Batting fragility cost WI in series loss to South Africa
Published:Sunday | July 4, 2021 | 12:13 AMLennox Aldred - Sunday Gleaner Writer
The West Indies once again showed that their batting unit still needs a lot of improvement, as they could not come up with the goods, going down by 25 runs in the fifth and final T20 in Grenada to South Africa, who claimed the series 3-2.
Chasing 169 for victory, the West Indies stuttered in the run chase and could only manage 143 for nine despite a brisk start from the top order once again.
Evin Lewis was the man that gave the home side the brilliant start they needed, hitting a brisk 52 from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes.
It was the South African spinners that pegged back the home side’s early momentum, with Player of the Series Tabriaz Shamzi and George Linde picking up the big wickets of Lendl Simmons and Chris Gayle.
When Lewis fell in the tenth over with the score on 75, it was left to skipper Kieron Pollard and Shimron Hetmyer to do the business for the home side.
HAMSTRING INJURY
Pollard hit one six in his innings before pulling up with a hamstring injury. That injury seemed to hamper the skipper, who fell soon afterwards, caught in the deep for 13, at 110 for four in the 15th over.
On the very next ball, the big-hitting Andre Russell handed Wiaan Mulder his second wicket, as he was caught at point by a diving Lungi Ngidi for nought.
Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran tried to keep up with the ever-increasing run rate, which reached as much as 15 runs per over, but the pressure would eventually get the better of the left-handers, who fell for 33 and 20,respectively.
Ngidi finished with three wickets for 32 runs with two wickets also going to Kagiso Rabada.
Earlier, Player of the Match Aiden Markham hit a brilliant 70 from 48 balls, as he and Quinton de Kock put on a record 128-run second-wicket partnership to set up the Proteas total.
De Kock made 60 from 42 balls as Fidel Edwards bagged two wickets for 19 from three overs.
SOUTH AFRICA
*T Bavuma c Gayle b Edwards 0
+Q de Kock c Russell b Edwards 60
A Markram c Simmons b McCoy 70
D Miller not out 18
R van der Dussen c & b Bravo 1
W Mulder not out 9
Extras (b1, lb1, w8) 10
TOTAL (4 wkts, 20 overs) 168
Did not bat: G Linde, K Rabada, L Ngidi, T Shamsi, B Fortuin
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Bavuma, 0.3 overs), 2-128 (de Kock, 14.1), 3-144 (Markram, 16.3), 4-149 (van der Dussen, 17.2)
Bowling: Edwards 3-0-19-2 (w1), Gayle 2-0-15-0 (w1), Bravo 4-0-28-1 (w3), McCoy 4-0-31-1 (w2), Russell 3-0-32-0, Hosein 2-0-24-0, Pollard 2-0-17-0 (w1).
WEST INDIES
L Simmons lbw b Linde 3
E Lewis c Markram b Ngidi 52
C Gayle c wkp de Kock b Shamsi 11
S Hetmyer c Miller b Ngidi 33
*K Pollard c Markram b Mulder 13
Andre Russell c Ngidi b Mulder 0
+N Pooran c wkp de Kock b Rabada 20
D Bravo c Bavuma b Rabada 1
A Hosein not out 2
O McCoy c Mulder b Ngidi 1
F Edwards not out 0
Extras (lb1, w5, nb1) 7
TOTAL (9 wkts, 20 overs) 143
Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Simmons, 2.1 overs), 2-65 (Gayle, 7.1), 3-75 (Lewis, 9.3), 4-110 (Pollard, 14.3), 5-110 (Russell, 14.4), 6-125 (Hetmyer, 17.2), 7-140 (Bravo, 18.2), 8-140 (Pooran, 18.3), 9-142 (McCoy, 19.2)
Bowling: Fortuin 1-0-11-0, Rabada 4-0-24-2 (nb1), Linde 3-0-33-1, Ngidi 4-0-32-3 (w1), Shamsi 4-0-11-1, Mulder 4-0-31-2 (w4).
Result: South Africa won by 25 runs.
Series: South Africa won five-match series 3-2.
Man-of-the-Match: Aiden Markram.
Man-of-the-Series: Tabraiz Shamsi.
Toss: South Africa.
Umpires: G Brathwaite, J Wilson; TV – L Reifer