On Sunday evening, August 25, West Indies triumphed over South Africa by 30 runs in the 2nd match of the T20 series at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. With this win, West Indies secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match series. The final match will be played in Trinidad on 27 August.
West Indies defeated South Africa by 30 runs in the second T20 match, securing a 2-0 series lead. Shepherd and Joseph starred with 3 wickets each.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first in the hope of restricting the host crew to a possible score. However, West Indies put up a solid batting performance and amassed 179 runs for 6 wickets from their allotted 20 overs. It was becoming a difficult general and South Africa knew they might want to hit hard to catch up.
West Indies opened their innings with confidence and their top batsmen laid a steady foundation. The contributions from the middle order bolstered the general of the pack and ensured that they had enough runs to stretch the South African batting line-up. The South African bowlers did well to contain the West Indian batsmen but the home side controlled to present a competitive rating.
In response, South Africa faced early setbacks, losing wickets at daily intervals. The West Indies bowlers were relentless and Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph were the attack. Shepherd turned into a standout performer, taking three wickets in just 15 runs, earning him the Man of the Match award. Additionally, Shamar Joseph contributed significantly, picking up three wickets and similarly tightening the noose on South Africa’s batting line-up.
Despite some resistance from the South African batsmen, they could not build a partnership to chase down the target. Sooner or later, South Africa lost 149 runs in 19.4 overs and fell 30 runs short of the target.
This win marks a great achievement for West Indies as they have now clinched the T20 series with a game to spare. The group heads into the final suit with momentum on their aspect, aiming to smoothly sweep the collection.
As the series ends on August 27 in Trinidad, South Africa may be looking to salvage some satisfaction at the same time West Indies look to finish the series on overdrive.
