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On Sunday, February 27, 2022, South Africa and West Indies faced off in the second T20 match of their five-match series at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It was a crucial game for both teams as the series was level at 1-1 after the first two matches, with each team looking to take the lead.
SUNDAY, 26 MARCH 2023
TIME: 3:30 PM ET
TIME: 11:30 PM GMT
South Africa won the toss and elected to field first, which seemed to be a wise decision considering the damp and cloudy conditions. West Indies started well, with opener Lendl Simmons scoring a quickfire 21 off just 14 deliveries. However, the South African bowlers, led by Kagiso Rabada, soon took control of the game, restricting the visitors to just 143-9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Rabada was the standout performer with the ball for South Africa, taking 3 wickets for just 30 runs in his four overs. He was ably supported by Anrich Nortje and Dwaine Pretorius, who also picked up two wickets each. The West Indian batsmen struggled to get going against the South African bowling attack, with only Fabian Allen, who scored an unbeaten 34 off 18 balls, showing some resistance towards the end.
In response, South Africa got off to a steady start, with openers Janneman Malan and Quinton de Kock putting on 32 runs for the first wicket. However, West Indies hit back with two quick wickets, dismissing both Malan and Aiden Markram in quick succession.
South Africa then lost another two wickets, with de Kock and Reeza Hendricks falling to West Indian spinner Fabian Allen, leaving the home team struggling at 75-4 in the 12th over. It was at this stage that South African skipper Temba Bavuma and all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius came to the crease and turned the game on its head.
Bavuma and Pretorius played some brilliant shots and kept the scoreboard ticking, with Bavuma in particular looking in fine touch. The South African captain scored a brilliant half-century, which included six boundaries and two sixes, before falling to Sheldon Cottrell in the 18th over.
However, by that time, South Africa was already in a commanding position, needing just 10 runs off the last two overs. Pretorius finished off the game in style, hitting a six off the first ball of the 19th over to seal a six-wicket victory for South Africa with seven balls to spare.
Pretorius was the hero of the match for South Africa, scoring an unbeaten 28 off just 14 balls and taking two wickets with the ball earlier in the day. He was named the player of the match for his all-round performance, which helped South Africa take a 2-1 lead in the series.
It was a disappointing performance by West Indies, who failed to build on their victory in the first match of the series. Their batsmen struggled against the South African bowling attack, with the top order failing to provide a solid foundation. The absence of their star all-rounder, Andre Russell, due to injury, was also felt by the team, as they lacked the firepower in the middle order.
For South Africa, it was a much-needed win, which will boost their confidence going into the fourth match of the series. They will be pleased with the way their bowlers performed, with Rabada, Nortje, and Pretorius all putting in impressive performances. The batting also looked in good touch, with Bavuma and Pretorius playing crucial innings to take their team over the line.
