June 27, 2021, 6:43 p.m.
2nd CG InsuranceT20 International
Venue: Grenada National Stadium
Result: South Africa won by 16 runs
Man-of-the-Match: George Linde
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West Indies batsmen couldn’t quite replicate the batting heroics of Saturday and fell to a narrow victory to South Africa in the second CG Insurance T20 International on Sunday. Asked to chase a manageable target of just over eight runs per over, the home side came up short with opener Andre Fletcher (35) and Fabian Allen (34) being the leading scorers.
Fletcher, playing on home soil, batted deep and was the sixth batsman to be dismissed after he faced 36 balls and hit two fours and a six. Allen made his career-best score which came off just 12 balls and included five towering sixes. With 36 needed off the last over, he blasted the first two balls over the rope on the leg side to give the West Indies a glimmer of hope. Two balls later he smashed another maximum – flat and hard at head-height over long-on – but perished the next delivery which sealed the victory for the visitors.
His strike rate in the death overs of all T20s is now 201.11 – Glenn Phillips, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle are the only batsmen in T20 history with a higher strike rate than Allen in that phase (minimum 100 balls faced).
South Africa’s bowlers were led by left-arm orthodox spinner George Linde, who used the new ball and ended with the impressive figures of 4-0-19-2. He was well supported by Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm chinaman specialist, who had 4-0-16-1 to control the middle overs.
Earlier, left-arm pacer Obed McCoy claimed three wickets to restricted South Africa’s scoring after a fast start. Playing just his seventh match at this level, the 24-year-old had career best 3-25 off his four overs. He also bowled 11 dot balls, more than any other West Indies bowler. Sinclair, the 21-year-old off-spinner making his fifth appearance took 2-24 and also helped to peg back the Proteas.
After an up tempo start of 73 off 6.5 overs, Sinclair got the wickets of both openers – Quinton de Kock, who was brilliantly caught by keeper Nicholas Pooran, and Reeza Hendricks, who was trapped leg-before as he tried a reverse sweep. West Indies bowlers did a very good job in the second half of the innings as South Africa hit no boundaries after the 16th over and only one six after the Powerplay.
The five-match series is level 1-1. The two teams return to the same venue on Tuesday for the third CG Insurance T20 International. First ball is 2pm (1pm Jamaica Time).
-CWI
