South Africa fall short by seven runs in 221-run chase at the Wanderers
Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2023Romario Shepherd’s unbeaten 44 off 22 balls, and his ninth-wicket partnership of 59 off 26 balls with Alzarri Joseph, who went on to take his first T20I five-for, secured a series win for West Indies to end an entertaining series.Shepherd and Joseph gave West Indies the third-highest score at the Wanderers and the highest total without an individual fifty since Australia’s 221 for 5 against England in 2007. They were able to defend it in challenging conditions, with plenty of dew greasing up the ball, and against a determined South African line-up.Reeza Hendricks notched up a career-best 83 and put on 80 with Rilee Rossouw for the second wicket but the required run-rate ballooned on South Africa and their batting line-up appeared a little light.The result means West Indies have now won a second successive T20I series win in South Africa, eight years after taking the trophy in 2015. Sheldon Cottrell and Jason Holder are the only members of the current squad who played in that series.Ngidi’s nightmare start After last playing a T20I when South Africa lost to Netherlands at the World Cup in November, Ngidi may have thought things could only get better but they didn’t for him. He bowled a decent delivery first up but then erred down the leg-side to the powerful Brandon King who helped the ball on its way over long leg. Ngidi adjusted to outside off stump with his next ball but King launched it onto the roof over deep mid-wicket and forced Ngidi to think of something else. He tried pace off with this fourth ball but King spotted it and sent it over mid-wicket for four. In frustration, Ngidi overstepped for his next ball and had to bowl it again. His extra delivery was a low full-toss that Kyle Mayers hit over extra cover for four to complete a 22-run over.But the rest of the bowlers do the early work Kagiso Rabada was given the ball immediately after Ngidi and made amends. He bowled Mayers with a full, fast delivery that knocked the West Indian opener off his feet as it found the stumps and then brought the centurion from SuperSport Park, Johnson Charles, down to earth with a first-ball duck. Charles didn’t move his feet to a ball that nipped back into him and inside-edged onto his stumps as South Africa roared back. Anrich Nortje returned in the ninth over and saw Mayers walk across his stumps so pitched it on leg stump and took it out. Aiden Markram joined in the fun when Rovman Powell opened his stance and missed a slog and he became the fourth West Indian to be bowled. West Indies were 108 for 4 at the halfway stage, after which Ngidi redeemed himself when he had Nicholas Pooran caught behind. Shepherding the tailWest Indies needed a strong finish after they lost 3 for 21 between the 13th and 16th over with not much batting to come. Shepherd and Joseph put on the highest ninth-wicket partnership at the Wanderers, and took 52 runs off the last three overs to ensure West Indies topped 200. Shepherd survived two chances in that time – he edged Wayne Parnell but Quinton de Kock could not hold on and then he skied a chance off Rabada but Heinrich Klaasen lost it in the lights at fine leg. Shepherd finished the innings with a massive six over long on, a pull through mid-wicket for four and an aerial drive over Rabada’s head in an over that cost 26 runs. Shepherd finished unbeaten on 44 off 22 balls. All square in the Powerplay South Africa started in fairly circumspect style, with only seven runs off the first two overs of their reply, before Quinton de Kock picked up the pace. He steered Cottrell past third man to open his boundary count and then took three fours off Roston Chase’s second over to signal South Africa’s intent. De Kock was profiting off the slower bowling but misread when Joseph put the brakes on and cut to Chase at third. As he left the field, de Kock told Rossouw the ball was sticking in the pitch a bit but that seemed to mean nothing to the No.3. He hit the first ball he faced over extra cover for four, and then sent Joseph over point for six and through the covers for another four. Rossouw scored 19 runs off the first six balls he faced and South Africa finished the Powerplay on exactly the same score as West Indies: 61, but had lost one fewer wicket.Six of the best Unlike de Kock or Rossouw, Hendricks finds his runs with finesse over fury, and he has found a lot of them that way. He brought up his sixth T20I half century in his last eight innings with a six. Hendricks pulled a Shepherd slower ball over deep mid-wicket, showing off his strong use of the wrists and the power he finds through placement, and then decided it was time to show off his big-hitting. He threw his bat at the next ball and sent it swirling to deep extra cover, where it slipped through Brandon King’s hands. South Africa needed 92 off 46 balls at that stage. Hendricks’ lifeline emboldened him and he went aerial in the next over too, but the ball fell short of mid-wicket and Hendricks survived again. He went on to a career best 83 and was at the crease until the penultimate over. South Africa needed 35 runs off 12 balls and Hendricks tried to muscle them there by going over long-on but hit Joseph to Powell on the fence.Joseph gets another five-forHe removed de Kock in his first over, and Miller in his third but Joseph’s biggest task came in his final six balls, with South Africa’s big-hitters at the ready to get big runs. Hendricks was out off his first ball and then Klaasen walked across his stumps and hit him for six. Joseph could have been overawed but he wasn’t. He pulled back the pace and presented Klaasen with a full slower ball that he sliced skyward. Cottrell took a good running catch to send South Africa’s last recognised batter back. Then Joseph got the gas back and sent a full, fast ball to Wayne Parnell, who swung and missed, to record his first T20I five-for.
