West Indies 116 for 2 (Hope 42*, Pooran 35, Hetmyer 31*) beat South Africa 108 for 4 (Stubbs 40, Shepherd 2-14) by eight wickets via DLS method
West Indies completed a clean sweep of the T20I series to underline a period of dominance against South Africa in this format. Since March 2023, they have played South Africa 10 times in T20Is and won eight matches, including back-to-back 3-0 series victories either side of the T20 World Cup. The last of those wins came in a shortened affair in Trinidad.
A rain delay caused the series finale to start an hour later than the scheduled 3pm start but no overs were lost when play got underway. Another weather interruption, midway through the fifth over of South Africa's innings, took 70 more minutes out of the game and reduced it to 13 overs a side.
South Africa's total of 108 for 4 lacked significant individual contributions, which was a concern for them throughout the series. They were kept quiet by two West Indies spinners, Akeal Hosein and stand-in captain Roston Chase, who conceded 22 runs in five overs between them. Only Tristan Stubbs scored more than 30 and West Indies' target was adjusted to 116.
The hosts were on the back foot early when Bjorn Fortuin had Alick Athanaze caught at mid-on in the first over but the rest of the batters grabbed the contest by the scruff of the neck. Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran shared a second-wicket partnership of 58 off 20 balls to put West Indies in a position to push for victory before an unbeaten 56-run stand between Hope and Shimron Hetmyer ended the match with 22 balls to spare.
Shepherd's double-strike
Romario Shepherd became the leading wicket-taker of the T20I series with two wickets in his first over, and South Africa's tenth, to push the visitors back in their pursuit for quick runs. His first ball brought success as Aiden Markram went after a back-of-a-length ball and nicked it off. South Africa's T20 captain has gone past 20 only once in his last seven T20I innings and only twice in his 12 knocks. Three balls later, Shepherd's slower ball had Ryan Rickelton caught at mid-off to send South Africa from 61 for 1 to 66 for 3, with 20 balls left in their innings.
Stubbs signs off on a high
After registering his first Test half-century in Trinidad earlier this month, Stubbs finished the T20I series as the highest run-scorer and displayed a level of maturity that bodes well for his future for South Africa. With South Africa in need of quick runs, he took on West Indies' senior seamer Obed McCoy, bowling his first over of the series, to announce himself, even as he got his eye in. Stubbs had faced just four deliveries when he pulled McCoy over backward square leg for his first six, then hit a full ball through cover for four and finally smashed a short ball over deep midwicket for a 101-metre six. Stubbs took 16 runs off three balls and finished his innings on 40 off 15 balls to push South Africa over 100 and towards a competitive total.
Maphaka learns the hard way
Kwena Maphaka's first IPL match was a baptism of fire when Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma tore him about and he conceded 66 runs in four overs to record the most expensive figures on debut and the lessons have kept coming. Playing his third international in six days and given the ball in the third over of the shortened chase, Maphaka started with a full, wide delivery outside off which he had to bowl again. With the gas ramped up to 141kph, Pooran took one run off his next ball to put Hope on strike and he showed Maphaka no mercy. He sent successive short balls over the leg side for sixes before being foxed by a slower ball. Maphaka could not close out the over quickly and sent down a no-ball and another wide before Pooran whipped him away for the third six of the over to put West Indies in charge of the chase. Maphaka's first over cost 22 runs.
Hetmyer hits out
It was his first T20I of the year but Hetmyer looked as though he had not missed a beat after he found his feet. It took him seven balls to find his first boundary and it came off the outside edge off Lizaad Williams but runs came easily after that. Hetmyer pulled a Maphaka short ball over long leg for six, then sent Ottneil Baartman to opposite ends of the fields - through mid-off and backward point - for successive fours and finished the over with a third four over fine leg. He was the senior partner in a half-century partnership with Hope and scored 31 runs off 17 balls to ensure West Indies finished in style.
