c Miller b Maharaj | 12 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 171.42 |
| Chris Gayle | c †Klaasen b Pretorius | 12 | 12 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 100.00 |
| Kieron Pollard (c) | c van der Dussen b Pretorius | 26 | 20 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 130.00 |
| Andre Russell | b Nortje | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 125.00 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | run out (Miller/†Klaasen) | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Dwayne Bravo | not out | 8 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 160.00 |
| Hayden Walsh | c Hendricks b Pretorius | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Akeal Hosein | not out | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Extras | (lb 2, nb 1, w 4) | 7 |
| TOTAL | (20 Ov, RR: 7.15) | 143/8 |
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiden Markram | 3 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 7.33 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 6.75 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Anrich Nortje | 4 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 3.50 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keshav Maharaj | 4 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 6.00 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | 3 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 12.33 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Dwaine Pretorius | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 8.50 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SOUTHAFRICA INNINGS
| BATTING | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temba Bavuma (c) | run out (Russell) | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.66 |
| Reeza Hendricks | c Hetmyer b Hosein | 39 | 30 | 46 | 4 | 1 | 130.00 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | not out | 43 | 51 | 91 | 3 | 0 | 84.31 |
| Aiden Markram | not out | 51 | 26 | 48 | 2 | 4 | 196.15 |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 8) | 9 |
| TOTAL | (18.2 Ov, RR: 7.85) | 144/2 |
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akeal Hosein | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 6.75 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ravi Rampaul | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 7.33 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Andre Russell | 3.2 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 10.80 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Hayden Walsh | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 8.66 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Dwayne Bravo | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 5.75 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kieron Pollard | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9.00 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
MATCH INFO
| Toss | South Africa, elected to field first |
| Series | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup |
| Season | 2021/22 |
| Player Of The Match | Anrich Nortje |
| Match number | T20I no. 1366 |
| Match days | 26 October 2021 – day (20-over match) |
| Umpires | Aleem Dar ,Paul Reiffel |
| TV Umpire | Chris Brown |
| Reserve Umpire | Chris Gaffaney |
| Match Referee | David Boon |
| Points | South Africa 2, West Indies 0 |
