(CMC) – Superb power hitting by Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran propelled the West Indies to a dominant eight-wicket win over South Africa in the third and final T20 International at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Hope and Pooran blundered South Africa’s bowlers to all parts of the ground in a 58-run partnership that required only three overs, as the West Indies cruised to 116 for two off 9.2 overs to win via the DLS method after South Africa had finished at 108 for four in the rain-affected contest.
The victory assured the West Indies of a 3-0 series sweep, their second whitewash against South Africa in the shorter format in the last two months.
Heavy showers delayed the start of the match by an hour, and South Africa were 23 without loss in the fifth over when rain forced the players off the field for another hour.
The decision was taken to reduce the match to 13 overs a side, and immediately after play resumed, spinner Akeal Hosein enticed Reeza Rendricks into a pull shot that ended up in the hands of Fabian Allen, diving in from deep midwicket.
Ryan Rickelton and Captain Aiden Markram tried their best to increase the scoring rate but were unsuccessful during a 38-run stand.
By the time Markram became one of two wickets for Romario Shepherd, caught behind by Pooran for 20, South Africa were 61-2 in the 10th over.
It took some sensational power hitting by Tristan Stubbs, who bludgeoned 40 off 15 balls, inclusive of five boundaries and three sixes, to get the Proteas past 100 before he holed out off the bowling of Matthew Forde with two balls remaining in the innings.
Man-of-the-Match Shepherd snagged 2-14 from his two overs to be the pick of the West Indies’ bowlers.
Set a revised total of 116 in 13 overs, the West Indies lost Alick Athanaze to the fourth ball of the run chase.
But Pooran’s arrival at the crease proved to be detrimental to South Africa, as he showed no mercy during his 13-ball innings of 35, which included two fours and four sixes.
He smashed the first ball he faced from left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin over deep square leg for six runs and followed that up by thumping pacer Lizaad Williams for two more sixes in the second over that cost 15 runs.
Hope joined in on the action by hoisting teenaged left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka for three sixes in the ensuing over that went for 22 runs, as West Indies motored to 46-1 after three overs.
The carnage wasn’t done yet, as Pooran then hit Ottneil Baartman for a six and two fours off his first three deliveries in the next over.
Baartman did get his revenge by having Pooran caught on the deep midwicket boundary off the last ball of the over, but Shimron Hetmyer’s entry did them no favours.
While his timing was not on point, Hetmyer still clobbered four boundaries and one six during an unbeaten 56-run partnership with Hope.
Hope, who was named Man-of-the-Series, duly ended the contest with 22 balls still remaining, when he hit Patrick Kruger over deep point for six to finish on 42, not out from 24 balls, with one boundary and four sixes.
Hetmyer was not out on 31 from 17 balls.
