South Africa Maintains Unbeaten Streak with Dominant Win Over West Indies in T20 World Cup
South Africa's Commanding Victory
Aiden Markram's exceptional half-century, along with impressive bowling performances from Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, propelled South Africa to a nine-wicket victory against West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday. This win keeps South Africa as the only unbeaten team in the T20 World Cup.
With two victories from two matches, South Africa is on the verge of securing a semifinal spot. In contrast, West Indies, with one win and one loss, must triumph in their final match against India to remain in contention. This victory also keeps India's hopes alive, as they need to win their upcoming matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies while hoping for South Africa to continue their unbeaten run.
Proteas Excel in Run-Chase
Chasing a target of 177 runs, South Africa's openers, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram, started strong, each hitting boundaries in the first over bowled by Matthew Forde. De Kock played a supporting role as Markram aggressively scored runs against Forde, Romario Shepherd, and Jason Holder, leading to a 50-run partnership in just 30 balls.
In the final over of the powerplay, de Kock unleashed his attack, hitting two sixes and a four, leaving South Africa at 69 without loss. He later targeted the spin bowlers, scoring a four and a six against Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase. However, Chase ended the 95-run partnership by catching de Kock, who scored 47 runs off 24 balls.
Markram reached his third half-century of the tournament, hitting six fours and two sixes, as South Africa crossed the 100-run mark in just 8.5 overs. By the halfway point, they were comfortably placed at 109/1.
With quick runs from Rickelton and a dropped catch by Roston, the required runs fell below 50 by the end of the 12th over. Markram's explosive 14th over included three sixes, bringing the score to 150 runs in 13.4 overs. The match concluded with Markram hitting a four, securing a nine-wicket win with 23 balls remaining. Markram finished unbeaten on 82 off 46 balls, while Rickelton contributed 45 not out off 28 balls.
West Indies' Struggles and Recovery
Earlier, West Indies faced a challenging start but managed to recover with a remarkable 89-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder. This partnership helped them reach a total of 176/8 in their 20 overs after being in a precarious position at 83/7.
Shepherd scored 52 runs off 37 balls, while Holder added 49 runs off 31 balls, with both players contributing significantly in the final overs.
After winning the toss and opting to field, South Africa's bowlers, particularly Kagiso Rabada, made early breakthroughs, dismissing key players and leaving West Indies struggling at 43/4. Despite this, Shepherd and Holder's partnership revitalized their innings, allowing them to post a competitive total.
Bowling Highlights
Ngidi and Rabada were standout bowlers for South Africa, with Ngidi taking 3 wickets for 30 runs and Rabada claiming 2 for 22. Marco Jansen, however, had a tough outing, conceding 50 runs in his four overs.
Match Summary
West Indies: 176/8 (Romario Shepherd 52*, Jason Holder 49; Lungi Ngidi 3/30) lost to South Africa: 177/1 in 16.1 overs (Aiden Markram 82*, Quinton de Kock 47; Roston Chase 1/46).